The Baltics are rapidly becoming a cauldron of EU growth when other parts of Europe are stagnating
Economically, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are by far the most successful of post-Soviet Republics
David McWilliams
David McWilliams columns
Ireland’s extraordinary education revolution laid bare by two new reports
New research published by OECD shows poorer students in Ireland more likely than ever before to finish college and better their lives
There are signs of overheating everywhere you look in Ireland’s economy
As the country goes full throttle and rents hit all-time highs, it’s clear the economy is overheating. It may be time to chill
Property dereliction is antisocial behaviour perpetrated by the rich
David McWilliams: Hoarded houses are falling down in front of our eyes while a housing crisis rumbles on
Africa mines the material, China makes the products, Ireland gets rich
Thirty years after the end of apartheid, the world is abandoning globalisation. How’s this going for Africa? Not great, to be honest
Trump has managed to create something world has never seen: virulent Canadian nationalism
Now Canada election campaign is over, how does Carney – a brilliant economic mind – negotiate from here?
Dublin city is the biggest victim of Ireland’s ludicrous taxation system
The city raises 26 times more money than the council is given to run the place. No wonder it is sliding into dereliction, vacancy and vandalism
For Ireland, the choice between the US and China is easy
The US president’s tariffs echo the Great Game of old, presenting knotty problems for Europe
David McWilliams: ‘I’ve never seen anything like this economic chaos. Buckle up’
Punters and businesses have reacted to the past few weeks of chaos by becoming much less confident about the future
Trump is basing entire US trade policy on nonsense economics
If he plans to transform the US economy permanently with his tariffs plan then the world is entering a new era
David McWilliams: Use the tariff crisis to fix the Irish economy
We need to get out of our own way, stop being afraid of technological advances and embrace them
Once you start looking, the signs of US recession are everywhere
The incoherence of Trump economics is making already indebted consumers and businesses even more anxious. Punters across all income brackets are panicking and consumer confidence is collapsing
David McWilliams: We witnessed in the White House the ‘Doonbegisation’ of Irish foreign policy
We know it’s a fantasy but let’s take it and move on, because the battles ahead will change our world in ways we have not yet contemplated
Imperialism is back with Trump and the US driving the agenda
While there is a whiff of theatre about the US president’s moves on Canada, the same can’t be said of Ukraine
There is a shock in store for Ireland once Donald Trump’s Maga men look closely
When Donald Trump’s Maga men look around the globe to uncover the most egregious trade sinner, they will surely see Ireland
We should declare war on dereliction and a tax amnesty is our best weapon
Use the tax system to reward good behaviour and punish bad, and make it cheaper to build on derelict sites
Don’t panic, Ireland. Donald Trump will have no choice but to drop his silly tariffs idea
A tariff strategy works only if there are enough domestic goods to replace the tariffed imports
Gen Z will become the propulsive force that drives Irish society
Where that generation takes society is anyone’s guess but, like the 1980s punk movement, something will erupt when least expected
Festivals in Ireland 2025: From Longitude to All Together Now - a guide to 80 of the best
From Brigit and Dublin Lunar New Year to Culture Night, Space Week and Cork Jazz Festival, here’s our round-up of cultural showcases to catch this year
Some are getting rich from the housing crisis, because one person’s mortgage is another’s piggy bank
The new Government should ensure the wealth accruing from Irish housing benefits Irish people, not foreign pension funds
If we want less strain on capacity, we should limit immigration to some extent
If we want less strain on the capacity of the country we should limit immigration
No single location captures global nature of Irish economy more than Dublin Airport
Look up at the screen in Dublin Airport and marvel at all those destinations and what they mean. Think of all the people coming and going. Consider all the ideas, schemes and plans, the commerce, the deals and the dreams
The United States needs the world more than it thinks, and that’s no bad thing
The flaw in the Maga rhetoric about how the United States is going to do this and that to its foes is that the US is the largest debtor the world has seen at any time in human history
The old gatekeepers have lost control of the message. The implication for politics, democracy and society is enormous
When I was younger, Ireland had the main newspapers, political parties, RTÉ, the church and the education system. Today, everyone is an editor
Taylor Swift tops the economic charts, electoral victory for Centrist Dads and Apple’s awkward €13bn
If the 2024 election result marked stability, safety and conservatism, the biggest gig of the year underscored that same middle-brow innocuousness
Europe has lost its mojo. Thankfully Ireland is in bed with the US
Europeans are afraid of the future, saving for the rainy day, while America has overtaken all the major advanced economies of the EU
Ireland needs a major housing reset and this will discommode many. It has to
Just to keep up with present demand for housing, we require to build a city the size of Waterford every year for decades
The potential threats to Ireland now come in four guises
Ireland is depicted as a hellhole when in fact it’s one of the world’s most successful economies
In a too-hot Irish economy, politicians are treating voters like children in a sweet shop
This increasing infantilisation of the population means that every policy is directed towards a short-term electoral sugar rush
Can Trumponomics work? Partly yes. Ultimately no
In the end, the financial markets, now celebrating his victory, will push Trumpism towards bankruptcy
American politics has become the fiefdom of billionaires
Today’s Democrats are in the pockets of big business as much as Republicans are
Why a Donald Trump election win could signal the end of Ireland’s golden years
A Trump victory in the US presidential election would constitute a seismic shift in our overall international strategy
Dublin’s O’Connell Street has just one resident left. What the area lacks most is not guards, it is people
Dublin’s north inner city could become one of Europe’s most happening addresses in a reasonably short space of time
I don’t think sanctions on Israel are imminent, but things can change quickly in times of war
At the moment Europe appears powerless, an ineffectual bystander, but that might not remain the case if the slaughter of innocent people continues
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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