Born in 1968

Student protests were sweeping Europe — Paris, Berlin, Rome — and Ireland's campuses were not entirely untouched, though the country's conservatism meant they were milder. The civil rights movement in Northern Ireland was gathering momentum, inspired by America's own struggle. Ordinary people in the south watched uneasily, not quite sure what it meant for them.

The Troubles were about to begin, casting a long shadow over the entire island for decades.