Our economic crisis - Three weeks to secure our future

YESTERDAY, as we marched and cheered each other to celebrate being Irish, to salute — even subliminally — our evolving nationalism and the independence we have not yet enjoyed for a century, even the weather seemed to want to join the celebrations.

On such a beautiful, uplifting day it was easy to celebrate; easy to fly the flag and talk the brave talk. It was easy, and such a blessed relief, too to put our economic crisis aside for even a few hours.

However, the next three weeks represent the greatest challenge to our economic independence that any of us have seen. It is even a greater challenge than any faced by any generation of Irish people since we became an independent Republic.