What we're reading about Ireland

A book of interest Brian picked up on the resurgence of the Irish economy is called The Pope's Children: The Irish Economic Triumph and the Rise of Ireland's New Elite. In his book author David McWilliams describes the effects that the Celtic Tiger and the property boom have had on the Republic of Ireland, resulting in the rise of a new bourgeoise. The book's title reflects McWilliams' belief that the visit of Pope John Paul II to Ireland in the autumn of 1979 was a watershed in the country's history. The children born during that period (who are now between the ages of 25 and 35) are "The Pope's Children" – the first generation since the Great Famine of the mid-19th century to experience an increase in the size of the population. (The rise in birth rates in Ireland began in the early 1970s and peaked in June 1980, exactly nine months after the pope's visit.) According to McWilliams, these 620,000 people became the country's key generation. They are the dynamo of Ireland's economy, politics and culture, and they will shape its face in the 21st century.