Born in 2020

COVID-19 hit, and Ireland locked down quickly. The pubs — the heartbeat of Irish social life — closed in March and didn't fully reopen for over a year. People walked in parks, zoomed with family, and baked sourdough.

The general election just before the pandemic had produced a surprise: Sinn Féin won the largest share of first preference votes, transforming Irish politics. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael formed an unprecedented coalition. Ireland was rethinking itself on multiple fronts simultaneously.