Ireland's economy grows 1.4% to return to pre-crisis levels

Country saw 1.4% quarter-on-quarter growth in first three months of 2015, pushing it to top of eurozone league table for second year running

Ireland's economy grew by 1.4% quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of the year, in a recovery that is forecast to make it the fastest-growing economy in Europe for the second consecutive year.

Ireland's economy expanded by 5.2% last year, revised up on Thursday from 4.8% previously, its best performance since 2007 before a property crash plunged it into recession and triggered a fiscal and banking crisis.