The Celtic Tiger
The Celtic Tiger refers to the period of rapid economic growth that Ireland experienced during the 1990s and early 2000s, largely fuelled by foreign investment in Irish firms and the relocation of multi-national corporations to Ireland due to the low corporation tax rate. An area affected hugely by this economic boom was the construction sector. Due to a combination of rapid inflation and expectations of further inflation in the future, housing prices shot upwards, leading to the construction of thousands of poorly-planned new houses and apartments in order to accommodate rising demand and to take advantage of the skyrocketing prices.
Due to a range of factors the Celtic Tiger ground to a halt in 2008, collapsing the Irish economy and suddenly bursting the property bubble that had sprung up. Most industries suffered hugely from high unemployment rates and the crumbling of the banking sector, and the construction industry was arguably hit the hardest of all. The abrupt end that the crash brought upon unfinished work is still evident today through the many ‘ghost estates’ and shells of unfinished buildings scattered throughout the country.
The Area
Sandyford industrial estate is perhaps one of the best areas in Dublin to observe the effects of the Celtic Tiger on the county’s landscape. The sprawling suburban site is lined with luxurious, high-rise apartment blocks that were worth large amounts of money during the years of economic growth. Directly opposite are the empty shells of unfinished apartments that were abandoned due to a sudden lack of funding. These empty ghost apartments juxtaposed with the elegant, luxurious appearance of the adjacent completed buildings physically represents the startling speed with which the property market collapsed, and the devastating effects it had on the market immediately afterwards with no warning. Before leaving the site, be sure to take a look at the beautiful and amazingly detailed graffiti that decorates the main passageway near the cache, placed there during the Festival of Urban Art Sandyford in 2013.
The Cache
The cache is a small click-lock plastic box, capable of holding some small swag items. The area can be quite busy during rush hours due to the large amount of workers commuting to and from the area, so please be stealthy while searching. Make sure you close the container properly (both latches should audibly click) and after replacing it please check that it is not visible from the path. Happy hunting!
Congratulations to theswerve for the FTF!