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Ship of Fools by Fintan O'Toole. A review and some comments










In 2008, I was 31 years old, recently married, and we had just welcomed our first baby boy into the world. That year, the bankruptcy of Ireland shook the nation, resulting in devastating consequences that we continue to live with. People lost their homes, their dignity, and their hopes for the future. Some took their lives, and many fled the country.

Reflecting on Ship of Fools, a searing history of that period, is a difficult experience that cannot be separated from the events it describes. Revisiting this book in 2020, I am disheartened to see that little has changed in Irish society over the past twelve years. While O'Toole's subsequent book, Enough is Enough, offered a path to reform, to my mind no substantive change has been achieved.

What we have learned is that the so-called "great and the good" are neither great nor good. O'Toole accurately depicts a peculiar characteristic of the Irish people, where we know that our politicians are corrupt but still vote for them anyway. It's as if their abuse of power is a reflection of our own weakness, rather than their lack of integrity. Moreover, there is a perverse pride in Irish society, where we celebrate ourselves as the "Kings of the Wild Frontier," mocking the rule of law and providing a capitalist utopia where the wealthy elite reign supreme, free of tax, regulation, and basic decency.

The concept of The Land looms large in Ireland, and our malaise is deeply connected to it. Ship of Fools illustrates how Ireland's corruption went from seedy and obvious to systemic and subtle. The wealthy elite no longer needed to engage in shady dealings in darkened snugs, as the very ideology underpinning the state meant that obstructing their interests was seen as obstructing the national interest. Instead, they could simply toast champagne in the Galway tent, safe in the knowledge that their power and influence would remain unchecked.

Twelve years have passed, yet Fianna Fail remains the largest political party in Ireland, and it seems that we have forgotten everything and learned nothing. It is time for us to confront our past and demand real change, to ensure that our society is based on fairness, justice, and the rule of law.




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