The other day I was sorting out books at home when out of the pile fell an old geography schoolbook. There was Post-Primary Geography: Part II, Regional Geography, an oblong-shaped book with orange bands at top and bottom surrounding a black and white picture of nomads herding sheep around a tent. It was written around 1970 by William McCarthy of St Kevin's College, Glasnevin in Dublin.

I opened Chapter One, an introduction entitled "Ireland". Here is most of what it says. "Ireland is an island lying in the Atlantic Ocean west of Great Britain its nearest neighbour . . . With a total population of nearly four-and-a-half million living on a land area of 32,593 square miles, Ireland has not a high density of population. It is moreover one of the few countries in the world to suffer a steady decline in population in the last 150 years. During this period its population has in fact declined by nearly 50 per cent.

"The mild, moist `climatic' conditions contribute to Ireland's greatest natural resource, its fertile pasture land. This is particularly suited to stock rearing, which is one of the main agricultural activities throughout the country.

"Ireland has no iron and little coal, but in recent years valuable deposits of other minerals such as nickel and copper are being successfully exploited.

"For many reasons, both political and economic, industrial and commercial development did not proceed at the same pace in Ireland as in Great Britain, and most of the industries that did prosper developed in the northeastern portion of the country. "When independence was achieved, one unfortunate result of the political settlement was that Ireland's industrial northeast was separated from the rest of the country.

"Since 1922, successive governments of the Republic have pursued a successful policy of industrial expansion. Agriculture too has become more efficient, with increased government aid and the expansion of the co-operative movement.

"If Ireland's application for membership of the Common Market is successful, Irish farmers and industrialists will be faced with new problems and challenges. It would open up vast new markets to Irish products, but it would at the same time expose Irish producers to more intensive foreign competition."

That is what we were telling 12 to 15-year-olds in the 1970s about Ireland. It seems incredibly negative now.

Woe betide us, the population is falling, unlike everywhere else. The point of reference is Great Britain and political independence cut us off from real industry in the north-east. Our greatest natural asset was pastureland on which to rear animals.

The first thing to be said about the Common Market was "problems and challenges" (the US was completely absent from our economy). We had no iron and coal (but whatever happened to the promising nickel and copper deposits?).

I am sure the author was not out of step with the common analysis of Ireland at the time. When did a secondary school textbook offer a radically alternative vision of its subject? It is amazing how far we have come in 30 years. It is also amazing how any of our "confident young people", the greatest national asset first discovered in the late 1970s ever came out of this taught inferiority.

What are we teaching young people now? What do we now think is the normal state of affairs for the Republic?

Only six years ago the ESRI predicted unemployment would be 13.4 per cent in 2000, with net emigration at 16,000. Like many others, they were concerned about "jobless growth". It seemed like this would forever be the norm for our society.

We were amazed when events proved everyone wrong, but it can no longer be right to present a description of Ireland filled with amazement at what has befallen us, almost as a terribly fortunate aberration.

It does no good to tell ourselves, our children and international audiences that the normal state of affairs is not what you see now, but a poorer, weaker, more problematic country.

The Swiss aren't amazed at having a banking industry. The Americans aren't surprised they make cars and computers. The French think it normal to be technologically advanced. The British don't wonder at their international trade and financial services.

We've had the six years of strong growth. It's not a party, after which we have to return to real life. It is reality.

The task now is to change how we see what is normal for us and what is achievable by us. The negativity, inferiority and excuses, which formed the background for our amazement at the wondrous 1990s, should by now have been wiped out.

What replaces them is a key question. Will it be a giddiness or anxiety, mere acquisitiveness or high hubris? Or, better, will we have a surefooted, grounded, hard-working confidence that can match our ambitions to our real abilities? It's still to play for.

Oliver O'Connor is contributing editor at Finance and Finance Dublin.

E-mail ooconnor@indigo.ie