INSTANT VIEW - Moody's downgrades Ireland's ratings to Aa1

LONDON (Reuters) - Following are analysts' comments after Moody's downgraded Ireland's ratings to Aa1 from Aaa, saying it sees the Irish government saddled with a higher debt burden for the foreseeable future. The rating's outlook is negative.

DAN MCLAUGHLIN, CHIEF ECONOMIST, BANK OF IRELAND

"The AAA in the context of the other two (rating agencies) having moved looked anomalous. Consequently, I think people were expecting (the Moody's move).

"The rating agencies have taken their decisions on the basis that the deficits are large and I think there is some uncertainty until NAMA (Ireland's "bad bank") has been fleshed out; that is unlikely to happen for a number of months. So, barring some other international lurch downwards one would have thought we are in a wait-and-see mode (in terms of further ratings actions) for now."

ROSSA WHITE, CHIEF ECONOMIST, DUBLIN-BASED BROKERAGE DAVY

"Not unexpected since we haven't been trading like an AAA country. The way Moody's do their ratings it can take longer for it to come through but it was inevitable. I don't think it's going to affect the markets too much, our spreads are closer to where S&P have judged us."

"I was surprised S&P moved again without giving an opportunity to see if the policy decisions have an impact and NAMA (Ireland's bad bank) came through. Moody's are a little bit along the lines of the IMF report, saying that the government have done their bit in difficult circumstances. There is more to go, but they have given them the benefit of the doubt a bit more than S&P are."