Dublin: From Boom to Busts

The two features that dominate the Dublin skyline are cranes and statues, and they say a great deal about both the present and the past of the Irish capital. Scores of bobbing cranes attest to an Irish economic boom that began in 1988 and continues today despite the collapse of stock markets around the world. Nearly every part of the city is under construction, from the crowded alleyways of Temple Bar with its pubs and eateries to blocks of apartments springing up on the outskirts to house a steady influx of young professionals.

The statues tell of...