It is overwhelmingly likely that the current downturn-in-progress will then surpass the united 1979-1982 downturn as the worst downturn since the Great Depression itself. Given that the US is one of Ireland's largest trading partners, then it makes sense to be quite worried about this graph, boys and girls.
Here is another chart that you can very worried about!!
http://www.statusireland.com/statistics/finacial-statistics-for-ireland/28/Irish-Live-Register-Figures.html
You do realise that it's not just your students you depress with this stuff, don't you?