According to the IMF, the republic of Ireland currently owes $2,131,267 million.
http://ddp-ext.worldbank.org/ext/ddprep ... _TYPE=VIEW
and according to Wikipedia, the republic's population is just under 4.5 million.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland
also according to Wikipedia Irish GDP is $227.781 billion (that figure is 'nominal' - whatever that means).
Therefore if my maths is correct:
1) Every man, woman and child in Ireland owes approx $470k.
2) If Ireland poured its entire GDP into paying off its debt it would still take a decade to pay off just the capital let alone the interest.

I thought the UK was in the toilet but Ireland makes our debt look like loose change. Infact they could well be the most indebted country on the planet.
Truly shocking stuff.
Two questions pop up in my head
1) How did a country of 4.5 million rack up such a collosal debt?
2) How the heck are the Irish going to get out of this one?
The only bright spot I can see for the Irish is at least there is plenty of land to go round.
The UK with its swollen population doesn't even have that comfort.