Often reffered to as the “celtic tiger” a time when the irish economy flourished and industrialisationa and modernisation were at an all time high. Ireland was quickly becoming an efficient and dynamic country with a lot to offer and leaving a huge mark globally. Its growth over the last decade has been so spectacular it has transformed ireland from a predominately agriculurally based country to an extremely technologically advanced country. In recent years ireland has primarily focused on high tech manufacturing such as intel and dell. On the other hand the decline of the influence of that catholic church in ireland has had a major impact on the modernisation and social change of ireland. Previously, the church considered itself to have complete authority on both moral decisions and social issues. The church had gained so much power its teachings were rarely if ever questioned. However with the development and modernisation of technology in ireland and as a result the access and knowledge gained to the bigger world allowed the irish people to see different cultures and different teachings and allowed them to question what they had always just accepted to be true, just and right. The church also held the view that small groups should carry out the roles and functions of social provision and it should not be left to the responsibility or authority of the government. This is the principle of subsidiarity (Reynolds & Healy, eds, 2007, p13 ) This huge influence meant that the governement policies and interventions were adapted and shaped by the catholic church.