Is the Republic set to become another Iceland

[borntorum]

I just cant see the UK going bankrupt and into the hands of the IMF. Ireland on the other hand is a major worry. Must be hard to accept, being one of the ' richest countries in the world' et all. Might stop youse being so feckin smug.

Why not? The Brits had to have their hands held by the IMF in the 1970s. Even in the depths of the 1980s we managed to keep our financial independence. British banks are taking a hammering today, even after another bail out. Even if Brown doesn't make the UK bankrupt, for how much longer do you think English taxpayers are going to agree to subsidise the North's semi-socialist society while their own incomes are decreasing? Whatever about the south being smug, at least we achieved prosperity by our own actions, rather than begging and cringing for handouts from our masters across the water.

[Belfast-citizen]

Shares in Irish banks tumble following last week's decision to nationalise Anglo Irish Bank and Monday's announcement that Bank of Ireland Chief Executive Brian Goggin would retire.

Allied Irish Banks falls 58 percent, Bank of Ireland 53 percent, Irish Life & Permanent down 45 percent.

"Just more fears of nationalisation, .... nervousness and fear around that the stock will follow the same road as Anglo," a Dublin-based trader says of the fall in Allied Irish Banks' share price.

"Everybody is vulnerable, the whole sector, bad debts becoming a bigger and bigger problem," the trader adds.


"It's the worst day in Irish financial history and the government doesn't seem to be saying anything," said Brian Lucey, associate professor of finance at Trinity College, Dublin.

Professor Lucey said the Government needed to act quickly to prevent a total collapse, with total nationalisation a real possibility.

"I don't see how they can delay any further," he said. "The Government is going to have to do something soon. They can't let it spill over any longer."



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Royal Bank of Scotland shares have plunged 67% after the bank said it was heading for a record loss.

The bank said it expects to report a deficit before write-downs of between £7bn and £8bn for 2008.

[centauro]

Whatever about the south being smug, at least we achieved prosperity by our own actions, rather than begging and cringing for handouts from our masters across the water.

The ROI has been a net recipient of EU funds. By 2013 they will have been handed some 42 billion euro of other Europeans taxes.

[dazzler]

The ROI has been a net recipient of EU funds. By 2013 they will have been handed some 42 billion euro of other Europeans taxes.

And to think a majority voted no in the lisbon referendun!!

[dazzler]

The one major advantage Ireland has over Britian is that we have the euro.

[DLR]

Uh.. maybe if we leave the EU and the Euro, 90% of our population emigrates and we become a whaling nation. What a pointless question.