Born in 1969

The Troubles erupted in Northern Ireland — sectarian violence, the deployment of British troops, the burning of houses in Belfast. For people in the Republic, it was profoundly shocking. Television brought the images into every sitting room.

Families with relatives in the north were terrified. The IRA split into Official and Provisional wings, and a long and bloody conflict began that would dominate Irish life for a generation. Ireland was no longer just worried about emigration.