Stoicism should not be misunderstood

In his opening St Patrick’s Day weekend engagements in America, Taoiseach Enda Kenny pointed to the well-tested stoicism and determination of the Irish people.

Speaking to business leaders in Washington, he acknowledged the pragmatism shown by the great majority of people during the darkest, early days of the financial crisis. A pragmatism that meant we went, in a relatively short time, from the pressing immediacy of the greatest financial crisis in the State’s history almost to the point in the boom-and-bust cycle that seemed to offer the prospect of some sort of recovery.

Our acceptance of the remedy was not really an option; we were led to it by our new and recently departed paymasters — the Troika.