Inside the Room: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Crisis Government

Description

March 2011: Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore have just formed a coalition government between Fine Gael and Labour. Ireland’s banks are broken, unemployment is heading for half a million, the public finances are in deficit, international lenders rate Ireland as ‘junk’ and the country is in an IMF bailout.

As Tánaiste in the new Coalition, Eamon Gilmore was at the heart of every major economic decision taken during his term, and as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade was primarily responsible for restoring Ireland’s international reputation and trade connections.

In his extraordinary political memoir of these dramatic and turbulent times, Eamon Gilmore writes frankly about the political price the Labour Party has paid for some of their choices, reflects on the circumstances that led to his own resignation and assesses the prospects for Ireland’s continued recovery, including the risks which could yet blow Ireland’s economy off course.

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE – THE SYCAMORE ROOM

CHAPTER 1 – THE CALM AND THE STORM

CHAPTER 2 – IRELAND IN RECEIVERSHIP

CHAPTER 3 – ELECTION CAMPAIGN

CHAPTER 4 – FORMING A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

CHAPTER 5 – THE LONELIEST DAY

CHAPTER 6 – PROJECT RED

CHAPTER 7 – BATTLES OVER BUDGETS

CHAPTER 8 – GLOBAL IRISH JOBS

CHAPTER 9 – SAVING THE EURO

CHAPTER 10 – THE GOODEST COUNTRY

CHAPTER 11 – SOCIAL AND POLITICAL REFORM

CHAPTER 12 – HANDS OF HISTORY

CHAPTER 13 – AROUND THE CLOCK

CHAPTER 14 – THE LAST WEEKENDS

CHAPTER 15 – REFLECTING ON RECOVERY

EPILOGUE – SALLY GLEN ROAD

About the Author

Eamon Gilmore is an Irish Labour Party politician. In the Government of Ireland, he held the offices of Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from March 2011 until July 2014. He was Leader of the Labour Party from September 2007 to July 2014.