Our Boomtime Rats - Who do they think they are?

by Anne Heffernan, Brian Fitzgerald

Our Boomtime Rats - Who do they think they are? is a satirical memoir. It outlines the past couple of years of the author's life and where that fits into the whole story of the Irish recession. She berates the banks, the government, the public service, trade unions and RTE where she feels it is justified and tells the story from her personal standpoint (one that speaks for the ordinary people of the country, most especially, those on the lower rungs of the societal ladder - this book gives them a voice). It speaks out about the injustice felt by so many ordinary people, whilst others 'creamed off' so much of taxpayers' money during the good times and continue to enjoy outrageous perks even after their dismissal or resignation from office, in the form of 'golden handshakes'. It is aimed at the ordinary people of Ireland and also at politicians and those in leadership roles, Irish celebrities and others who really know nothing about the real effects of being out of work, losing their dignity, having nothing to look forward to and nothing to get up for each morning. The book aims to give a human voice to the stark reality for so many people; those who have worked hard all their lives and had everything (which wasn't much, in the first place) taken from them, while those who displayed outright irresponsibility and neglected to heed economic warnings, have lost nothing, in comparison. The more one risked and the more one owes, the greater the bailout they can expect from NAMA. Justice and the notion of taking the consequences of one's actions have been overlooked by the Irish legal system in favour of some of the country's most neglectful and irresponsible citizens and officials. It tells the story of an honest, hard-working woman, who did her utmost to provide for herself and her two children over a life-time, without relying on any State hand-outs, who saved for a rainy day and aimed to set aside a pension for her retirement - basically, someone who aimed to be a 'good, all-round citizen', wise and astute, who took advice from those who claimed to be 'in the know' about finance and economics. She risked her life-savings to provide a job/income for herself into the future and also hoped to create numerous jobs for others. While the book speaks of the author's anger at a system that allows, and in fact colludes, with such behaviour and outlines how unjust it is, it also outlines the need to move forward. It offers hope for the future and a way forward for those who have given up or are in despair as a result of the recession. It explains that we won't get the answers we want by continuing to do what we have done for the past decade or so but by getting back to the basics of life, realising we came into this world without anything and we will go out from this world without anything. It outlines how important it is to stay in touch with reality and seek truth, justice and peace in our everyday lives; the need to live with these traits uppermost in our minds as we live out our daily lives so that our families, communities, neighbourhoods - our society, is built on solid integrity and attributes we are proud of and are happy to share with our wider world.