Peripherality in economic geography and modern growth theory : evidence from Ireland's adjustment to free trade

In light of the ambiguous convergence experience of peripheral regions in the EU and in the post-war world economy, this paper studies the implications of some recent trend models that do not predict convergence as a necessary outcome of market integration. These models are then confronted with data on the Irish experience under free trade. The Irish case is arguably of general interest because it has served as one of the longest-running examples of the type of outward-oriented strategies recommended for developing countries by international institutions such as World Bank and the IMF. The purpose of the paper is twofold: to identify lacunae in the recent theoretical analyses and to develop further insights into the structural transformation of a peripheral economy.A hard copy is available in UCD Library at GEN 330.08 IR/UN