This article surveys independent Ireland’s economic policies and performance. It has three main messages. First, the economic history of post-independence Ireland was not particularly unusual. Very often, things that were happening in Ireland were happening elsewhere as well. Second, for a long time, we were hampered by an excessive dependence on a poorly performing UK economy. And third, EC membership in 1973 and the single market programme of the late 1980s and early 1990s were absolutely crucial for us. Irish independence and European Union (EU) membership have complemented each other, rather than being in conflict: Each was required to give full effect to the other. Irish independence would not have worked as well for us as it did without the EU; and the EU would not have worked as well for us as it did without political independence.

中文翻译：

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比较视角下的独立爱尔兰

本文调查了独立的爱尔兰的经济政策和表现。它有三个主要信息。首先，独立后爱尔兰的经济历史并不是特别不寻常。很多时候，在爱尔兰发生的事情也在其他地方发生。其次，长期以来，我们因过度依赖表现不佳的英国经济而受到阻碍。第三，1973 年的 EC 成员资格以及 1980 年代末和 1990 年代初的单一市场计划对我们来说绝对至关重要。爱尔兰独立和欧盟 (EU) 成员资格相辅相成，而不是冲突：双方都必须充分发挥对方的作用。如果没有欧盟，爱尔兰的独立对我们来说不会奏效。如果没有政治独立，欧盟就不会为我们工作得那么好。