Born in 1979

Pope John Paul II visited Ireland in September, and the crowds were extraordinary — over a million people attended his Mass in Phoenix Park, the largest gathering in Irish history. It was a moment of profound national emotion. But privately, the country was changing in ways that would have horrified the Church had it been able to see them.

The 1970s were ending, the economy was struggling with inflation, and a decade of rapid social change was about to accelerate further.