They were children when the Celtic Tiger collapsed. Teenagers when the IMF arrived. And now, they’re adults in an Ireland that in many ways still hasn’t fully recovered.

The “Bailout Babies” are the generation born into the boom and shaped by the bust. They never benefited from the good times, but they’ve lived with the consequences ever since, in housing, work, relationships, politics, and mental health. And in 2025, it feels like something has shifted.

From CMAT’s Euro-Country to Kneecap’s cultural breakout, from housing protests to emigration, this generation suddenly seems to be everywhere — angrier, funnier, more creative, and more politically engaged than before.

On this Christmas Eve podcast, Sean Defoe is joined by journalist Adam Maguire, author of The Bailout Babies, to ask who this generation really is, and why this year feels like their coming-of-age moment.

They talk about growing up during the crash, the long shadow of austerity, the housing crisis as a barrier to adulthood, and how living in box rooms into your thirties reshapes dating, work, and family life. They also explore why inheritance has quietly become a housing plan.

Adam Maguire’s The Bailout Babies is published by Gill Books.