Two critical landmark-moments last week passed almost without comment, apart from by Matt Treacy in these pages. One was the official news: yes, Ireland’s population had reached 5.5 million. The other was the utter non-debate within Fingal County Council over the future of what will likely be a new city mostly populated by immigrants at Dunsink.
In fact, the 5.5 million population-mark was predicted 25 years ago, almost to the month, by the former head of the employment agency FÁS, Brian Geoghegan. This was a feat of almost unprecedented foresight, and since he is a mathematician and a social scientist – a combination almost as rare as a vegan tiger shark – he must have allowed for the many variables to which governance in Ireland is by definition heir. His other achievement is that he is better known as Mr Mary Harney.