The couple had their first daughter, Niamh, in 1999, and she is the only one out of the four children to be born and briefly raised in Ireland. As young adults, Michael and Paula faced very few challenges when it came to supporting their growing family: this is mainly due to their high-paying occupations. Additionally, the economy in Ireland at the time can also explain why the young family flourished during their first years as parents. A time period between 1994 and the early 2000s called Celtic Tiger represents when Ireland’s economy was booming, with little to no concerns regarding stability. According to a study from the European University Institute Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, the thriving economy was represented by “High and sustained economic growth, low inflation, a current account balance of payment surplus, falling unemployment, net immigration and a growing budget surplus…” (Murphy 5). Because of this, the young parents had fewer worries than most when it came to raising their first child and the general costs that come with it.