[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"nav-categories":3,"article-from-potatoes-to-prosperity-how-ireland-engineered-its-astonishing-economic-miracle":70},{"data":4},[5,37,57,64],{"name":6,"slug":7,"categories":8},"Productivity","productivity",[9,13,17,21,25,29,33],{"id":10,"title":11,"slug":12},17,"Branding","branding",{"id":14,"title":15,"slug":16},19,"Marketing","marketing",{"id":18,"title":19,"slug":20},20,"Work","work",{"id":22,"title":23,"slug":24},34,"Community","community",{"id":26,"title":27,"slug":28},21,"For newbies","for-newbies",{"id":30,"title":31,"slug":32},24,"Investment","investment",{"id":34,"title":35,"slug":36},22,"Finance","finance",{"name":38,"slug":39,"categories":40},"Tech","tech",[41,45,49,53],{"id":42,"title":43,"slug":44},28,"Technology","technology",{"id":46,"title":47,"slug":48},32,"Artificial Intelligence","artificial-intelligence",{"id":50,"title":51,"slug":52},26,"Security and protection","security-and-protection",{"id":54,"title":55,"slug":56},31,"YouTube Blog","youtube-blog",{"name":58,"slug":59,"categories":60},"News","news",[61],{"id":62,"title":58,"slug":63},18,"quasanews",{"name":65,"slug":66,"categories":67},"Business","business",[68],{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66},16,{"post":71,"published_news":94,"popular_news":153,"categories":218},{"title":72,"description":73,"meta_title":72,"meta_description":74,"meta_keywords":75,"text":76,"slug":77,"created_at":78,"publish_at":79,"formatted_created_at":80,"category_id":22,"links":81,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":86,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"category":89},"From Potatoes to Prosperity: How Ireland Engineered Its Astonishing Economic Miracle","In the aftermath of World War II, Ireland stood apart from a devastated Europe. Neutral during the conflict, it avoided the widespread destruction that plagued the continent, yet it also missed out on the massive reconstruction aid from the Marshall Plan.","Neutral during the conflict, it avoided the widespread destruction that plagued the continent, yet it also missed out on the massive reconstruction aid from the Marshall Plan.","In the aftermath of World War II, Ireland stood apart from a devastated Europe","\u003Cp>In the aftermath of World War II, Ireland stood apart from a devastated Europe. Neutral during the conflict, it avoided the widespread destruction that plagued the continent, yet it also missed out on the massive reconstruction aid from the Marshall Plan.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"447\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2025-12-04T193231.620.jpg\" width=\"300\" />The economy remained stubbornly rooted in agriculture, with vast green fields dedicated to potatoes, dairy, and livestock. Industrial development was virtually nonexistent, unemployment soared, and emigration reached heartbreaking levels - hundreds of thousands of young Irish men and women fled to the United States, Britain, and beyond in search of opportunity. By the 1950s, Ireland was one of Western Europe's poorest nations, often dismissed as a perpetual laggard.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>But a quiet revolution was brewing. Visionary leaders began asking a simple question: What assets does Ireland truly have? Beyond its lush landscapes, stout beer, and resilient people, one standout advantage emerged - its strategic geography.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Positioned on the western edge of Europe, Ireland lay directly along transatlantic flight paths. In an era when airplanes required refueling stops for long-haul journeys, Shannon Airport on the country's west coast became a vital hub for flights between North America and Europe.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>The breakthrough came from Brendan O'Regan, a forward-thinking entrepreneur and catering manager at Shannon. Facing the threat of declining traffic as jet engines allowed nonstop flights, O'Regan proposed a bold idea in the late 1940s: create the world's first duty-free shop at the airport.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Transit passengers, stuck during layovers, could purchase goods like liquor, perfume, and tobacco without taxes or duties. Launched in 1947 with the Customs Free Airport Act, this innovation turned waiting time into spending time. Passengers flocked to Shannon not just for refueling, but for bargains - boosting revenue and encouraging airlines to route through Ireland.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Many travelers extended their stopovers for a day or two, sparking a tourism boom in the surrounding region. Yet O'Regan's vision went further. He famously declared that Ireland needed to "pull the airplanes out of the sky" by giving them more reasons to land—not just passengers, but cargo and industry.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>In 1959, he spearheaded the creation of the Shannon Free Zone, the world's first modern special economic zone adjacent to the airport. Companies importing materials for export manufacturing enjoyed zero duties, generous tax incentives, and streamlined regulations. This industrial enclave quickly attracted foreign firms, creating thousands of jobs in electronics, pharmaceuticals, and precision engineering.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"447\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2025-12-04T193229.885.jpg\" width=\"300\" />The Shannon experiment proved transformative. It inspired the government to abandon protectionist policies in favor of export-led growth. By the 1980s and 1990s, Ireland scaled these ideas nationwide: a low corporate tax rate - initially 0% on export profits in the 1950s, evolving to 10% for manufacturing and eventually a uniform 12.5% by 2003—drew multinational giants. Joining the European Economic Community (now EU) in 1973 provided access to a massive single market and billions in structural funds for infrastructure and education.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Investments in free secondary education in the 1960s and expanded universities produced a young, skilled, English-speaking workforce perfectly suited for high-tech sectors. Social partnership agreements between government, unions, and employers kept wages competitive while maintaining labor peace.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>The result? The "Celtic Tiger" roared to life from the mid-1990s, with GDP growth averaging over 9% annually in the late 1990s. Unemployment plummeted from 17% in the 1980s to under 4% by 2000, emigration reversed into immigration, and per capita income surpassed the EU average.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Today, Dublin's Silicon Docks host European headquarters for Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, while Ryanair—founded in the 1980s - became Europe's largest low-cost airline, capitalizing on Ireland's aviation heritage. Pharmaceuticals and medical devices now dominate exports, with companies like Pfizer and Medtronic employing tens of thousands.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Of course, rapid growth brought challenges. Housing prices skyrocketed, exacerbating inequality and contributing to a property bubble that burst in 2008, leading to a severe recession. Yet Ireland recovered swiftly, emerging stronger with diversified industries and prudent fiscal management.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"169\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2025-12-04T193134.788.jpg\" width=\"300\" />Also read:\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/google-unleashes-workspace-studio-a-no-code-ai-agent-revolution-powered-by-gemini-3\">Google Unleashes Workspace Studio: A No-Code AI Agent Revolution Powered by Gemini 3\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/microstrategy-bolsters-1-44-billion-fiat-war-chest-bracing-for-prolonged-bitcoin-bear-market\">MicroStrategy Bolsters $1.44 Billion Fiat War Chest, Bracing for Prolonged Bitcoin Bear Market\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/samsung-makes-prime-video-s-acclaimed-fallout-season-1-free-on-tv-plus-ahead-of-season-2-launch\">Samsung Makes Prime Video's Acclaimed 'Fallout' Season 1 Free on TV Plus Ahead of Season 2 Launch\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/carnegie-mellon-researchers-unveil-legogpt-transforming-text-prompts-into-stable-lego-designs\">Carnegie Mellon Researchers Unveil LegoGPT: Transforming Text Prompts into Stable LEGO Designs\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Cp>Ireland's journey from agrarian stagnation to tech powerhouse demonstrates the power of pragmatic innovation. Starting with a single airport's clever adaptations, the nation leveraged its location, low taxes, education, and EU membership to attract global investment. It's a reminder that even small countries can achieve extraordinary turnarounds by playing to their strengths and embracing openness - proving that economic miracles are often built one bold idea at a time.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Author: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/slava-vasipenok/\">Slava Vasipenok\u003C/a>\u003Cbr />\nFounder and CEO of QUASA (quasa.io) — the world's first remote work platform with payments in cryptocurrency.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Innovative entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in IT, fintech, and blockchain. Specializes in decentralized solutions for freelancing, helping to overcome the barriers of traditional finance, especially in developing regions.\u003C/p>","from-potatoes-to-prosperity-how-ireland-engineered-its-astonishing-economic-miracle","2025-12-04T18:33:58.000000Z","2025-12-16T11:28:00.000000Z","16.12.2025",{"image":82,"thumb":83},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/SaZA6wSCVMYet3qj60xmxQGuYgfGsQASAEIqDMGS.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/SaZA6wSCVMYet3qj60xmxQGuYgfGsQASAEIqDMGS.jpg","small",null,853,0,"en",{"id":22,"title":23,"slug":24,"meta_title":90,"meta_description":91,"meta_keywords":90,"deleted_at":85,"created_at":92,"updated_at":93,"lang":88},"All the community news from around the world","From heart warming stories to everyday heroes and shocking events, we've got the latest real life stories to keep you entertained","2025-01-10T08:48:23.000000Z","2025-01-10T09:34:07.000000Z",[95,108,119,130,141],{"title":96,"description":97,"slug":98,"created_at":99,"publish_at":100,"formatted_created_at":101,"category":102,"links":103,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":106,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":107},"Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Proposes Paying Engineers with AI Tokens","Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has put forward a radical new idea for compensating tech talent: paying engineers part of their salary in AI tokens.","nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-proposes-paying-engineers-with-ai-tokens","2026-03-25T19:56:16.000000Z","2026-04-08T11:48:00.000000Z","08.04.2026",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":104,"thumb":105},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/KL5Yqt5ZzW3R4cu7XmE15grrRHdKZ1WBoKbC6Zu3.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/KL5Yqt5ZzW3R4cu7XmE15grrRHdKZ1WBoKbC6Zu3.jpg",12,false,{"title":109,"description":110,"slug":111,"created_at":112,"publish_at":113,"formatted_created_at":101,"category":114,"links":115,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":118,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":107},"The AI Scientist Hits Nature: Scaling Scientific Discovery Like Code","The dream of a fully autonomous laboratory has moved from the realm of \"experimental demo\" to a validated scientific reality. The AI Scientist, a pioneering system designed to automate the entire lifecycle of research, has officially been published in Nature.","the-ai-scientist-hits-nature-scaling-scientific-discovery-like-code","2026-03-25T19:23:02.000000Z","2026-04-08T09:15:00.000000Z",{"title":47,"slug":48},{"image":116,"thumb":117},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/QZJ74ZuxTmCA52qWq4HZkP2WikrOYpg6WBusDdyn.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/QZJ74ZuxTmCA52qWq4HZkP2WikrOYpg6WBusDdyn.jpg",127,{"title":120,"description":121,"slug":122,"created_at":123,"publish_at":124,"formatted_created_at":101,"category":125,"links":126,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":129,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":107},"Nostalgia Is Still King: Retro Video Rental Store Simulator Is a Massive Hit on Steam","In the age of instant streaming, it turns out a surprising number of people — including many who were born after Blockbuster went bankrupt — are craving the simple joy of renting physical movies.","nostalgia-is-still-king-retro-video-rental-store-simulator-is-a-massive-hit-on-steam","2026-03-25T18:41:36.000000Z","2026-04-08T06:35:00.000000Z",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":127,"thumb":128},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/VvOooYMc2244q5hTV6Or5OMgr8schTPlzU8b4HXY.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/VvOooYMc2244q5hTV6Or5OMgr8schTPlzU8b4HXY.jpg",220,{"title":131,"description":132,"slug":133,"created_at":134,"publish_at":135,"formatted_created_at":101,"category":136,"links":137,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":140,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":107},"Hollywood Is Shrinking — And the Real Villain Isn’t Strikes or Wildfires, It’s the Government","American film and television production is in serious decline, and last week a surprisingly candid hearing in Burbank made one thing crystal clear: the biggest problem isn’t greedy studios, lazy writers, or California wildfires.","hollywood-is-shrinking-and-the-real-villain-isn-t-strikes-or-wildfires-it-s-the-government","2026-03-25T18:29:29.000000Z","2026-04-08T03:21:00.000000Z",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":138,"thumb":139},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/RZriu0EWvrhbleBD7g7RJnhk1QyPm4DDZeesC0bC.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/RZriu0EWvrhbleBD7g7RJnhk1QyPm4DDZeesC0bC.jpg",336,{"title":142,"description":143,"slug":144,"created_at":145,"publish_at":146,"formatted_created_at":147,"category":148,"links":149,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":152,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":107},"YouTube Is Tightening the Screws: Unskippable Long Ads Are Coming — Even If You Don’t Like It","YouTube has officially decided to stop pretending.In a move that many saw coming but hoped would never actually happen, the platform is rolling out longer, unskippable ads — and they’re starting with the TV app.","youtube-is-tightening-the-screws-unskippable-long-ads-are-coming-even-if-you-don-t-like-it","2026-03-25T18:13:01.000000Z","2026-04-07T11:07:00.000000Z","07.04.2026",{"title":55,"slug":56},{"image":150,"thumb":151},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/jDkf2DFZ7806GqMWYw0QxMTPHUHpgImLFgi4BTPE.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/jDkf2DFZ7806GqMWYw0QxMTPHUHpgImLFgi4BTPE.jpg",995,[154,167,181,193,206],{"title":155,"description":156,"slug":157,"created_at":158,"publish_at":159,"formatted_created_at":160,"category":161,"links":162,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":165,"likes":166,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":107},"The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur","Entrepreneur is a French word that means an enterpriser. Enterprisers are people who undertake a business or enterprise with the chance of earning profits or suffering from loss.","the-anatomy-of-an-entrepreneur","2021-08-04T15:18:21.000000Z","2025-12-14T06:09:00.000000Z","14.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":163,"thumb":164},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp",67125,2,{"title":168,"description":169,"slug":170,"created_at":171,"publish_at":172,"formatted_created_at":173,"category":174,"links":175,"view_type":178,"video_url":85,"views":179,"likes":180,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":107},"Advertising on QUASA","QUASA MEDIA is read by more than 400 thousand people a month. We offer to place your article, add a link or order the writing of an article for publication.","advertising-on-quasa","2022-07-06T07:33:02.000000Z","2025-12-15T17:33:02.000000Z","15.12.2025",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":176,"thumb":177},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","large",66369,4,{"title":182,"description":183,"slug":184,"created_at":185,"publish_at":186,"formatted_created_at":187,"category":188,"links":189,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":192,"likes":180,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":107},"What is a Startup?","A startup is not a new company, not a tech company, nor a new tech company. You can be a new tech company, if your goal is not to grow high and fast; then, you are not a startup. ","what-is-a-startup","2021-08-04T12:05:17.000000Z","2025-12-17T13:02:00.000000Z","17.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":190,"thumb":191},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp",64920,{"title":194,"description":195,"slug":196,"created_at":197,"publish_at":198,"formatted_created_at":199,"category":200,"links":201,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":204,"likes":166,"lang":88,"comments_count":205,"is_pinned":107},"Top 5 Tips to Make More Money as a Content Creator","Content creators are one of the most desired job titles right now. Who wouldn’t want to earn a living online?","top-5-tips-to-make-more-money-as-a-content-creator","2022-01-17T17:31:51.000000Z","2026-01-17T11:30:00.000000Z","17.01.2026",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":202,"thumb":203},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg",39499,1,{"title":207,"description":208,"slug":209,"created_at":210,"publish_at":211,"formatted_created_at":212,"category":213,"links":214,"view_type":178,"video_url":85,"views":217,"likes":166,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":107},"8 Logo Design Tips for Small Businesses","Your logo tells the story of your business and the values you stand for.","8-logo-design-tips-for-small-businesses","2021-12-04T21:59:52.000000Z","2025-05-05T03:30:00.000000Z","05.05.2025",{"title":15,"slug":16},{"image":215,"thumb":216},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg",38996,[219,220,221,222,223,224,225,226,227,228,229,230,231],{"title":23,"slug":24},{"title":47,"slug":48},{"title":55,"slug":56},{"title":43,"slug":44},{"title":51,"slug":52},{"title":31,"slug":32},{"title":35,"slug":36},{"title":27,"slug":28},{"title":19,"slug":20},{"title":15,"slug":16},{"title":58,"slug":63},{"title":11,"slug":12},{"title":65,"slug":66}]