McWilliams: Ireland is backing itself

On the fifth anniversary of the troika’s arrival, let’s be clear on what has actually helped us recover

ECB in Frankfurt

Six years after its inaugural outing, the atmosphere at the Global Irish Economic Forum on Friday in Dublin Castle couldn’t have been more different. Back then, there was a palpable sense of panic and many reasons to be fearful; this time, there was a sense of a steadied ship and many reasons to be optimistic.

This weekend also happens to be the fifth anniversary of the bailout. That was the weekend that the ...