The seismic shifts in Ireland as a business hub were felt more today than any day prior. While walking near the docklands with Dr. Darren Kelly, modest brick buildings of a bygone era sat under massive sprawling, glass structures, the offices of foreign tech behemoths. And although they look like they might be able to coexist side by side, a lot of land, resources, and history had to be sacrificed. This was most apparent with the HubSpot building: a historical site where one of their most famous bands ever, U2, honed their craft, only for it to be destroyed and paved over for the new construction. All that remained of the old site was the front-facing facade where a full building once stood. It was a scene that emphasized more than any other how rapidly Ireland has gone out with the old and in with the new. There are plenty of sites that we did not see, and can only see in pictures, that were still standing not too long ago. There are countless examples of this across the docklands. Nevertheless, it has paved the way for mainly American tech giants to settle and thrive in Ireland.

Youth has been and will be the main initiative for Ireland’s defense of its good economy and standing with the rest of the world. Youth was clearly made the center focus at that marketing agency ThinkHouse. From what I was getting from them, they didn’t seem to take themselves too seriously and were primarily concerned with getting clear feedback from a young audience. They were really interesting and radical, as demonstrated by the “boobie room,” and I couldn’t help but think what people who lived during Ireland’s period of social conservatism would think. It really was not that long ago!