As this amazing trip wraps up, I am already thinking about the next chance I will have to return— possibly bringing my family with me. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the country and learning about Ireland’s deep-rooted history. Dublin has rapidly changed in recent years, and will continue to evolve as more years pass and people come flowing in for new work opportunities. If there’s one thing we have learned, it’s that even 10 short years ago Dublin’s Docklands were completely different. I think new talent will move into Dublin, based on the extreme efforts of organizations like Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia. I also think the technology industry will grow even more and those big companies will start owning more and more property. Continuing on, I think tourism will still be a huge deal. Ireland does a great job at attracting people because of their friendly nature. Tourism is a main part of Ireland’s economy, and I do not think they will have to worry about that declining in the next three years.

Something that may have negative consequences on Ireland in the next few years is Brexit. Enterprise Ireland taught us that 62% of businesses the deal with have no plan in place for this huge political/economic change. Unfortunately, I think this may be damaging to the agriculture sector of the economy.

Overall, I really appreciate the opportunity I had to go on this trip! I learned a ton and met a lot of really great people. I hope everyone had just as wonderful of an experience as I did! Thanks again, Brad and Liz!