Little (photo)shop of horrors

There was a teeny bit of acid in the atmosphere when New Zealand won so many noughties Academy Awards for Lord of the Rings. Oscars host Billy Crystal joked "everybody in New Zealand" had been thanked.

- Jane Clifton

Now it's Ireland's turn. Not only have Irish actors and productions just hauled a swag of global awards but Irish writers dominated the Man Booker Prize and their rugby team is back-to-back Six Nations champion. Add to that, the attention focused on Ireland's post-financial crisis economic rally and it can feel as though every day here is St Paddy's Day.

As New Zealand has found from time to time - most recently with pandemic containment conspicuous success and global lauding starts out being endearing to much bigger rivals and then, when it goes on and on, sours to snark.

You know you've really made it big when other countries start actively slagging you off. The British media regularly swipes at the Green Isle to its left. Times columnist Rod Liddle wrote recently that he danced jigs and roared "Is Éirennach mé!" (I'm Irish) on his nearest vestigial peat bog when the Irish Parliament's multiparty referendum on constitutional change was defeated.