Boom and bust - but now we have another chance to atone for Celtic Tiger excess

Back in the days of the unlamented Celtic Tiger, that period of economic boom in Ireland that lasted up to 2007, the social columnists didn't have to work hard to craft flowery pieces from the Galway races: mention the ubiquitous helicopters, find out the number of bottles of champagne consumed and namecheck a few leading politicians and their builder/banker/property developer friends.

The horses didn't get much of a look-in, save perhaps for a suggestion that one or other of the politicos or their buddies had backed a winner. Typically, there might be an accompanying insinuation that 'inside information' was doing the rounds. Par for the course, reckoned an increasingly cynical public.

The Fianna Fail tent at Ballybrit, the main focus for these goings-on, became a potent symbol of the boom. Thus, Irish racing as a whole suffered a degree of collateral reputational damage when the credit-fuelled bubble burst and the public began to reflect on the impact of an era defined by greed and profiteering.