In our short two weeks in Ireland, it has been easy to see that even within a country with so much history, things are changing very rapidly. The whole world is changing rapidly with the advancement of technology, and Ireland is also changing due to this and the newly added multinationals.

If we were to come back three years from now I think the biggest change we would see is the prices. Based on our trip here and what we’ve learned and seen, Ireland is undergoing a great amount of inflation particularly in the cost of rentals. The prices in three years could either drop drastically after a bubble burst but will more likely continue to increase. Along these lines, since Dublin especially is becoming a more modern city I wouldn’t be surprised if the limit on building height was removed. I feel that this restriction is partially to blame for the rising prices of rentals and homes. Additionally, there would be a push to remove it as more multinationals try to build here. Along the lines of infrastructure, if the population continues to grow and become more centralized, Ireland will need to do something about the roads and the traffic. I’m not sure what the solution to this will be, but I think something will need to be done to keep this country attractive to immigrants and foreign investment.

Secondly, in three years Ireland will be operating in a post Brexit world. I can see them becoming a bigger player in the world market as they are forced to diversify and move further away from the UK as a primary exporting and trading market.

Finally, in three years from now, and this is more of a hope than anything, I think there will be more diversity in the country as Ireland becomes more globalized and less of a small isolated island. With this will come challenges the US has been facing for centuries as the population becomes less homogenous. Once again, this is my hope for three years as more people come here for the multinationals, but then again an increase in diversity can take decades.

Overall, it would be super interesting to see Ireland three years from now since it is changing so rapidly. I think the change will overall be positive, but Ireland will look very different.