The MGS Blog

Friday, October 14, 2011

Why the Irish are the business.

Robert Short from RTÉ interviews Bono after the Global Ireland Economic Forum concluded. He asks about Bono's perspective on Ireland as a place to live and a place to work, considering the character of Irish people, their fighting spirit, self belief, and what he suggests is an openness to thinking different.



Robert Short recalls Bono's earlier reflection on ideas around anarchic mind, Bono replied...
"That really is the key to the digital age..."
"To write code, to write software, to crack the problems of the digital age, you have to think different!"
"In the information revolution, thinking different, smartness; India particularly there are some amazingly brilliant software writers - Ireland this is who we are... That anarchic spirit, it's actually, that's what makes us good at the future."
"We live on a small rock in the North Atlantic Ocean, it is pissing rain here, a lot! We have to be very smart about how we bring people, to want to work here and live here."
"And then think it's other things. It is culture, it's, you know, walking around Temple Bar and there's something in the air."
Bono (Paul Hewson)

And consider this short promotional video from IBEC, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, on why Ireland is a good place to do business and to be a base for business with the rest of the world. Naturally IBEC has its own take on the financial crisis, Ireland's position in the world, and the kinds of values we should hold, however it does present a compelling view on 'why Ireland'.



(for more on IBEC see ibec.ie)