The Republic of Irel&, which declared itself in 1949, allowed the Catholic Church to dominate its civil society & education system. Investment by American & European companies, & a welcoming tax regime, created the ` Celtic Tiger` of the 1990s. That brief burst of good fortune was destroyed by a corrupt political class which encouraged a wild property boom, leaving the country almost bankrupt. What Ireland needs now is a programme of real change. It needs to become a fully modern republic in fact as well as name. Politicians have been let get away with murder, & there is a fatalistic sense that nothing can change. The country needs to encourage participation in, & oversight & knowledge of politics, to make people feel that they have a right to challenge the old party machines & to make a difference. It is their country, after all.