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== '''Setting the Stage''' == | == '''Setting the Stage''' == | ||
The Irish economy before and after Ireland’s independence from the United Kingdom was known for its lack of success more than anything. Some suggest that Ireland’s geographic location was it’s major disadvantaged as it was “living in the shadow of a giant” [[Source Page| [1]]]. A definite | The Irish economy before and after Ireland’s independence from the United Kingdom was known for its lack of success more than anything. Some suggest that Ireland’s geographic location was it’s major disadvantaged as it was “living in the shadow of a giant” [[Source Page| [1]]]. A definite factor that helped weaken Ireland's economy, however, was the division of Ireland after the War of Independence. In 1922 when Ireland gained independence from the U.K, Ireland was divided into two territories; the Irish Free State (now known as the Republic of Ireland), which consists of twenty-six counties of Ireland, and Northern Ireland, which consists of six counties that have remained a part of the U.K. Ireland's econmoy struggled with the new division of the country, even though economic conditions were unstable to begin with before the separtation. Both economies of the Republic and the North were weak, however, the North had the advantage of receiving financial subsidies from the U.K., which contributed to a higher standard of living in the North [[Source Page| [4]]]. | ||
Revision as of 20:18, 29 April 2006
Setting the Stage
The Irish economy before and after Ireland’s independence from the United Kingdom was known for its lack of success more than anything. Some suggest that Ireland’s geographic location was it’s major disadvantaged as it was “living in the shadow of a giant” [1]. A definite factor that helped weaken Ireland's economy, however, was the division of Ireland after the War of Independence. In 1922 when Ireland gained independence from the U.K, Ireland was divided into two territories; the Irish Free State (now known as the Republic of Ireland), which consists of twenty-six counties of Ireland, and Northern Ireland, which consists of six counties that have remained a part of the U.K. Ireland's econmoy struggled with the new division of the country, even though economic conditions were unstable to begin with before the separtation. Both economies of the Republic and the North were weak, however, the North had the advantage of receiving financial subsidies from the U.K., which contributed to a higher standard of living in the North [4].
Between the years of 1881 and 1981, Ireland experienced a century of population stagnation, which is evident from Table 1. This occurred as a result of an increase in natural population that was offset by substantial emigration rates (more than 400,000 people left Ireland between 1951 and 1961 [2]). During this 100-year span, Ireland did of course experience economic progress, as indicators of economic performance show a rising standard of living. This progress, however, was relatively unimpressive. In 1921, 1961, and even in 1981, Ireland remained a traditional agricultural economy. Much to its disadvantage, the Irish economy seemed to be resisting the industrialization process that was occurring elsewhere [1].
