The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), is a U.S. government corporation, which was established in 2004 to provide aid to developing countries that have demonstrated a commitment to ruling justly, encouraging economic freedom, and investing in people. To help developing countries reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth, the MCC has approved 26 bilateral compact agreements totalling about $9.3 billion. In the seven compacts that ended in 2010 and 2011, Honduras, Cape Verde, Nicaragua, Vauatu, Georgia, Armenia, and Benin; transportation infrastructure projects generally received about 50 percent of the compact's total funding. To measure the results of its compacts, MCC sets targets for various performance indicators, such as number of kilometres paved or volume of merchandise passing through a port, and estimates the number of beneficiaries. This book examines the extent to which MCC has, for transportation infrastructure projects, achieved expected performance targets, and consistently estimated the numbers of beneficiaries.

"Then they all gazed upon him. They wondered and marvelled. "Come, boys " cried Folloman, Conchobar's son," the urchin insults us. Throw yourselves all on yon fellow, and his death shall come at my hands; for it is geis among you for any youth to come into your game, without first entrusting his safety to you. And do you all attack him together, for we know that yon wight is some one of the heroes of Ulster.

ONCE of a time, that Ailill and Medb had spread their royal bed in Cruachan, the stronghold of Connacht, such was the pillow talk that befell betwixt them: Quoth Ailill: 'True is the saying, lady, 'She is a well off woman that is a rich man's wife.'' 'Aye, that she is, ' answered the wife; 'but wherefore opin'st thou so?' 'For this, ' Ailill replied, 'that thou art this day better off than the day that first I took thee.' Then answered Medb: 'As well off was I before I ever saw thee.' 'It was a wealth, forsooth, we never heard nor knew of, ' Ailill said; 'but a woman's wealth was all thou hadst, and foes from lands next thine were used to carry off the spoil and booty that they took from thee.' 'Not so was I, ' quoth Medb; 'the High King of Erin himself was my sire, Eocho Fedlech ('the Enduring') son of Finn, by name, who was son of Findoman, son of Finden, son of Findguin, son of Rogen Ruad ('the Red'), son of Rigen, son of Blathacht, son of Beothacht, son of Enna Agnech, son of Oengus Turbech. Of daughters, had he six: Derbriu, Ethne and Ele, Clothru, Mugain and Medb, myself, that was the noblest and seemliest of

The history of Ireland remains to be written, for the purpose of Irishmen remains yet to be achieved. The struggle for national realization, begun so many centuries ago, is not ended; and if the long story offers a so frequent record of failure, it offers a continuous appeal to the highest motives and a constant exhibition of a most pathetic patriotism linked with the sternest courage.