 The book's title reflects McWilliams' belief that Pope John Paul II's visit to Ireland in the autumn of 1979 was a watershed in the country's history.The children born during that period (who at the time of publication are 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.