This text surveys the processes and economic circumstances that have worked to produce the modern Irish economic miracle. It also analyses the conditions that create a have and have-not society in modern Ireland. The book asks such questions as: did the remarkable turnaround of the Irish economy just happen, or was it a result of shrewd policy decisions?; will the boom last?; what remains to be done in eliminating poverty and inequality and reforming taxes?; and what lessons does Ireland's success pose for other countries?