Our class had the fantastic opportunity to listen to a presentation by Jim Lyons, who played a key role in establishing a working peace and economic stability between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in the 1990s. He served under President Clinton as U.S. Observer to the International Fund for Ireland as well as general counsel for the Clinton Transition Foundation. Needless to say, Jim was a wealth of information about perhaps the most formative event in Ireland's recent history and provided us with excellent background knowledge of present-day Ireland.
The Untied States put a great deal of diplomatic effort and money to help Ireland reach a peace agreement and return to economic stability in the 1990s. This goes to show how important the relationship between these two countries is. The U.S. not only has a strong trading and economic history with Ireland, but one of the strongest culture bonds as well (about 44 million people claim Irish American or Scots Irish heritage).
The U.S. implemented a 3-Stage plan to rehabilitate Ireland, with some initiatives yielding better results than others, especially given the tension between the Republic and Northern Ireland. What is important though, is that the economic transitions during this time had a great impact on Ireland's current financial status, which is very positive. What is interesting to me is that Ireland represents the only English-speaking nation that is part of the EU, and as such is an invaluable trading partner and start-up haven for those looking to break into the European market.
I think it will be very interesting to have the chance to work with an Irish start-up company and immerse myself in the business and day-to-day culture of Ireland. Jim definitely gave me a greater perspective on this beautiful country and I will be excited to experience it for myself. That is all for now!
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