Niamh Horan: Sporting signs of boom around the corner
The style is more subdued as the economy begins to move, writes Niamh Horan
It's almost six years to the day that Brian Cowen stepped down as Taoiseach and now Ireland is on the cusp of another boom.
Last Friday, the former Taoiseach appeared relaxed and in good spirits in the grand ballroom of the Shelbourne Hotel, receiving a warm welcome from friends at the American Ireland Funds rugby lunch as foundation president Kieran McLoughlin took to the stage.
"If you look at the headlines, the picture is rather encouraging," McLoughlin told guests. "Here, unemployment has dropped below 7pc, and last year for the first year since the crash we experienced net immigration. It's a huge tribute of how far we have come and how fast the country has recovered."
