In Search of the Pope's Children Episode Rating Graph

The first programme in the series explores our current state as the hedonists of Europe. We are boozing, eating, shagging, shopping, spending, playing hard and working even harder. Ireland is richer now than any of us would have thought possible ten years ago. We have more money in our pockets than almost anybody else in Europe this year alone we will spend 75 billion on consumption which equates to about €20,000 for every man, woman and child. David explains how we have been pushed together and lifted up in a sort of ‘Wonderbra economics’ effect, which has allowed us to display our rather impressive material cleavage. The economic success of Ireland as split the classes into two tribes. These are the HiCos and the Decklanders.

In this programme David examines our relationship, or national obsession, with property. New Ireland begins and ends with the property explosion. The boom has not just changed Ireland economically, it has changed us as a people and turned us into a nation of property speculators. Property is the new pornography.

In this programme David takes us back to learn some lessons from history. What is stable today can change dramatically tomorrow, David poses the questions about a ‘plan B’ for Ireland going forward - how are we going to deal with china? With immigration? And with increasing monthly mortgage repayments?