There, It Wasn't So Hard

After much complaining, Apple agrees to pay over $15,400,000,000,00 in taxes to Ireland, and Ireland agreed to take it after complaining mightily.

Neither of them wanted that to happen.  Apple cut a tax deal with Ireland, that the EU deemed an illegal subsidy, and so Apple had to pay back taxes, which Ireland objected to even more than Apple.

Basically, Ireland's economic model is to be an economic vassal of multinational corporations, and so they don't want to collect taxes due.

Think of it as Amazon's 2^nd city competition writ even larger.

I'd call it corporate welfare, but it's more like extortion.