Next time you're stuck in a traffic jam in the pouring rain or travelling to see a relative who has been on a hospital trolley for 24 hours, take solace in this simple fact - you are officially the envy of the world. Liam Reid reports.
Despite the country's poor weather, problems in the health service, the high cost of living and gender inequality, Ireland has emerged as the best place in the world to live, according to an international survey.
The country came top of a worldwide quality-of-life index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) for its The World in 2005 report.
According to an Irish economist, Mr Dan O'Brien, who is a senior editor with the EIU, Ireland's position can be attributed to the fact that it has retained "the good parts" of de Valera's vision of a strong community and family-based society, along with its newfound affluence.
The study combined a series of quality-of-life measures, from income per capita to church attendance, to rank 111 countries around the globe.
It found that Ireland's success was because, unlike most other wealthy countries, it had retained strong traditional values.
While it was afflicted by the modern problems of western life, from family breakdown to drink and drug addiction, it was less so than other societies.
Even taking into account the high cost of living, it also found that Ireland's income per head of population was fourth in the world.
These factors, the study said, "easily" offset Ireland's scores for health, climate, and gender equality, which are below the European average.
Mr O'Brien said he was "not as surprised as some colleagues" in the EIU when Ireland began to emerge as the highest-ranked country.
While Ireland had suffered from the same decline in social and family cohesion, the decline had been much less than in other countries.
However, he warned that, because of the rapid growth in Irish wealth, the country might well catch up with its European neighbours as the effects of wealth became more apparent.
The survey may come as a surprise to many people, not least the opposition, who launched an attack on the Government of being "in complete denial of rip-off Ireland".
"The realities of life in Ireland are there for all to see," said the Fine Gael spokesman on enterprise, Mr Phil Hogan.
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