The Washington Post has an interesting article about Ireland today about how the modern world is changing a country once so poor millions risked everything to leave. The headline talks about how rural pubs, once the center of Irish life, are closing, but it also discusses other interesting statistics:
- By 2005, there were 30,000 residents worth more than $1,000,000.
- Ireland's per-capita income is more than the US, Sweden, and Japan
- The number of pubs has dropped from 6000 to 5000 in the past 3 years
- Regular church attendance has fallen from 90% in the 1970s to about 45% today
This sure doesn't sound like the historical Ireland I've been reading about recently. When I visited Ireland in 1994, Dublin appeared like any other crowded big city with everyone rushing around, but when we went out into the countryside the pace of life appeared like I imagine it had for a hundred years. According to this article, it sounds like this part of the country is changing too. It's kind of sad in a way, but throughout history Ireland was a very poor and oppressed place - to see it vibrant and prosperous is a good thing too.
