Ireland is a seriously rich country now,not only the secondmost expensive within the euro currency zone(after Finland)but also the one most likely,economists say,to catch up withthe United States in average personal wealth.The cars that fillDublin fill all the cities of Ireland,and swarm into every lastcranny of the countryside,so that wherever you drive,up theremotest mountain lane,down the narrowest track,there is likelyto be another car in the rearview mirror.Ireland was a poor backwater,weighed down by its history.The next year,as it seems,it had become a brilliantly successfulyoung state,a natural leader for all the small and minority nationsof the world,and the first in Europe-would you believe it-toban smoking from all workplaces,including pubs. Ireland is a seriously rich country now, not only the secondmost expensive within the euro currency zone (after Finland) but also the one most likely, economists say, to catch up with the United States in average personal wealth. The cars that fill Dublin fill all the cities of Ireland, and swarm into every lastcranny of the countryside, so that wherever you drive, up theremotest mountain lane, down the narrowest track, there is likelyto be another car in the rearview mirror.Ireland was a poor backwater, weighed down by its history. the next year, as it seems, it had become become brilliantly successfulyoung state, a natural leader for all the small and minority nationsof the world, and the first in Europe-would you believe it-to-ban smoking from all workplaces, including pubs .