#imf, #bailout – Twitter tells the story of a difficult week for Ireland

The economic and political crises in Ireland is the only topic of discussion on Twitter this week.  In a day that has seen the collapse of the Irish government and calls for the Taoiseach to resign, the crises has occupied each of the  social network’s regional trends for Ireland.

So, follow below for our guide to the economic and political crises in Ireland via Twitter’s Irish trending topics.

#bailout
This is the most popular #tag in Ireland and has been on Twitter’s Irish trending list since the announcement last week that the IMF was sending a top-level delegation to meet the Irish government last week.

Brian Cowen/(Taoiseach)
Brian Cowen (as well as Taoiseach) appeared as a constant #tag since his Monday night announcement that he would dissolve the dail after the austerity budget is passed on December 7.

#ge11
#ge11 has gained popularity as the main #tag for the emergency general election to be held in Ireland in 2011.  The tag emerged after the Green Party’s Monday morning press conferance in which they announced that they would be pulling out of government after the budget is passed on December 7.

Dail
Apart from being the centre of Irish politics, the Dáil has seen small but vocal protests over the past week.  On Sunday night it was claimed that a ministerial car drove over a protester and on Monday afternoon several member of Sinn Fein broke past the barriers to Leinster House and gained entry to Irish Parliament Buildings.

Fianna Fail
The party of government; Fianna Fail have been criticised in the media for their poor handling of the past week’s situation.  Monday morning’s editorial in The Independent said of Fianna Fail,

This morning, for the first time in years, the people of this country can climb out of bed in a frame of mind that may be clouded by many doubts and anxieties but is lightened by the knowledge that, at last, somebody is in charge.

#imf
#imf has been trending in Ireland since the delegates arrived last Monday.  This #tag has been the source for several Twitter jokes and memes, such as,

Question : will the IMF cut the cheese ?

— Brian Spollen ™(@brianspollen) November 19, 2010

Variations on the #imf #tag inlude #questionsfortheimf, where users ask humorous questions the IMF delegates. The IMF have been getting in on the joke too by following @the_imf a spoof account that mocks the current political situation.

Gormley
As the head of the minority party of government and Minister for the Environment, John Gormley has been trending since he announced on Monday morning that the Green Party would withdraw from government after the passing of the budget.

Lenihan
Brian Lenihan, the republic’s Finance Minister, has frequently been trending in Ireland in the past week. His name has become a permanent feature since Sunday lunchtime when he announced that Ireland would request a then undisclosed sum of money from the EU and IMF.

Vincent Brown
The journalist and broadcaster Vincent Brown has been trending since he and Brian Cowen came to verbal blows at a press conference on Sunday. Tensions between the two were raised when Brown accused Cowen of “screwing up the country.” State broadcaster RTE came in for criticism when it cut short the discussion between the two during a live news broadcast.