Born in 2007

Bertie Ahern won a third term as Taoiseach against the odds, despite ongoing controversy about his personal finances being examined by a tribunal. The housing market showed its first signs of wobbling. Bank shares, which had been soaring, began to fall.

But the Celtic Tiger mentality was deeply ingrained — it would take more than early warning signs to shake Ireland's confidence. The iPhone launched in America, and Irish consumers were among the most eager to import them.