One of the recurrent themes in the 1960s was that Ireland had abandoned its preoccupation with the past to focus on the present, redirecting its energies towards economic and social development instead of the previous fixation on national sovereignty. National pride and national commitment were increasingly linked with economic success and Ireland's greater involvement in world affairs. Economic development was welcome because it would bring an end to emigration, while offering a mechanism for building a new relationship with both Britain and Northern Ireland. But the outbreak of violence in Northern Ireland in 1969 forced both the government and the wider society to reconsider the origins of the state, and its political and ideological identity – issues that could not be resolved by economic development. Yet even before 1969, when an economic agenda was paramount, the drive for economic growth was moderated by a wish to preserve existing social structures.

The year 1966 marked the Golden Jubilee of the Easter Rising, the event most commonly seen as sparking the revolution that resulted in an independent Ireland. The celebrations were subsequently condemned for reigniting physical force republicanism and armed conflict in Northern Ireland, though I question that simplistic analysis. One striking feature of the official commemoration was the rather self-congratulatory celebration of the success of the Irish state, and the emphasis that was placed on future challenges and aspirations.