Who Really Runs Ireland?

Book excerpt: The story of the elite who led Ireland from bust to boom ... and back to bust again Having money and not having it; making it and losing it; using it and misusing it; giving it and taking it ... this is the story of Ireland during the boom, described in jaw-dropping detail in Who Really Runs Ireland? Leading journalist Matt Cooper identifies the most influential people in Ireland during the Celtic Tiger era, describes how they interacted with each other to mutual benefit, and reveals who were the few to retain their power amid the debris arising from the bursting of the Irish economic bubble. 'Highly accessible and akin to a good thriller ... fascinating ... compelling' Sunday Tribune 'Hugely entertaining as well as instructive' Irish Independent 'Impressive and eminently readable' Irish Times 'An eye-opener ... you might be driven to tears of rage' David McCullagh, RTE 'The detail is riveting ... and a lot of it illuminating'Irish Examiner 'The scale of Cooper's research is highly impressive ... an in-depth reference guide to folly and hubris' Sunday Business Post 'Complex but surprisingly reader-friendly ... a rattling, and frequently horrifying, read' Hot Press 'Superbly readable and insightful ... a must-have' Irish Mail on Sunday