The inside story of Ireland's political and economic meltdown

The Brian Cowen government, from its creation to its demise, was engulfed by the greatest crisis in the history of the State. In exclusive extracts from their new book, Daniel McConnell and John Lee recount the inside story of political and economic meltdown

2010 BAILOUT

AS THE 2010 European crisis worsened and engulfed the continent, a committee was established by the European Commission with the ECB and the IMF to organise loans to embattled countries. It became known as the Troika — the Russian word for a sled pulled by three horses.