Rebuilding Ireland - Idealism was never more important

THE morning after the night before, as we all saw recently, is never the best time to be too definite about anything of real importance.

Though it may be a tad flippant to describe Thursday’s €50 billion reality check as the bill for a decade of bingeing it’s not too far off the mark either. Anyone who has overindulged at some point or other – which of us has not? – may remember the morning-after self-reproach and the determination to never again pay for a few hours of fun with a two-day hangover. And that’s where we find ourselves right now. Two days won’t quite solve our problems, but, our position is not beyond resolution.

Neither is it without opportunity.