1999 in Ireland
Encyclopedia
Events
- 4 January – The EuroEuroThe euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
makes its debut on European financial markets. - 13 January – Derek Hill becomes the eleventh honorary citizen of Ireland.
- 5 February – New legislation changes the name of the RSI No to the Personal Public Service NumberPersonal Public Service NumberThe Personal Public Service Number is an identifier issued by Client Identity Services, Department of Social and Family Affairs on behalf of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs in Ireland....
and expands its use. - 31 March – The Irish Land CommissionIrish Land CommissionThe Irish Land Commission was created in 1881 as a rent fixing commission by the Land Law Act 1881, also known as the second Irish Land Act...
is dissolved. - 27 April – States of FearStates of FearStates of Fear was a documentary series produced by Mary Raftery and broadcast on the Irish television channel Radio Telefís Éireann between April and May 1999....
television series made by Mary RafteryMary RafteryMary Raftery is an Irish filmmaker and writer.Her film States of fear was broadcast on the Irish television channel Raidió Teilifís Éireann in 1999....
for RTÉRTERTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
begins broadcasting. Its revelations of a history of institutional child abuseChild abuseChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
lead to questions being raised in the Dáil and an apology to victims from the TaoiseachTaoiseachThe Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, Bertie AhernBertie AhernPatrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
, and appointment of the Commission to Inquire into Child AbuseCommission to Inquire into Child AbuseThe Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse is one of a range of measures introduced by the Irish Government to investigate the extent and effects of abuse on children from 1936 onwards. It is commonly known in Ireland as the Ryan Commission , after its chair, Justice Seán Ryan...
in May. - 21 May – Gay ByrneGay ByrneGabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
hosts his last Late Late Show after 37 years. - 22 May – The electorate of the entire island of Ireland go to the polls to vote on the Good Friday Agreement.
- 23 May – People North and South give their overwhelming support to the Good Friday Agreement.
- 11 August – Ireland joins the world and watches the last solar eclipse of the millennium.
- 28 August – 80,000 fans see the Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
concert at Slane Castle, County MeathCounty MeathCounty Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. - 12 October – Peter MandelsonPeter MandelsonPeter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
arrives in BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
as the new Secretary of State for Northern IrelandSecretary of State for Northern IrelandThe Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
. - 20 October – President McAleeseMary McAleeseMary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
leads tributes to the former TaoiseachTaoiseachThe Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Jack LynchJack LynchJohn Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
who died aged 82. - 29 November – Ten designated ministers are appointed to the power-sharing Northern Ireland AssemblyNorthern Ireland AssemblyThe Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
. - 2 December – The Irish GovernmentIrish GovernmentThe Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
ratifies changes to Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution. Direct rule from WestminsterParliament of the United KingdomThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
in Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
ends. - 13 December – The first meeting of the North/South Ministerial CouncilNorth/South Ministerial CouncilThe North/South Ministerial Council is a body established under the Belfast Agreement to co-ordinate activity and exercise certain governmental powers across the whole island of Ireland...
takes place in ArmaghArmaghArmagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
. - 31 December – The last sunset of the millennium occurs at 4.41 pm at Dursey Head in west Cork.
Arts and literature
- 1 November – SligoSligoSligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
boyband, WestlifeWestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
released their first album. To date, they are the only artist to have 7 singles straight at UK number one.
Gaelic football
- Meath GAAMeath GAAThe Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
beat Cork GAA 1–11 to 1–8 to win their second All-Ireland Senior Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Football ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
in four years.
Hurling
- Cork GAA beat Kilkenny GAAKilkenny GAAThe Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
0–13 to 0–12 to win the All-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
for the first time since 1990.
January to June
- 15 January – Robert Lowry, Baron LowryRobert Lowry, Baron LowrySir Robert Lynd Erskine Lowry, Baron Lowry PC , often known as Robbie Lowry, was a Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland and a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary...
, Lord Chief Justice of Northern IrelandLord Chief Justice of Northern IrelandThe Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland is the head of the judiciary in Northern Ireland, presiding over the Courts of Northern Ireland. The present Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland is Sir Declan Morgan...
(b.1919). - 28 January – Markey RobinsonMarkey RobinsonMarkey Robinson was a prolific Irish artist with a distinctive naïve expressionist style. His main passion was painting, but he also produced sculptures, and designed some stained glass panels....
, artist (b.1918). - 8 February – Iris MurdochIris MurdochDame Iris Murdoch DBE was an Irish-born British author and philosopher, best known for her novels about political and social questions of good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the power of the unconscious...
, novelist and philosopher (b.1919). - 22 February – Pat UptonPat UptonPat Upton was an Irish veterinarian and a senior Labour Party politician.He was born in Kilrush, County Clare and educated at St Flannan's College in Ennis, at University College Galway, and at University College Dublin where he received a doctorate in veterinary medicine...
, Irish Labour Party TDTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(b.1944). - 25 April – William McCreaWilliam McCrea (astronomer)Sir William Hunter McCrea FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician.-Biography:His family moved to Kent in 1906 and then Derbyshire where he attended Chesterfield Grammar School. His father was a school master at Netherthorpe Grammar School in Staveley...
, astronomer and mathematician (b.1904). - 25 April – Michael Morris, 3rd Baron KillaninMichael Morris, 3rd Baron KillaninMichael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, MBE, TD was an Irish journalist, author, sports official, the sixth president of the International Olympic Committee...
, journalist, author, sports official and sixth president of the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(b.1914). - 11 May – Birdy SweeneyBirdy SweeneyEdmund "Birdy" Sweeney was an Irish actor and comedian.He was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and gained his nickname "Birdy" from his childhood ability to imitate bird calls which he demonstrated on BBC Radio Ulster...
, actor (b.1931) - 19 May – Victor Bewley.
- 23 May – Cathal GannonCathal GannonCathal Gannon , was an Irish harpsichord maker, a fortepiano restorer and an amateur horologist.-Beginnings and education:...
, harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
maker and fortepianoFortepianoFortepiano designates the early version of the piano, from its invention by the Italian instrument maker Bartolomeo Cristofori around 1700 up to the early 19th century. It was the instrument for which Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven wrote their piano music...
restorer (b.1910). - 15 June – Fred TiedtFred TiedtFrederick 'Fred' Tiedt was an amateur and professional boxer.-Amateur career:...
, boxer (b.1935).
July to December
- 17 July – Donal McCannDonal McCannDonal McCann was an Irish stage, film, and television actor best known for his roles in the works of Brian Friel and for his lead role in John Huston's last film, The Dead.-Early life:...
, actor (b.1943). - 27 July – Malachi MartinMalachi MartinMalachi Brendan Martin Ph.D. was a Catholic priest, theologian, writer on the Catholic Church, and professor at the Vatican's Pontifical Biblical Institute. He held three doctorates and was the sole author of sixteen books covering religious and geopolitical topics, which were published in eight...
, Roman Catholic priestPriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and author (b.1921). - 21 August – Noel LarmourNoel LarmourSir Edward Noel "Nick" Larmour usually known by his middle name or as Nick Larmour, was an Irish cricketer and politician.-Cricket:...
, cricketer and diplomat (b.1916). - 21 August – Maurice Gerard MoynihanMaurice Gerard MoynihanMaurice Gerard Moynihan was a senior Irish civil servant, co-drafter of the 1937 Constitution of Ireland, Secretary of the Government of the Irish Free State in 1937, Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland in 1960, and Knight Commander of the Papal Order of St...
, civil servant and writer (b.1902). - 24 August – Eithne Strong, poet.
- 13 October – Michael Hartnett, poet (b.1941).
- 15 October – Josef LockeJosef LockeJosef Locke was the stage name of Joseph McLaughlin , a tenor singer who was successful in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1940s and 1950s....
, tenor (b.1917). - 20 October – Jack LynchJack LynchJohn Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
, former TaoiseachTaoiseachThe Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
and leader of Fianna FáilFianna FáilFianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
(b.1917). - October – Micheál CranitchMicheál CranitchMícheál C. Cranitch was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann in 1973....
, Fianna Fáil politician, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann in 1973. (b.1912). - 14 November – Brian Ó CuívBrian Ó CuívBrian Ó Cuív was a Celtic scholar who specialised in Irish history and philology.-Life:Ó Cuív was professor of Celtic Studies at University College Dublin and later at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. His later years were devoted to the compilation of a catalogue of the Irish manuscripts...
, son-in-law of Éamon de ValeraÉamon de ValeraÉamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
, Celtic scholar and author. - 29 November – Michael O'HalloranMichael O'Halloran (UK politician)Michael Joseph O'Halloran was a British politician. He was brought up in County Clare, and, finding no employment, he "drifted to London" in 1948, aged 15, and worked as a railwayman until he entered politics....
, politician in the UK (b.1933). - 30 December – Tom AherneTom AherneThomas Aherne , also referred to as Bud Aherne, is a former Irish footballer and hurler. He played football for Belfast Celtic and Luton Town and was a dual internationalist, playing for both Ireland teams – the IFA XI and the FAI XI...
, soccer player (b.1919).