Bitcoin Around the World: Ireland

LONDON (InsideBitcoins) – They call it the Emerald Isle for a reason. The Republic of Ireland sits just some 75 miles off the coast of the island of Britain. Such close-quarters proximity could have made for fine trading partners with its geographical neighbors but the history of the two countries has been anything but harmonious. Such unpleasantness is best not dwelled on. It’s rolling fields, it’s an aura of mystique and beauty – these are things that define Ireland today, these are the things that have always defined it.
The nation’s capital, Dublin, like much of Ireland’s coastal towns, was founded in the 9th century by Viking invaders. Attracted by the wealth of the monasteries and towns, the fierce warriors settled back to enjoy their spoils, took wives and made homesteads.
Wintering became an all year round occupation and like so many invaders throughout history their culture was subsumed, their gene pool diluted. The trauma of invasion now reads as little more than a footnote in Irish history.
Small but punching above its weight
The gifts of the Irish have always been apparent; for a nation with a modest population they have always punched above their weight culturally. Irish music is famed world round and is a distinctively rustic blend of folk music and cleverly looped melody. That Ireland’s population sits below the 7 million mark might surprise some. To others it might lead to unpleasant memories of the potato famine and the diaspora that followed in its wake – a bitter memory to the Irish, a persistent stain to the British who stood by and did nothing.
No stranger to economic catastrophe, the property bubble crash more or less coincided with the general economic crises of 2007. It’s hard to overestimate its effect.

This post was published at Inside Bitcoins on Feb 16, 2015.