2010 in Ireland
Encyclopedia
This is a summary of 2010 in Ireland.

January

  • 4 January—Met Éireann
    Met Éireann
    Met Éireann is the national meteorological service in Ireland, part of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.-History:...

     says Ireland is experiencing its most extreme cold spell of weather since 1963
    Winter of 2009–2010 in Europe
    The winter of 2009–2010 in Europe was unusually cold. Globally, atypical weather patterns brought cold, moist air from the north. Weather systems were undergoing cyclogenesis from North American storms moving across the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and saw many parts of Europe experiencing heavy...

    .
  • 5 January—A bomb alert on Dorset Street in Dublin was caused when officials at a Slovakia
    Slovakia
    The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

    n airport plant explosives on an innocent civilian and allow him to leave the country on Danube Wings Flight V5 8230 in a security test gone wrong.
  • 7 January—Schools remain shut following the holiday period due to extreme weather. Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

     makes his first comments on the matter. Schools remain shut anyway. Minister for Education and Science
    Minister for Education and Science (Ireland)
    The Minister for Education and Skills is the senior minister at the Department of Education and Skills in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Education and Skills is Ruairi Quinn, TD...

     Batt O'Keeffe
    Batt O'Keeffe
    Bartholomew "Batt" O'Keeffe is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála and Senator from 1989 to 2011. He also served as Minister for Education and Science and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation .-Early and personal life:O'Keeffe was born in Cullen, County...

     later changes his mind.
  • 13 January—An Arkefly
    Arkefly
    ArkeFly is a Dutch charter airline headquartered in Schiphol-Rijk on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands. It is the charter carrier of the Dutch arm of the German travel conglomerate TUI and its main base is Schiphol Airport...

     Boeing 767
    Boeing 767
    The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...

     flying from Amsterdam
    Amsterdam
    Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

     to the Netherlands Antilles
    Netherlands Antilles
    The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...

     is grounded at Shannon Airport
    Shannon Airport
    Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...

     after a man claims there is a bomb on board. All 242 passengers and crew are evacuated. 44-year-old Jorge Flores appears in court in Ennis
    Ennis
    Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....

     to be charged for this the following day.
  • 22 January—The internationally renowned Waterford Crystal
    Waterford Crystal
    Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware, previously produced in Waterford, Ireland, though the factory there was shut down after the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood plc in early 2009...

     tourist centre in Kilbarry, County Waterford
    County Waterford
    *Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...

     ceases to function.
  • 26 January—Edwin Curry from Kilkenny
    Kilkenny
    Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...

     is sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of 189 counts of indecent assault against children between 1964 and 1985.
  • 28 January—Former national swimming coach Ger Doyle
    Ger Doyle
    Ger Doyle is an Irish former national swimming coach from Wexford, County Wexford.Doyle was coach of the Irish Olympic team at the 2000 and 2004 games...

     is convicted of 34 counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault against children in his care and sentenced to six and half years in prison.

February

  • 3 February—A mysterious fireball is witnessed over Ireland at approximately 18:00, lighting up "the whole country". A search begins immediately.
  • 8 February—George Lee
    George Lee (journalist)
    George Lee is an Irish economist, journalist, television and radio presenter, and former Fine Gael politician. He worked for RTÉ from 1992 to 2009. He was appointed Economics Editor in 1996. During his time in RTÉ News and Current Affairs he was named Irish Journalist of the Year for uncovering a...

     resigns from Fine Gael
    Fine Gael
    Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

     and Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

     with immediate effect, nine months after his election.
  • 12 February—Déirdre de Búrca
    Déirdre de Búrca
    Déirdre de Búrca is a Green Party Irish politician and a former member of Seanad Éireann. She had represented the party on Wicklow County Council and Bray Town Council from 1999 to 2007 and in the Seanad from 2007 until her resignation from the parliamentary party in 2010.-Background:Born in...

     resigns from the Green Party
    Green Party (Ireland)
    The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...

     and Seanad Éireann
    Seanad Éireann
    Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...

     with immediate effect and criticises her former party leader John Gormley
    John Gormley
    John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...

    .
  • 12 February—A fire on Dublin's Capel Street destroys a head shop
    Head shop
    A head shop is a retail outlet specializing in drug paraphernalia used for consumption of cannabis, other recreational drugs, legal highs, legal party powders and New Age herbs, as well as counterculture art, magazines, music, clothing, and home decor; some head shops also sell oddities, such as...

     and a sex shop
    Sex shop
    A sex shop, erotic shop is a shop that sells products related to adult sexual or erotic entertainment, such as sex toys, lingerie, clothing, pornography, and other related products...

     and forces the street to be shut down for the weekend.
  • 13 February—West Jewellers
    West Jewellers
    West of Grafton Street Ltd. or West Jewellers was a jewellery store which was last located on 33 Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland. It was considered the oldest European jewellery store and one of the oldest companies in Ireland.-History:...

     of Grafton Street closes down.
  • 18 February—Minister for Defence
    Minister for Defence (Ireland)
    The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....

     Willie O'Dea
    Willie O'Dea
    Willie O'Dea is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and a Teachta Dála for the Limerick City constituency. He served as the Minister for Defence from September 2004 until 18 February 2010, when he resigned from his post due to controversy over a defamation case.-Early and private life:O'Dea was born...

     resigns after a controversy surrounding his remarks
    Willie O'Dea affidavit controversy
    The Willie O'Dea affidavit controversy or Brothelgate refers to a 2010 political controversy in Ireland surrounding former Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea....

     on a rival politician's relationship with brothel
    Brothel
    Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...

    s. Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

     assigns himself temporary responsibility for the Department of Defence
    Department of Defence (Ireland)
    The Department of Defence is the department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for preserving peace and security in Ireland and abroad...

    .
  • 23 February—Former Green Party
    Green Party (Ireland)
    The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...

     leader Trevor Sargent
    Trevor Sargent
    Trevor Sargent is an Irish Green Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North constituency from 1992 to 2011...

     resigns as Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture
    Minister of State (with special responsibility for Food and Horticulture)
    The Minister of State for Food, Horticulture and Food Safety is a junior ministerial post in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of the Government of Ireland...

     after accepting that he made 'an error of judgment' in contacting gardaí about a case involving a constituent.

March

  • 8 March—Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism
    Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Ireland)
    The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is the senior minister at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in the Government of Ireland.The current minister is Jimmy Deenihan, TD. He is assisted by:...

     Martin Cullen
    Martin Cullen
    Martin Cullen is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Waterford constituency. Cullen was a member of Seanad Éireann and served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government , Minister for Transport and Minister for Social and Family Affairs and...

     resigns from politics after seeking medical advice.
  • 8 March—President
    President of East Timor
    The President of East Timor is the Head of state of the East Timorese republic, elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The role is largely symbolic, though he is able to veto some legislation. Following elections, the president appoints as the prime minister, the leader of the majority party...

     of East Timor
    East Timor
    The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

     José Ramos-Horta begins his two-day first official state visit to Ireland by meeting Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

    , urging the country to continue providing economic support as a priority nation and receiving an honorary doctorate from University College Dublin
    University College Dublin
    University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...

    .
  • 9 March—Seven people are arrested – five in Waterford and two in Cork
    Cork (city)
    Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

     – over an alleged plot to assassinate Swedish
    Sweden
    Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

     artist Lars Vilks
    Lars Vilks
    Lars Endel Roger Vilks is a Swedish artist. He is best known for his drawings of Muhammed, prophet of Islam.- Personal background :...

    .
  • 9 March—Dublin's Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, incorporating the National Children's Hospital in Tallaght
    Tallaght
    Tallaght is the largest town, and county town, of South Dublin County, Ireland. The village area, dating from at least the 17th century, held one of the earliest settlements known in the southern part of the island, and one of medieval Ireland's more important monastic centres.Up to the 1960s...

     blames "systemic and process failures" for more than 57,000 X-ray
    X-ray
    X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...

    s taken between 2005 and 2009 not being reviewed by medical professionals and admits at least two patients received incorrect treatment, one of whom has since died and the other who is receiving cancer treatment.
  • 9 March—A national strike by taxi drivers leads to work stoppages at the country's three main airports, closes Dublin's O'Connell Street
    O'Connell Street
    O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...

     completely and blocks other streets as the High Court orders protesters to leave their sit-in at Commission for Taxi Regulation
    Commission for Taxi Regulation
    The Commission for Taxi Regulation was a public body in Ireland that existed between 2004 and 2011 regulating small public service vehicles - the generic term for taxis, wheelchair accessible taxis, hackneys and limousines.Taxis and wheelchair-accessible taxis are allowed to pick up passengers in...

     headquarters.
  • 18 March—Former Chairman of Anglo Irish Bank
    Anglo Irish Bank
    Anglo Irish Bank was a bank based in Ireland with its headquarters in Dublin from 1964 to 2011. It went into wind-down mode after nationalisation in 2009....

     Sean FitzPatrick
    Sean FitzPatrick
    Seán FitzPatrick was chairman of Anglo Irish Bank until he resigned in December 2008 amid mounting revelations over hidden loans...

     is arrested at his home and has it searched
    Anglo Irish Bank hidden loans controversy
    The Anglo Irish Bank hidden loans controversy began in the Republic of Ireland in December 2008 when the chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, Ireland's third largest bank, admitted he had hidden a total of €87 million in loans from the bank, triggering a series of incidents which led to the eventual...

     under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 in Greystones
    Greystones
    Greystones is a coastal town and small seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on Ireland’s east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin , with a population in the region of 15,000....

    , County Wicklow
    County Wicklow
    County Wicklow 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 town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...

    .
  • Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland
    Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland
    The Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Ireland is a major chapter in the worldwide Catholic sexual abuse scandal. Unlike the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in the United States, the scandal in Ireland included cases of high-profile Catholic clerics involved in illicit heterosexual relations as well as...

    :
    • 20 March—Pope Benedict XVI
      Pope Benedict XVI
      Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

      's special pastoral letter to Irish Catholics on the issue is published by the Vatican.
    • 21 March—A man confronts Bishop of Kerry
      Bishop of Kerry
      The Bishop of Kerry is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kerry, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly in Ireland.. Their present see is at St...

       Dr Bill Murphy
      William Murphy (Bishop of Kerry)
      William Murphy , ordained as a priest in 1961, is since 1995 the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kerry.-Life:Murphy was born in Annaghmore, County Kerry, Ireland. He received his education at Ratheen National School and St Brendan’s College, Killarney...

       on the pulpit
      Pulpit
      Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...

       in the middle of the Gospel
      Gospel
      A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...

       at St Mary's Cathedral, Killarney, while protesters walk out during Mass at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral
      St Mary's Pro-Cathedral
      St Mary's Church , known also as St Mary's Pro-Cathedral or simply the Pro-Cathedral, is a pro-cathedral and is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland.-Status as "pro-cathedral":...

       in Dublin.
  • 23 March—Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

     reshuffles his cabinet.
  • 25 March—A landmark legal ruling
    Good Friday closure controversy
    The Good Friday closure controversy or Good Friday Disagreement refers to the 2010 court case which saw vintners of Limerick, Ireland—"capital of Irish rugby", contest a state ban on opening for business on Good Friday....

     allows Limerick
    Limerick
    Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...

     pubs to open on 2 April (Good Friday
    Good Friday
    Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...

    ) for the first time anywhere in the history of the state to accommodate fans of Munster
    Munster Rugby
    Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...

     and Leinster
    Leinster Rugby
    Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

     on the day they play a Celtic League
    Celtic League (rugby union)
    The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....

     rugby union
    Rugby union
    Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

     match in Thomond Park
    Thomond Park
    Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...

    .
  • 29 March—The new Limerick
    Limerick railway station
    Limerick railway station serves the city of Limerick in County Limerick. It is on Parnell St, and is the main station on the Limerick Suburban Rail network....

     to Galway
    Galway railway station
    Galway railway station serves the city of Galway in County Galway. The Station itself is located in the centre of the city in Eyre Square. The station is to be redeveloped in the near future, as part of the Ceannt Station Quarter project.The station opened on 1 August 1851...

     rail line is officially launched, reopening the rail links between the two cities for the first time in 34 years.

April

  • 2 April—Alcohol was served in pubs, bars, and hotels in Limerick city on Good Friday
    Good Friday
    Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...

     after business were given special legal permission to do so because of the Munster
    Munster Rugby
    Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...

     versus Leinster
    Leinster Rugby
    Leinster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Leinster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Dublin, representing the Irish province of Leinster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro 12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...

     rugby match in the Celtic League at Thomond Park
    Thomond Park
    Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...

    . Drinkers in Limerick benefited from an “area exemption order”, which was introduced in section 10 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1962. This exemption was granted by a District Court judge to cover a special event. It enabled pubs in Limerick to serve alcohol between the hours of 6 pm and 11.30 pm.
  • 15 April—Volcanic ash
    Volcanic ash
    Volcanic ash consists of small tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcanic eruptions, less than in diameter. There are three mechanisms of volcanic ash formation: gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions; thermal contraction from chilling on contact...

     from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull
    Eyjafjallajökull
    Eyjafjallajökull is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, situated to the north of Skógar and to the west of Mýrdalsjökull. The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano with a summit elevation of . The volcano has erupted relatively frequently since the last glacial period, most recently in...

     in Iceland
    Iceland
    Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

     disrupts air traffic
    Air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption
    In response to concerns that volcanic ash ejected during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland would damage aircraft engines, the controlled airspace of many European countries was closed to instrument flight rules traffic, resulting in the largest air-traffic shut-down since World War II...

     across northern and western Europe
    Europe
    Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

    , including Ireland.
  • 30 April—RTE
    Raidió Teilifís Éireann
    Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...

     radio broadcaster Gerry Ryan
    Gerry Ryan
    Gerard "Gerry" Ryan was an Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann...

     dies in his home in Dublin, Ireland.

May

  • 1 May—A carbon tax
    Carbon tax
    A carbon tax is an environmental tax levied on the carbon content of fuels. It is a form of carbon pricing. Carbon is present in every hydrocarbon fuel and is released as carbon dioxide when they are burnt. In contrast, non-combustion energy sources—wind, sunlight, hydropower, and nuclear—do not...

     on home heating oil and other fuels is introduced by the Irish government.
  • 2 May—A Red C Poll for The Sunday Business Post
    The Sunday Business Post
    The Sunday Business Post is an Irish national Sunday newspaper published by Post Publications Limited. Post Publications is owned by Thomas Crosbie Holdings. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, Ireland, the average weekly circulation was 57,783 for the period January to June 2009. The...

     shows Labour
    Labour Party (Ireland)
    The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...

     is the second most popular party in Ireland, and that it has overtaken Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

    .
  • 3 May – Further volcanic ash cloud returns over Irish skies, causing more chaos. It goes away again by the 23rd.
  • 3 May—10 protected birds of prey
    Bird of prey
    Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....

     - 3 Red Kite
    Red Kite
    The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...

    s, 3 Buzzard
    Buzzard
    A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....

    s, 2 White-tailed Eagle
    White-tailed Eagle
    The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers...

    s, 1 Golden Eagle
    Golden Eagle
    The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...

     and 1 Peregrine Falcon
    Peregrine Falcon
    The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...

     - are found poisoned to death in County Cork
    County Cork
    County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

    , County Donegal
    County Donegal
    County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

    , County Kerry
    County Kerry
    Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...

    , County Kildare
    County Kildare
    County Kildare 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 town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...

    , County Leitrim
    County Leitrim
    County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...

    , County Waterford
    County Waterford
    *Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...

     and County Wicklow
    County Wicklow
    County Wicklow 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 town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...

    , in "the worst spate of poisoning in recent years".
  • 5 May—A group of retired and diseased coal miners protest in Dublin in a bid for compensation.
  • 5 May—James Dillon is sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Roy Collins in Limerick
    Limerick
    Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...

     on 9 April 2009.
  • 5 May—The Irish government narrowly defeats by the casting vote of the Ceann Comhairle
    Ceann Comhairle
    The Ceann Comhairle is the chairman of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the Dáil from among their number in the first session after each general election...

     an opposition motion calling for an immediate by-election
    By-election
    A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....

     in Donegal South-West
    Donegal South West by-election, 2010
    A by-election was held on 25 November 2010 in the Donegal South–West constituency in Ireland, following the election of the Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála Pat the Cope Gallagher to the European Parliament at the June 2009 election...

    . Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

     deputies Frank Fahey
    Frank Fahey
    Frank Fahey is a property developer and former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Galway West constituency.-Life before politics:...

     and Timmy Dooley
    Timmy Dooley
    Timmy Dooley is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Clare constituency since 2007, and was a member of the 22nd Seanad Éireann on the Administrative Panel from 2002–07....

     accidentally vote with the opposition.
  • 5 May—The skeleton of a child discovered in a sand quarry arrives safely at Donegal County Museum
    Donegal County Museum
    Donegal County Museum , located on High Road in the town of Letterkenny in Ireland, is a county museum. The building opened to the public in 1845 as the Warden's House of the Letterkenny Workhouse during the Famine...

     after it was thought to have disappeared.
  • 6 May—Bishop of Clogher
    Bishop of Clogher
    The Bishop of Clogher is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clogher in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Following the Reformation, there are now parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and the other of the Roman Catholic Church.-History:Clogher is one...

     Joseph Duffy's resignation is accepted by Pope Benedict XVI
    Pope Benedict XVI
    Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

    .
  • 6 May—The Supreme Court of Ireland rules Acts of the Oireachtas or Statutory Instruments are not constitutionally obliged to be provided in both the English and Irish language
    Irish language
    Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

    s after a ten-year campaign led by Pól Ó Murchú.
  • 6 May—Gerry Ryan
    Gerry Ryan
    Gerard "Gerry" Ryan was an Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann...

     is buried.
  • 7 May—Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

     is Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     for two years.
  • 11 May—Several substances commonly sold in head shop
    Head shop
    A head shop is a retail outlet specializing in drug paraphernalia used for consumption of cannabis, other recreational drugs, legal highs, legal party powders and New Age herbs, as well as counterculture art, magazines, music, clothing, and home decor; some head shops also sell oddities, such as...

    s are immediately outlawed by the Irish government.
  • 11 May – Several people are injured by police as protesters attempt to storm Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

     in a campaign against bank bail-outs. An investigation is launched.
  • 13 May—Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

     gives a speech in which he admits for the first time that "domestic vulnerabilities" nearly caused Ireland's banking system to collapse.
  • 13 May—Tánaiste
    Tánaiste
    The Tánaiste is the deputy prime minister of Ireland. The current Tánaiste is Eamon Gilmore, TD who was appointed on 9 March 2011.- Origins and etymology :...

     Mary Coughlan dismisses concerns about Ireland's sovereignty being under threat by the European Commission
    European Commission
    The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....

    's "peer review" policy, calling it "populism that is inappropriate and incorrect".
  • 14 May—The High Court rules in favour of shutting the landfill
    Landfill
    A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...

     at Kerrdiffstown, Ireland's most complained about landfill.
  • 15 May—Hundreds of people protest against Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

     plans to close Loughloe House, a retirement hospital for the elderly in Athlone.
  • 18 May—Protesters gather outside Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

     to condemn cutbacks by the government.
  • 18 May—The Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

     begins its nationwide cervical cancer
    Cervical cancer
    Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...

     vaccination campaign.
  • 18 May—Kieran O'Reilly is appointed as Bishop of Killaloe by the Vatican.
  • 19 May—Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois
    Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
    The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ireland.-Geographic remit:The diocese is spread over parts of seven counties in the centre of Ireland. It includes almost all of County Longford, half of County Leitrim and parts of counties Westmeath, Offaly, Cavan, Roscommon...

     Colm O'Reilly
    Colm O'Reilly
    Colm O'Reilly is an Irish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.The youngest of seven children, O'Reilly was born to John and Alicia O'Reilly in Colmcille, County Longford. His eldest brother, Peter , was superior general of St...

    's resignation is accepted by Pope Benedict XVI
    Pope Benedict XVI
    Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

    , but there is no formal announcement and the diocese is not sede vacante
    Sede vacante
    Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...

    .
  • 19 May—The government defeats by 77–72 a Fine Gael
    Fine Gael
    Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

     motion calling for a date to be set for a by-election
    By-election
    A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....

     due in Waterford.
  • 20 May—186 Irish peacekeepers serving in Chad
    Chad
    Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...

     return to Dublin, meaning no large battalions are working abroad for the first time in three decades.
  • 21 May—The corpses of 40 children from Bethany Home
    Bethany Home
    Bethany Home was a residential home in Dublin for women of the Protestant faith, convicted of petty theft, prostitution, infanticide, as well as for women who were pregnant out of wedlock, and the children of these women...

     in Rathgar
    Rathgar
    Rathgar is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, lying about 3 kilometres south of the city centre.-Amenities:Rathgar is largely a quiet suburb with good amenities, including primary and secondary schools, nursing homes, child-care and sports facilities, and good public transport to the city centre...

     are discovered in unmarked graves in Mount Jerome Cemetery
    Mount Jerome Cemetery
    Mount Jerome Cemetery is situated in Harold's Cross on the south side of Dublin, Ireland. Since its foundation in 1836, it has witnessed over 300,000 burials...

    , Dublin.
  • 22 May—Thousands of people protest about the future of Wexford General Hospital in Wexford
    Wexford
    Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...

    .
  • 25 May—Hundreds of people demonstrate outside Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

     in pursuit of job creation.
  • 25 May—Captain Gráinne Cronin, the first female pilot at Aer Lingus
    Aer Lingus
    Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...

    , retires after 33 years.
  • 26 May—The government defeats by 72–68 the Fine Gael
    Fine Gael
    Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

     Bye-Election Bill in Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

     following the government's reluctance to hold by-election
    By-election
    A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....

    s for vacant seats in Donegal South-West
    Donegal South West by-election, 2010
    A by-election was held on 25 November 2010 in the Donegal South–West constituency in Ireland, following the election of the Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála Pat the Cope Gallagher to the European Parliament at the June 2009 election...

    , Waterford and Dublin South.
  • 27 May—The Irish Medical Council
    Irish Medical Council
    Comhairle na nDochtúirí Leighis - Medical Council is the regulator of the medical profession in the Republic of Ireland. It licenses medical practitioners to practise, and has the power to place restrictions on or revoke such licences, in cases of questions about a doctor's fitness to practise...

     begins a fitness to practise inquiry into two doctors who removed the wrong kidney from "Master Conroy" at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin
    Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin
    Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin is Ireland's largest and best known paediatric hospital. It has been caring for Ireland's youth since 1956. It has almost 1200 staff and 243 beds all dedicated to the care of children.-External links:...

    , despite pleas to the contrary from his mother.
  • 27 May—Amnesty International
    Amnesty International
    Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...

     criticises the government's children's human rights record in the organisation's annual report.
  • 28 May—The Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

     reveals that 37 children have died in its care since 2000.
  • 28 May—The final part of the Cork
    Cork (city)
    Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

     to Dublin motorway opens in County Laois
    County Laois
    County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...

    .
  • 31 May—Eight Irish nationals are involved in the events surrounding the Gaza flotilla raid
    Gaza flotilla raid
    The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea...

     carried out by Israeli commandos in international waters, including former United Nations
    United Nations
    The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

     Assistant Secretary-General Denis Halliday
    Denis Halliday
    Denis J. Halliday was the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq from September 1, 1997, until 1998. He is Irish and holds an M.A. in Economics, Geography and Public Administration from Trinity College, Dublin....

     and Nobel Peace Laureate
    Nobel Peace Prize
    The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...

     Mairead Corrigan
    Mairead Corrigan
    Mairead Maguire , also known as Mairead Corrigan Maguire and formerly as Mairéad Corrigan, is a Northern Irish peace activist. She co-founded, with Betty Williams and Ciaran McKeown, the Community of Peace People, an organisation dedicated to encouraging a peaceful resolution of the Troubles in...

    . Three Oireachtas
    Oireachtas
    The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...

     members—Aengus Ó Snodaigh
    Aengus Ó Snodaigh
    Aengus Ó Snodaigh is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency since May 2002, and is party spokesperson for Housing, Justice, Equality and Human Rights, and International Affairs.-Early and private life:A Dubliner and Irish language...

    , Chris Andrews
    Chris Andrews (politician)
    Chris Andrews is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 2007 to 2011.-Family:He is the grandson of Todd Andrews, a leading figure in the early days of Fianna Fáil...

     and Mark Daly—are denied access to the flotilla by Cypriot
    Cyprus
    Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

     authorities the day before the raid.

June

  • 1 June—Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

     promises archive storage of electronic and paper records for future use is working fine.
  • 3 June—Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

     is suspended for ten minutes of the morning due to rowdy scenes in the chamber as the opposition complains of "muzzling of parliament".
  • 3 June—The 1901 Census is made available online for the first time.
  • 4 June—Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

     Senator Larry Butler resigns the party whip due to an expenses scandal.
  • 4 June—The M3 is officially opened, two months quicker than anticipated.
  • 4 June—The Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

     says 151 children or young adults it knew died in the past decade, in addition to the 37 deaths in its care it announced the previous week.
  • 5 June—Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

     Senator Ivor Callely
    Ivor Callely
    Ivor Callely is a former Irish politician. He was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007 to 2011, having been nominated by the Taoiseach. He was previously a deputy for the Fianna Fáil party in the constituency of Dublin North Central from 1989 to 2007. Between 2002 and 2005 he served as a Minister...

     resigns the party whip due to an expenses scandal.
  • 7 June—Five Irish activists from the MV Rachel Corrie
    MV Rachel Corrie
    MV Rachel Corrie is a 499 GT coaster owned and operated by the Free Gaza Movement. The ship is named in honour of Rachel Corrie, a former member of the International Solidarity Movement...

     arrive back in Dublin after being deported from Israeli detention.
  • 7 June—Dozens of people protest against the Irish government's ongoing attempts to close cancer services at St. Luke's Hospital.
  • 8 June—The Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

     is criticised again, this time after a pregnant woman was told by medical staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital
    Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital (Drogheda)
    Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital is a public hospital located in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland, part of the Louth Meath Hospital Group. It is managed by the Irish Government's Health Service Executive and provides acute-care hospital services, including a 24-hour emergency department, for the...

     in Drogheda
    Drogheda
    Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....

     that her baby was dead. It wasn't.
  • 8 June—The Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

     publishes a report saying an elder abuse service received more than 1,800 allegations of abuse in the past year.
  • 8 June—The funeral of Daniel McAnaspie takes place.
  • 8 June—The iconic clothes shop, McElhinney's of Athboy
    Athboy
    Athboy , is a small agricultural town in County Meath in Ireland. It is located on the junction of the N51 and R154 roads. The town is located on the Yellow Ford River, in wooded country near the County Westmeath border.-History:...

    , shuts down after 70 years.
  • 9 June—The Junior
    Junior Certificate
    The Junior Certificate is an educational qualification awarded in Ireland by the Department of Education to students who have successfully completed the junior cycle of secondary education, and achieved a minimum standard in their Junior Cert. examinations...

     and Leaving Certificate
    Leaving Certificate
    The Leaving Certificate Examinations , commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert is the final examination in the Irish secondary school system. It takes a minimum of two years preparation, but an optional Transition Year means that for those students it takes place three years after the Junior...

     examinations begin.
  • 9 June—Iran
    Iran
    Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

    's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
    Manouchehr Mottaki
    Manouchehr Mottaki is an Iranian politician and diplomat. He was the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Whilst technically appointed by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he is considered to be closer to more pragmatic conservative factions and during the 2005 presidential election, he was the campaign...

     dodges protesters and flying eggs at the Institute of International and European Affairs
    Institute of International and European Affairs
    The Institute of International and European Affairs is Ireland’s leading think tank on European and International affairs and is an independent, not-for-profit organisation with charitable status. Its extensive research programme aims to provide its members with high-level analysis and forecasts...

     in Dublin: two people are kicked and punched, while three people are arrested.
  • 9 June—Dermot Earley
    Dermot Earley
    Lieutenant-General Dermot Earley DSM was an Irish army officer and sportsman. He played Gaelic football with his local clubs Michael Glavey's and Sarsfield's and was a member of the Roscommon GAA senior inter-county team from 1965 until 1985...

     retires.
  • 10 June—Ryan Tubridy
    Ryan Tubridy
    Ryan Tubridy , affectionately known as "Tubs", is an Irish broadcaster and writer, a presenter of live shows on radio and television in Ireland. He has been described as "one of Ireland's most gifted broadcasters"...

     is announced as Gerry Ryan
    Gerry Ryan
    Gerard "Gerry" Ryan was an Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann...

    's replacement on RTÉ 2fm
    RTÉ 2fm
    RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...

    's 9-11 am slot.
  • 11 June—Labour
    Labour Party (Ireland)
    The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...

     becomes Ireland's most popular political party for the first time in history.
  • 11 June—Galway City Hall explodes.
  • 11 June—Ireland's smallest surviving premature baby was born weighing less than a pound, no longer than a pen.
  • 12 June—Thousands of people protest in Mullingar
    Mullingar
    Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...

     in fear of the Midland Regional Hospital, booing and heckling political rhetoric.

Challenge to the leadership of Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...

 by Richard Bruton
Richard Bruton
Richard Bruton is an Irish Fine Gael politician and has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North Central constituency since 1982. He was appointed as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on 9 March 2011...

:
  • 14 June—Fine Gael
    Fine Gael
    Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

     leader Enda Kenny sacks his Opposition Spokesperson on Finance Richard Bruton after learning of his bid to overthrow him.
  • 15 June—Simon Coveney
    Simon Coveney
    Simon Coveney is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as a Teachta Dála for Cork South Central since 1998. In March 2011 he became Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Enda Kenny's coalition government....

    , Denis Naughten
    Denis Naughten
    Denis Naughten is an Irish politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Roscommon–South Leitrim constituency. He sits as an independent TD, having lost the Fine Gael parliamentary party whip in July 2011.-Education:...

    , Olwyn Enright
    Olwyn Enright
    Olwyn Enright is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. She served as a Teachta Dála for the Laois–Offaly constituency, from 2002 to 2011.-Early life and education:...

    , Olivia Mitchell
    Olivia Mitchell
    Olivia Mitchell is an Irish Fine Gael politician. She has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency since 1997....

    , Fergus O'Dowd
    Fergus O'Dowd
    Fergus O'Dowd is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Louth constituency, and the Minister of State for the NewEra Project....

    , Michael Creed
    Michael Creed
    Michael Creed is an Irish Fine Gael politician and has been a Teachta Dála for the Cork North West constituency since 2007....

    , Billy Timmins
    Billy Timmins
    Billy Timmins is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency.Timmins was born in Baltinglass, County Wicklow. He was educated at Patrician College, Ballyfin, County Laois; and University College Galway where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in...

    , Leo Varadkar
    Leo Varadkar
    Leo Varadkar is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency since June 2007. He is currently the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, being appointed on 9 March 2011....

     and Brian Hayes
    Brian Hayes (politician)
    Brian Hayes is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South West constituency and also the Minister of State at the Department of Finance.-Early life:...

     express their lack of confidence in Enda Kenny.
  • 17 June—Enda Kenny survives a vote of no confidence.
  • 14 June—The Catholic Church pays out-of-court damages of more than €250,000 to a woman abused by paedophile priest Brendan Smyth.
  • 15 June—The Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday (1972)
    Bloody Sunday (1972)
    Bloody Sunday —sometimes called the Bogside Massacre—was an incident on 30 January 1972 in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland, in which twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army...

     is published, prompting an apology from Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
    Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
    The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...

     David Cameron
    David Cameron
    David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....

     as the civilians targeted by British paratroopers are confirmed to have been wrongly killed.
  • 15 June—The Irish government survives by five votes an Opposition motion of no confidence
    Motion of no confidence
    A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...

     in Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

    .
  • 15 June—An Israel
    Israel
    The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

    i diplomat is expelled from Ireland as punishment for the country's misuse of forged Irish passport
    Irish passport
    Irish passports are issued by the Consular and Passport Division of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, Ireland.-Physical appearance:...

    s in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh
    Assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh
    The assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, took place on January 19, 2010, in a Dubai hotel room. Al-Mabhouh—a co-founder of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamist Palestinian militant group Hamas—was wanted by the Israeli government for the kidnapping and murder of two...

     in Dubai
    Dubai
    Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

    .
  • 16 June—The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre reports a more than 41 per cent increase in calls from the previous year.
  • 17 June—Ireland's Catholic bishops ask the Irish government to provide a free vote for all TDs and Senators on the Civil Partnership Bill, accusing them of trying to make same-sex relationship
    Same-sex relationship
    A same-sex relationship is a relationship between two persons of the same sex and can take many forms, from romantic and sexual, to non-romantic close relationships. The term is mainly associated with gay and lesbian people...

    s "as similar as possible to marriage" in what they perceive to be a violation of the Constitution of Ireland
    Constitution of Ireland
    The Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...

    . John Gormley
    John Gormley
    John Gormley is an Irish politician. He was the leader of the Irish Green Party from 2007 to 2011, and was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South East constituency from 1997 to 2011. He served as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government from 2007–11...

     says "I thought we had left the era of church interference behind us".
  • 19 June—Around 40,000 people avail of the first and final opportunity to walk beneath the River Shannon
    River Shannon
    The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...

     via the Limerick Tunnel
    Limerick Tunnel
    The Limerick Tunnel is a 675m long, twin-bore road tunnel underneath the River Shannon on the outskirts of Limerick City. The tunnel forms part of the N18 Limerick Southern Ring Road. The tunnel is tolled....

     as it officially opens.
  • 21 June—The Irish government drops its challenge to a High Court ruling saying Irish law on transgender rights
    Legal aspects of transsexualism
    Transsexual people are those who establish a permanent identity with the gender opposite to the gender identified at birth. As most legal jurisdictions have at least some recognition of the two traditional genders at the exclusion of other categories, this raises many legal issues and aspects of...

     breaks the European Convention on Human Rights
    European Convention on Human Rights
    The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...

    , with Lydia Foy
    Lydia Foy
    Lydia Annice Foy is an Irish trans woman notable for leading legal challenges regarding gender recognition in Ireland. In 1992 Foy had sex reassignment surgery, and began a 12 year legal battle to have her birth certificate reflect her gender identity...

    's 13-year battle against the government to be recognised as a woman ending successfully.
  • 21 June—The High Court rules that numerous houses can be repossessed.
  • 21 June—Fine Gael
    Fine Gael
    Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

     Councillor Matt Lyons is elected Mayor of Sligo; Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

     Councillor Michael Crowe is elected Mayor of Galway
    Mayor of Galway
    The office of Mayor of Galway is an honorific title used by the of Galway City Council. The Council has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area which is the city of Galway – the largest city in the province of Connacht, in the Republic of Ireland. The office was originally established by a...

    .
  • 22 June—A new Waterford Crystal
    Waterford Crystal
    Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware, previously produced in Waterford, Ireland, though the factory there was shut down after the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood plc in early 2009...

     facility opens officially.
  • 22 June—Ireland, represented by Minister for Transport
    Minister for Transport (Ireland)
    The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is the senior minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is Leo Varadkar, TD...

     Noel Dempsey
    Noel Dempsey
    Noel Dempsey is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Meath and Meath West constituencies from 1987 to 2011...

    , collects an award from the European Transport Safety Council for a 41 per cent reduction in its road deaths since 2001.
  • 23 June—The Railway Safety Commission reports that 2009 was a good year, with no passengers killed or seriously injured and only three trespassers and one construction worker being killed.
  • 23 June—Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

     legalises the passing of files connected to the death of children in state care from the Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

     to Mary Harney
    Mary Harney
    Mary Harney is a former Irish politician. She served as Tánaiste from 1997–2006, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 1997–2004, and as Minister for Health and Children from 2004 to 2011...

    .
  • 24 June—Authorities investigate a Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

     training fund from which 31 trips abroad were extracted, including trips to Australia
    Australia
    Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

    , Hong Kong
    Hong Kong
    Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

    , the United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

     and the United States
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

    . The HSE complains about it.
  • 24 June—Mary Harney
    Mary Harney
    Mary Harney is a former Irish politician. She served as Tánaiste from 1997–2006, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 1997–2004, and as Minister for Health and Children from 2004 to 2011...

     promises she won't sell off the site of St. Luke's Hospital after she merges it into the Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

    .
  • 24 June—The International Monetary Fund
    International Monetary Fund
    The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...

     releases the findings on Ireland that were collected over two weeks in May by a delegation.
  • 24 June—Labour
    Labour Party (Ireland)
    The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...

     Councillor Mick O'Connell is elected Lord Mayor of Cork
    Lord Mayor of Cork
    The Lord Mayor of Cork is the honorific title of the Chairman of Cork City Council which is the local government body for the city of Cork in Ireland. The incumbent is Terry Shannon of Fianna Fáil. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the Council.-History of office:In 1199 there...

    .
  • 25 June—Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

     and Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan
    Eamon Ryan
    Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....

     attend a meeting of the British–Irish Council in Guernsey
    Guernsey
    Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...

    .
  • 26 June—Thousands of people parade as part of Dublin Pride
    Dublin Pride
    The Dublin Pride Festival is an annual series of events which celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer life in Dublin, Ireland. It is the largest LGBTQ pride festival in the Republic of Ireland. The festival culminates in a pride parade which is held in June...

    .
  • 26 June—Diocese of Cloyne child protection delegate Father Bill Bermingham resigns after mishandling a sexual abuse accusation made against a priest.
  • 28 June—The High Court grants permission for 13 repossessions.
  • 28 June—The Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

     announces the closure of Louth County Hospital's emergency department, despite years of campaigning by local people for it to be kept open.
  • 28 June—Fine Gael
    Fine Gael
    Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

     Councillor Gerry Breen
    Gerry Breen
    Gerry Breen is an Irish Fine Gael politician and a former Lord Mayor of Dublin.Born in Clontarf in Dublin, Breen first entered politics in 1981 when he joined Fine Gael. In the 1999 local elections, he was elected to Dublin City Council representing the five seat Clontarf local electoral area...

     is elected Lord Mayor of Dublin
    Lord Mayor of Dublin
    The Lord Mayor of Dublin is the honorific title of the Chairman of Dublin City Council which is the local government body for the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The incumbent is Labour Party Councillor Andrew Montague. The office holder is elected annually by the members of the...

    ; Fine Gael Councillor Marie Byrne is elected Mayor of Limerick.
  • 29 June—The European Commission
    European Commission
    The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....

     extends the Bank Guarantee Scheme to include the rest of 2010.
  • 29 June—One member of an alleged Russia
    Russia
    Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

    n spy ring operating in the United States
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

     is accused of misusing a false Irish passport
    Irish passport
    Irish passports are issued by the Consular and Passport Division of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, Ireland.-Physical appearance:...

    .
  • 29 June—The Wildlife Bill, outlawing stag hunting, passes successfully through Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

    , with the Irish government winning the vote 75-72 (75-71 in a walk-through vote).
  • 30 June—Mary Harney
    Mary Harney
    Mary Harney is a former Irish politician. She served as Tánaiste from 1997–2006, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 1997–2004, and as Minister for Health and Children from 2004 to 2011...

    's Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, designed to dismantle the board at St. Luke's Hospital and merge the hospital's staff and assets into the Health Service Executive
    Health Service Executive
    The Health Service Executive is responsible for the provision of healthcare providing health and personal social services for everyone living in Ireland, with public funds. The Executive was established by the Health Act, 2004 and came into official operation on January 1, 2005...

    , passes through Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

    .

July

  • 1 July—Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

     passes the Civil Partnership Bill without a vote.
  • 1 July—Fine Gael
    Fine Gael
    Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

     leader Enda Kenny
    Enda Kenny
    Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...

     names his new team, including his challenger Richard Bruton
    Richard Bruton
    Richard Bruton is an Irish Fine Gael politician and has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North Central constituency since 1982. He was appointed as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on 9 March 2011...

     and former leader Michael Noonan
    Michael Noonan
    Michael Noonan is an Irish Fine Gael politician and has been the Minister for Finance since March 2011. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Limerick East and later Limerick City constituencies since 1981....

    , while James Reilly replaces Bruton as the party's deputy leader.
  • 11 July—8 people are killed in a traffic collision
    July 2010 R238 traffic collision
    Eight people were killed on the night of 11 July 2010 when a black Volkswagen Passat collided with a red Toyota Corolla on the R238 Buncrana to Clonmany road on the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. It was the deadliest road accident in the country's history. The road at Glasmullen...

     on the Inishowen Peninsula
    Inishowen
    Inishowen is a peninsula in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. It is also the largest peninsula in all of Ireland. Inishowen is a picturesque location with a rich history...

     in County Donegal
    County Donegal
    County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

    ; it is Ireland's deadliest road accident.

September

  • 14 September—Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

     gives a controversial nine-minute interview to Morning Ireland
    Morning Ireland
    Morning Ireland is the breakfast news programme broadcast by RTÉ Radio 1 in Ireland and is noted as that country's most listened to radio programme. It is broadcast each weekday morning between 07.00 and 09.00 and is presented by Aine Lawlor, Cathal Mac Coille, Rachael English and Aoife Kavanagh...

    s Cathal Mac Coille
    Cathal Mac Coille
    Cathal Mac Coille is an Irish broadcaster, researcher and journalist. He is currently a co-presenter of Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1. He has been used by Raidió Teilifís Éireann in numerous political broadcasts and has interviewed several prominent politicians.He has also presented other shows...

     from a Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

     think-in in Galway
    Galway
    Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

    ; the interview receives international attention and leads to increased pressure for Cowen to resign in the days that follow.
  • 29 September—A male protestor drives a cement truck as far as the gates of Leinster House
    Leinster House
    Leinster House is the name of the building housing the Oireachtas, the national parliament of Ireland.Leinster House was originally the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, which house Oireachtas Éireann, its...

     early in the morning. It comes with the slogan "Anglo Toxic Bank
    Anglo Irish Bank
    Anglo Irish Bank was a bank based in Ireland with its headquarters in Dublin from 1964 to 2011. It went into wind-down mode after nationalisation in 2009....

    " and its number plate reads as "bankrupt"; the man is promptly arrested by gardaí
    Garda Síochána
    , more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...

    .

October

  • 30 October—10,000 people attend a rally held in opposition to service cuts at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan
    Navan
    -People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....

    , County Meath
    County Meath
    County 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...

    .

November

  • 1 November—Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney
    Mary Harney
    Mary Harney is a former Irish politician. She served as Tánaiste from 1997–2006, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 1997–2004, and as Minister for Health and Children from 2004 to 2011...

     is pelted with red paint while attempting to open a mental healthcare facility in Dublin.
  • 2 November—Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

     TD
    Teachta Dála
    A 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...

     Jim McDaid
    Jim McDaid
    James "Jim" McDaid is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and medical doctor. He served as a Teachta Dála for the Donegal North East constituency from June 1989 until he resigned in November 2010.-Early life:...

     resigned from Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

    , causing a fourth by-election.
  • 3 November—More than 40,000 students from across the country march upon Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

     to protest against government plans to increase student fees, the largest student protest for a generation
    2010 student protest in Dublin
    The 2010 student protest in Dublin was a demonstration that took place in the centre of the city on 3 November 2010 in opposition to a proposed increase in university registration fees, further cuts to the student maintenance grant and increasing graduate unemployment and emigration levels caused...

    . The Department of Finance
    Department of Finance (Ireland)
    The Department of Finance is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Finance and is assisted by one Minister of State....

     is occupied by some students who are then forcibly removed by gardaí.
  • 3 November—The High Court rules as unconstitutional the government's delay in holding one of (since yesterday) four by-elections due in the country, forcing the government to announce the by-election in the Donegal South West constituency
    Donegal South West by-election, 2010
    A by-election was held on 25 November 2010 in the Donegal South–West constituency in Ireland, following the election of the Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála Pat the Cope Gallagher to the European Parliament at the June 2009 election...

     for the end of the month.
  • 4 November—A review by Tallaght Hospital into the non-examination of 58,000 adult X-rays by a radiologist concludes there were "serious delays in reporting results" and that two of the patients experienced delayed diagnosis.
  • 5 November—Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Brendan Smith
    Brendan Smith (politician)
    Brendan Smith is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency since 1992. He previously served as the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister for Justice and Law Reform .Born in Cavan in 1956, Smith was educated at Bawnboy...

     reuses a press release to announce a free cheese supplement for the poor, angering the public and generating international headlines.
  • 12 November—Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney
    Mary Harney
    Mary Harney is a former Irish politician. She served as Tánaiste from 1997–2006, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from 1997–2004, and as Minister for Health and Children from 2004 to 2011...

     is pelted with eggs and cheese in Nenagh
    Nenagh
    Nenagh is the county town of North Tipperary in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of North Tipperary and in 2011 it had a recorded population of 7,995. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Ormond Lower...

    .
  • 16 November—An unemployed father asphyxiates his two daughters, aged six and two, and kills himself by crashing his car into a tree in Ballycotton
    Ballycotton
    Ballycotton is a village in County Cork, Ireland, situated about 25 miles east of Cork city. It is a famous fishing village and has given its name to the folk band Ballycotton. The village is set on a rocky-ledge overlooking Ballycotton Bay and its sandy beach that stretches for about...

    , County Cork
    County Cork
    County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

    . Two adults and two children are found stabbed to death in a house in Newcastle West
    Newcastle West
    Newcastle West is a town in west County Limerick, Ireland. The town is the largest town in the county, excluding Limerick city, and is sited on the River Arra which flows into the River Deel...

    , County Limerick
    County Limerick
    It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...

    .
  • 17 November—Pensioners gather in Dublin to express opposition to government plans to threaten the impoverished people of Ireland with further cuts.
  • 18 November—The International Monetary Fund
    International Monetary Fund
    The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...

     (IMF) arrives in Ireland, though Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

     Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen
    Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...

     remains in denial.
  • 18 November—More than 1,000 students march peacefully through Galway
    Galway
    Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

     to protest against government plans to increase student fees.
  • 19 November—Dublin Airport
    Dublin Airport
    Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...

    's Terminal 2 opens.
  • 21 November—Eurozone
    Eurozone
    The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender...

     countries agree to a rescue package for Ireland from the European Financial Stability Facility
    European Financial Stability Facility
    The European Financial Stability Facility is a special purpose vehicle financed by members of the eurozone to combat the European sovereign debt crisis. It was agreed by the 27 member states of the European Union on 9 May 2010, aiming at preserving financial stability in Europe by providing...

     in response to the country's financial crisis. Protestors gather outside Government Buildings
    Government Buildings
    Government Buildings is a large Edwardian building enclosing a quadrangle on Merrion Street in Dublin, Ireland, in which several key offices of the government of Ireland are located...

     on Merrion Street
    Merrion Street
    Merrion Street is a major Georgian street on the southside of Dublin, Ireland which runs along one side of Merrion Square. The garden entrance of Leinster House is located on the street, as is Irish Government Buildings, formerly the Royal College of Science for Ireland...

    ; a ministerial car hits and runs over a protestor who is then taken away in an ambulance.
  • 25 November—Donegal South West by-election, 2010
    Donegal South West by-election, 2010
    A by-election was held on 25 November 2010 in the Donegal South–West constituency in Ireland, following the election of the Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála Pat the Cope Gallagher to the European Parliament at the June 2009 election...

    : Pearse Doherty
    Pearse Doherty
    Pearse Doherty is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He serves as a Teachta Dála for the Donegal South West constituency and as Sinn Féin's Dáil spokesperson on Finance. Doherty formerly served on Donegal County Council from 2004–07 and in Seanad Éireann from 2007–10.-Background and education:Doherty...

     of Sinn Féin
    Sinn Féin
    Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...

     is elected to Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann
    Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...

    .
  • 27 November—About 50,000 people took part in a March for a Better Way
    March for a Better Way
    March for a Better Way was a protest organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions held in Dublin on Saturday 27 November 2010 at 11:30 am. It followed Ireland's bailout by the European Union. The Irish Independent described it as the largest trade union march of 2010...

     from Wood Quay
    Wood Quay
    Wood Quay is a riverside area of Dublin that was a site of Viking settlement. Dublin Corporation acquired Wood Quay gradually between 1950 and 1975, finally announcing that it would be the location of their new offices. Finds made during the initial excavation of the site led to a massive, but...

     to a rally at the GPO
    General Post Office (Dublin)
    The General Post Office ' in Dublin is the headquarters of the Irish postal service, An Post, and Dublin's principal post office...

     in Dublin to protest against government spending cuts and tax increases.
  • 27 November—A significant amount of snowfall begins and continues into December, as Ireland experiences its third major spell of snowfall in less than two years, with 9 February, and 10 January previous to it.
  • 30 November—Minister for Justice, Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

    's Dermot Ahern
    Dermot Ahern
    Dermot Christopher Ahern is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Louth constituency from 1987 to 2011...

    , announced he would not contest the 2011 general election.
  • 30 November—Fianna Fáil's Rory O'Hanlon
    Rory O'Hanlon
    Rory O'Hanlon is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency from 1977 until 2011, and also served in a range of cabinet positions and as Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann....

    , TD for Cavan-Monaghan
    Cavan–Monaghan (Dáil Éireann constituency)
    Cavan–Monaghan is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...

     and former Ceann Comhairle
    Ceann Comhairle
    The Ceann Comhairle is the chairman of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the Dáil from among their number in the first session after each general election...

    , announced he would not contest the 2011 general election.

December

  • 1 December—More than 1,000 students march peacefully through Cork
    Cork (city)
    Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

     to protest against government plans to increase student fees, while dozens of students erect a tent on the grounds of the Department of Education on Dublin's Marlborough Street
    Marlborough Street (Dublin)
    Marlborough Street, is a street in Dublin, Ireland. The current name is in honour of the Duke of Marlborough, known for his victory at Blenheim during the 18th century. In the late 19th century it was for a time called Tyrone Street after Tyrone House...

     and hold a "surprise conference" early morning protest.
  • 2 December—Amid continuing snowy weather Dublin's main thoroughfare O'Connell Street
    O'Connell Street
    O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...

     is shut following an explosion from a gas leak inside Kylemore Café.
  • 7 December—The 2011 Budget
    Irish budget, 2011
    The 2011 Irish Budget refers to the delivery of a government budget by the Government of Ireland on 7 December 2010. It was also the fourth overall budget to be delivered by the ruling Fianna Fáil party's Brian Lenihan as the country's Minister for Finance. The budget for 2011 was occurred in the...

     is announced by Minister for Finance
    Minister for Finance (Ireland)
    The Minister for Finance is the title held by the Irish government minister responsible for all financial and monetary matters. The office-holder controls the Department of Finance and is considered one of the most important members of the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Finance is...

     Brian Lenihan, Jnr
    Brian Lenihan, Jnr
    Brian Joseph Lenihan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and barrister who served in the government of Ireland as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform from 2007 to 2008 and as Minister for Finance from 2008 to 2011...

    .
  • 9 December—Fianna Fáil's Seán Ardagh
    Seán Ardagh
    Seán Ardagh is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served as a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency from 1997 to 2011. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Ardagh was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1997 general election and retained his seat at the 2002 and 2007...

    , TD for Dublin South Central, announced he would not contest the 2011 general election.
  • 13 December—State-supported Allied Irish Bank was forced by the minister for finance to cancel planned €40m staff bonuses following public fury and indignation at the prospect.
  • 13 December—Fianna Fáil's M. J. Nolan
    M. J. Nolan
    M. J. Nolan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served as a Teachta Dála for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 1982–97 and 2002–11....

    , TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, announced he would not contest the 2011 general election.
  • 16 December—Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

    's Beverley Flynn
    Beverley Flynn
    Beverley Flynn is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She served as a Teachta Dála for the Mayo constituency from 1997–2011.-Early life and political career:...

    , controversial TD
    Teachta Dála
    A 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...

     for Mayo
    Mayo (Dáil Éireann constituency)
    Mayo is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects five deputies...

    , announced she would not contest the 2011 general election.
  • 17 December—Minister for Transport
    Minister for Transport (Ireland)
    The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is the senior minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is Leo Varadkar, TD...

    , Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

    's Noel Dempsey
    Noel Dempsey
    Noel Dempsey is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Meath and Meath West constituencies from 1987 to 2011...

    , announced he would not contest the 2011 general election.
  • 19 December—The lowest temperature ever recorded in Northern Ireland, -18C.
  • 20 December—A prison officer is arrested after heroin, cocaine
    Cocaine
    Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...

    , cannabis
    Cannabis
    Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...

     and prescription drug
    Prescription drug
    A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...

    s are found strapped to his leg during a search in Mountjoy Prison
    Mountjoy Prison
    Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr...

    .
  • 20 December—The High Court rules that public rights of way
    Right of way (public throughway)
    Right of way is a term first used to describe the right to travel unhindered, to access a route regardless of land ownership or any other legality.The right of way may be limited...

     exist in the grounds at Lissadell House
    Lissadell House
    Lissadell House is a neo-classical Greek revivalist style country house, located in County Sligo, Ireland.The house was built in the 1830s for Sir Robert Gore-Booth, 4th Baronet MP by London architect Francis Goodwin...

    , County Sligo.
  • 21 December—Total lunar eclipse during sunrise occurred on the winter solstice.
  • 25 December—December 2010 was the coldest on record, with a temperature of -17.5°C recorded in Straide, County Mayo
    County Mayo
    County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...

    , on Christmas Day.
  • 30 December—Controversial former Taoiseach
    Taoiseach
    The 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...

    , Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

    's Bertie Ahern
    Bertie Ahern
    Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....

    , announced he would not contest the 2011 general election.

Film and literature

  • 4 January—Colm Tóibín
    Colm Tóibín
    Colm Tóibín is a multi-award-winning Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, journalist, critic, and, most recently, poet.Tóibín is Leonard Milberg Lecturer in Irish Letters at Princeton University in New Jersey and succeeded Martin Amis as professor of creative writing at the...

     wins the prize for fiction at the 2009 Costa Book Awards
    2009 Costa Book Awards
    The shortlists were announced on 25 November 2009. The winners in each category were announced on4 January 2009 on the Front Row programme.-Children's Book:Winner:*Patrick Ness, The Ask and the AnswerShortlist:*Siobhan Dowd, Solace of the Road...

     for his sixth novel Brooklyn
    Brooklyn (novel)
    -Plot summary:Eilis Lacey is a young woman who is unable to find work in 1950s Ireland. Her older sister Rose organizes a meeting with Father Flood visiting from New York. He tells Eilis of the wonderful opportunities awaiting her with very good employment prospects. Because of this she emigrates...

    .
  • 20 February—The 7th
    7th Irish Film and Television Awards
    The 7th Irish Film and Television Awards took place on 20 February 2010 in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin.It was hosted by Victoria Smurfit.-Awards in film:Best Film* The Eclipse ** Ondine** The Secret of Kells** Zonad...

     Irish Film and Television Awards
    Irish Film and Television Awards
    The Irish Film and Television Awards were first awarded in 2003. Its sole aim is to celebrate Ireland's notably talented film and television community...

     take place at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin.
  • 7 March—Richard Baneham
    Richard Baneham
    Richard Baneham is an Irish animator and visual effects supervisor, who has worked on such films as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Chronicles of Narnia, and Avatar...

     wins the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for his work on Avatar at the 82nd Academy Awards
    82nd Academy Awards
    The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...

    . Four other nominations were unsuccessful.
  • 10 June—Teagasc
    Teagasc
    Teagasc is the semi-state authority in the Republic of Ireland responsible for research and development, training and advisory services in the agri-food sector. The authority has a number of county advisory centres, colleges and research centres in which it carries out its main business...

     and University College Cork scientists win the International Dairy Federation's Elie Metchnikoff Prize in Microbiology for their study of lactic acid
    Lactic acid
    Lactic acid, also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in various biochemical processes and was first isolated in 1780 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Lactic acid is a carboxylic acid with the chemical formula C3H6O3...

     bacteria.
  • 17 June—Gerbrand Bakker
    Gerbrand Bakker (novelist)
    Gerbrand Bakker is a Dutch writer. He won the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 2010 for the English translation of his novel, The Twin . He was the first Dutch writer to win this award, the world's most lucrative individual literary award, with a €100,000 prize...

     wins the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
    International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
    The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is an international literary award for a work of fiction, jointly sponsored by the city of Dublin, Ireland and the company IMPAC. At €100,000 it is one of the richest literary prizes in the world...

     for his novel The Twin
    The Twin
    The Twin is a novel by Dutch writer Gerbrand Bakker. It won the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 2010, making Bakker the first Dutch writer to win the award, the world's most expensive individual literary award, with a €100,000 prize. Boven is het stil was published in 2006 and The...

     (Boven is het stil).
  • 21 June—The Criminal Courts of Justice wins the Irish Architecture Awards's Public Choice Award.
  • 30 June—Harry Clifton
    Harry Clifton
    Harry Clifton is an Irish poet. He was born in Dublin, but has lived in Africa and Asia, as well as more recently in continental Europe...

     is appointed Ireland Professor of Poetry, succeeding Michael Longley
    Michael Longley
    Michael Longley, CBE is a Northern Irish poet from Belfast.-Life and career:Longley was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and subsequently read Classics at Trinity College, Dublin, where he edited Icarus...

    .
  • 26 July—Dublin is named the fourth City of Literature
    City of Literature
    UNESCO's City of Literature program is part of its Creative Cities Network which was launched in 2004. The Network was born out of UNESCO's Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity initiative which was created in 2002...

    , a permanent title, by UNESCO
    UNESCO
    The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

    .
  • 27 July—Emma Donoghue
    Emma Donoghue
    Emma Donoghue is an Irish-born playwright, literary historian and novelist now living in Canada. Her 2010 novel Room was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize and an international bestseller. Donoghue's 1995 novel Hood won the Stonewall Book Award and Slammerkin won the Ferro-Grumley Award for...

     (Room
    Room (novel)
    Room is a 2010 novel by Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue. The story is told from the perspective of a five-year-boy, Jack, who is being held captive in a small room along with his mother...

    ) and Paul Murray
    Paul Murray (author)
    Paul Murray is an Irish novelist, the author of the novels An Evening of Long Goodbyes and Skippy Dies.-Biography:Murray was born in Dublin in 1975, the son of a professor of Anglo-Irish Drama in UCD and a teacher mother. Murray attended Blackrock College in south Dublin, an experience that would...

     (Skippy Dies
    Skippy Dies
    Skippy Dies is a 2010 tragicomic novel by Paul Murray. It was shortlisted for the 2010 Costa Book Awards, longlisted for the 2010 Man Booker Prize, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.-Plot:...

    ) are included on the longlist for the Man Booker Prize
    Man Booker Prize
    The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...

    .
  • 2 September—Seamus Heaney
    Seamus Heaney
    Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...

    's poetry collection Human Chain
    Human Chain (poetry)
    Human Chain is the twelfth collection of poems written by Irish Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney. It won the Forward Poetry Prize Best Collection 2010 award and the Irish Times Poetry Now Award for 2011. This was Heaney's second Irish Times Poetry Now Award, previously winning in 2007 for District and...

     is published and nominated for the 2010 Forward Poetry Prize
    Forward Poetry Prize
    The Forward Poetry Prizes were created in 1991. The aim of the prizes is to extend the audience for contemporary poetry. Until the T.S. Eliot Prize remuneration was increased to £15,000 plus £1000 to each of nine runners-up, the Forward was the United Kingdom's most valuable annual poetry...

    . It wins on 6 October.

Athletics

  • 12 December—Ireland's Men's team claimed a gold medal in the U-23 event at the European Cross Country Championships
    2010 European Cross Country Championships
    The 2010 European Cross Country Championships was a continental cross country running competition that took place on 12 December in Albufeira, Portugal. It was the second time that the country hosted the event, building upon the 1997 edition held in Oeiras....

     in Albufeira
    Albufeira
    Albufeira is a Portuguese municipality in the Faro District, Algarve region. Its name came from the Arabic: البحيرة . The city has a population of 13,646. The municipality has a population of 35,281 inhabitants and a total area of 140.6 km²...

    , Portugal. The Irish team of David McCarthy, Brendan O Neill, Michael Mulhaire and David Rooney saw off the challenge of France and Spain to claim gold.

Car racing

  • 19 June—A co-driver dies during the Donegal International Rally
    Donegal International Rally
    The Donegal International Rally is an annual sporting event held in County Donegal, Ireland. It is one of Ireland's oldest annual rally competitions and is a top event in the Irish Rallying calendar. It has a reputation for being one of the country's most challenging rallies...

    , the first time a competitor is killed in this event, and it ends. A memorial service is held for him the following day.

Gaelic games

  • All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
    All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2010
    The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship 2010 was the 114th staging of Ireland's premier hurling competition since its establishment in 1887. A total of thirteen teams competed in the championship, with Tipperary unseating the four-time defending champions Kilkenny by 4-17 to 1-18 in the...

    , May 2010 – September 2010 - Title won by Tipperary
    Tipperary GAA
    The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...

    .
  • All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
    All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2010
    -Leinster Senior Football Championship:---------------------------------------------Connacht Senior Football Championship:-----------------------------Ulster Senior Football Championship:------------------------...

    , May 2010 – September 2010 - Title won by Cork.

  • 11 July—Fans attack the referee on the Croke Park
    Croke Park
    Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...

     pitch after a controversial ending to the 2010 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final
    2010 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final
    The 2010 Leinster Senior Football Championship Final was the last football match of the 2010 Leinster Senior Football Championship, played between Louth and Meath on 11 July 2010 in Croke Park, Dublin. Louth were appearing in their first Leinster Senior Football Championship Final in 50 years...

     between Louth
    Louth GAA
    The Louth County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Louth GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Louth. The county board is also responsible for the Louth inter-county teams....

     and Meath
    Meath GAA
    The 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 :...

    .

Golf

  • 20/21 June—Graeme McDowell
    Graeme McDowell
    Graeme McDowell MBE is a Northern Irish professional golfer.McDowell has won seven events on the European Tour, including the 2010 U.S. Open which was also his first win on the PGA Tour...

     wins the 2010 U.S. Open, becoming the first European to do so since 1970
    1970 U.S. Open Golf Championship
    The 1970 U.S. Open Championship was the 70th U.S. Open played June 18–21 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Tony Jacklin of England won the championship. Jacklin was the last European player to win the U.S. Open until Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell did so in 2010...

    .

International rules football

  • Announced on 19 February:
    • 23 October—Ireland
      Ireland international rules football team
      The Ireland International rules football team is the representative team for Ireland in international rules football, a compromise between Gaelic football and Australian rules football...

       vs Australia
      Australia international rules football team
      This article concerns the men's team; for information on the Australian women's team, see Australia women's international rules football team....

       (Gaelic Grounds
      Gaelic Grounds
      The Gaelic Grounds or Páirc na nGael is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Limerick City, Ireland, home to the Limerick hurling and football teams....

      , Limerick
      Limerick
      Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...

      )
    • 30 October—Ireland vs Australia (Croke Park
      Croke Park
      Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...

      , Dublin)

Six Nations

  • 6 February—Ireland
    Ireland national rugby union team
    The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...

     29-11 Italy
    Italy national rugby union team
    The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...

  • 13 February—France
    France national rugby union team
    The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...

     33-10 Ireland
  • 27 February—England
    England national rugby union team
    The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...

     16–20 Ireland
  • 13 March—Ireland 27-12 Wales
    Wales national rugby union team
    The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...

  • 20 March—Ireland 23-20 Scotland
    Scotland national rugby union team
    The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...


John Hayes
John Hayes (rugby player)
John Hayes is an Irish rugby union player, who plays in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup for Munster. Having spent his underage career playing with the local Cappamore GAA club, he was 18 when he started playing rugby. It was his size which enabled him to overcome his late start to the sport...

 and Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...

 each achieve 100 caps against England and Wales respectively, the first and second Irish players to do so.
Tommy Bowe
Tommy Bowe
Thomas John "Tommy" Bowe is an Irish rugby union footballer from County Monaghan, Ireland...

 is nominated for "Player of the Championship". He wins.

Heineken Cup

  • Munster & Leinster are both defeated in the Heineken cup by French Clubs, Biarritz and Toulouse.

Soccer

  • League of Ireland
    League of Ireland
    The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...

    , March 2010 – November 2010

  • Internationals
    • 2 March—Brazil
      Brazil national football team
      The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...

       2-0 Republic of Ireland (Emirates Stadium
      Emirates Stadium
      Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...

      , London Borough of Islington
      London Borough of Islington
      The London Borough of Islington is a London borough in Inner London. It was formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury. The borough contains two Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury...

      )
Part of the compensation from FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

 for the controversy surrounding France vs Republic of Ireland 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off
France vs Republic of Ireland 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off
The France vs Republic of Ireland 2010 FIFA World Cup play-off, dubbed by the media as the Hand of Frog affair, was a controversial association football game played on 18 November 2009 in the Stade de France outside Paris between the national teams of France and the Republic of Ireland...

.
  • 25 May—Republic of Ireland 2-1 Paraguay
    Paraguay national football team
    The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...

     (RDS
    Royal Dublin Society
    The Royal Dublin Society was founded on 25 June 1731 to "to promote and develop agriculture, arts, industry, and science in Ireland". The RDS is synonymous with its main premises in Ballsbridge in Dublin, Ireland...

    , Dublin)
  • 28 May—Republic of Ireland 3-0 Algeria
    Algeria national football team
    The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...

     (RDS, Dublin)
Second and third full internationals to be played at the RDS and first since 1992.
  • 4 August—Airtricty League XI 1-7 Manchester United
Inaugural soccer match at the new Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

. Not a formal international: a friendly match.
  • 11 August—Republic of Ireland 0-1 Argentina
    Argentina national football team
    The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...

     (Aviva Stadium
    Aviva Stadium
    The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

    , Dublin)
First Irish senior international match to be played at the Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

.
  • 17 November—Republic of Ireland 1-2 Norway
    Norway national football team
    The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...

     (Aviva Stadium
    Aviva Stadium
    The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

    , Dublin). Friendly match.

  • 2012 UEFA European Championships
    • 3 September—Republic of Ireland 1-0 Armenia
      Armenia national football team
      The Armenia national football team represents Armenia in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Armenia, the governing body for football in Armenia...

       (Hanrapetakan Stadium, Yerevan
      Yerevan
      Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...

      )
    • 7 September—Republic of Ireland 3-1 Andorra
      Andorra national football team
      The Andorra national football team represents Andorra in association football and is controlled by the Andorran Football Federation, the governing body for football in Andorra. The team has enjoyed very little success due to the Principality's tiny population, the fourth smallest of any UEFA...

       (Aviva Stadium
      Aviva Stadium
      The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

      , Dublin).
    • 8 October-Republic of Ireland 2-3 Russia
      Russia national football team
      The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...

       (Aviva Stadium
      Aviva Stadium
      The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...

      , Dublin).
    • 12 October—Republic of Ireland 1-1 Slovakia
      Slovakia national football team
      The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...

       (Stadium Pod Dubnom
      Stadium Pod Dubnom
      The Štadión pod Dubňom is an all-seater football stadium situated in Žilina, Slovakia, which has been the home of MŠK Žilina. It is named after the hill Dubeň adjacent to which is located and literally means "Stadium under the Duben Hill"....

      , Žilina
      Žilina
      Žilina is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the fourth largest city of Slovakia with a population of approximately 85,000, an important industrial center, the largest city on the Váh river, and the seat of a...

      ).

  • 2010 League of Ireland Season
    • 3 May—Fights break out at the League of Ireland game between Dundalk
      Dundalk F.C.
      Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...

       and Shamrock Rovers
      Shamrock Rovers F.C.
      Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...

       as Dundalk win by 2-1, with bottles and pieces of wood thrown onto the pitch.

Swimming

  • 14 August—Gráinne Murphy
    Gráinne Murphy
    Gráinne Murphy from Ballinaboola, New Ross, Co. Wexford is an Irish swimmer representing Ireland at international level. She was a triple gold medallist at the 2009 European Junior Swimming Championships and was awarded Texaco Young Sportstar Award 2009...

     wins a silver medal
    Silver medal
    A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....

     in the 1,500m final at the 2010 European Aquatics Championships in Budapest
    Budapest
    Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...

    , shaving 8 seconds from the Irish record.

2010 Australian Open

  • 16 January—Louk Sorensen
    Louk Sorensen
    Louk Sorensen is a professional tennis player from Ireland.Sorensen is the first player representing Ireland to win a Grand Slam event main draw match in the Open Era. His father, Sean, was the first Irishman to play a Grand Slam main draw match in the Open Era, going out in the first round of...

     defeats Daniel King-Turner
    Daniel King-Turner
    Daniel King-Turner is a professional New Zealand tennis player.-External links:...

     of New Zealand
    New Zealand
    New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

     by 6–4, 7–6(3) to qualify for the 2010 Australian Open, the first Irishman to qualify for a main Grand Slam
    Grand Slam (tennis)
    The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...

     draw since 1985.
  • 19 January—Louk Sorensen
    Louk Sorensen
    Louk Sorensen is a professional tennis player from Ireland.Sorensen is the first player representing Ireland to win a Grand Slam event main draw match in the Open Era. His father, Sean, was the first Irishman to play a Grand Slam main draw match in the Open Era, going out in the first round of...

     defeats Lu Yen-hsun
    Lu Yen-hsun
    Lu Yen-hsun is a Taiwanese professional tennis player. He goes by the nickname Rendy. As of November 1, 2010, Lu is ranked #33 in the world and #1 in Asia. His favorite surface is hardcourt.- Junior career:...

    , of Taiwan
    Taiwan
    Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

     by 6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 6–1 in the first round of the 2010 Australian Open, becoming the first Irishman to win a Grand Slam match.
  • He is defeated to the second round.
  • 24 January—Sam Barry
    Sam Barry (tennis)
    Sam Barry is an Irish professional tennis player. He was born and raised in Limerick, Ireland.-Career:In 2008, Barry won the under-18 boy's title at the National Junior Tennis Championships and the ITF U-18 boys' singles title in Tallinn, Estonia...

     defeats Victor Baluda of Russia
    Russia
    Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

     by 6–7 6–4 6–3, becoming the first Irishman to win a Junior main draw match.

Winter Olympics

  • Ireland are participated at the 2010 Winter Olympics
    2010 Winter Olympics
    The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...

     in Vancouver
    Vancouver
    Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

    . Included are Ireland's first bobsleigh team
    Bobsleigh at the 2010 Winter Olympics
    The bobsleigh competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at the Whistler Sliding Centre between 20 and 27 February 2010.-Medal table:-Events:Three bobsleigh events were held at Vancouver 2010:- Competition schedule :...

     of pilot Aoife Hoey
    Aoife Hoey
    Aoife Hoey is an Irish bobsledder who has competed since 2004. She finished 22nd out of 23 in the two-woman event at the 2005 FIBT World Championships in Calgary.At , she was the tallest woman at the 2010 Winter Olympics....

     and brakewoman Claire Bergin
    Claire Bergin
    Claire Bergin is an Irish bobsledder who has competed since 2008. She finished 17th in the two-woman event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Bergin's best World Cup finish was 19th in the two-woman event at Altenberg, Germany in December 2009. Bergin will represent Ireland as a 400m...

    , as well as Pat Shannon in the Skeleton
    Skeleton at the 2010 Winter Olympics
    The skeleton competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Sliding Centre. The events were held between the 18 and 19 February 2010...

     and three skiers, including Niall O'Connor
    Niall O'Connor
    Niall O'Connor is a rugby union player for Connacht Rugby in the RaboDirect Pro12.He is also contracted to Belfast Harlequins who play in AIB League Division 2.O'Connor's position of choice is as a Fly-half....

    .
    • Ireland's bobsleigh team faced a legal challenge from Australia who were later added as a 21st team.

Deaths

January

  • 1 January—Denis Keeley, 79, long-term partner of writer Philomena Lynott, cancer
    Cancer
    Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

    .
  • 1 January—Michael Dwyer
    Michael Dwyer (journalist)
    Michael Dwyer was an Irish journalist and film critic who wrote for The Irish Times for more than 20 years...

    , 58, film Correspondent with The Irish Times
    The Irish Times
    The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...

    , illness.
  • 3 January—Dick Hill, 71, former controller of programmes of RTÉ Television
    RTÉ Television
    RTÉ Television is a department of Ireland's state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann.The first channel to broadcast was Telefís Éireann which began broadcasting on 31 December 1961...

    , sudden death.
  • 4 January—Donal Donnelly
    Donal Donnelly
    Donal Donnelly was an English-born Irish theatre and film actor. He was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, but raised in Dublin, Ireland....

    , 78, actor (The Godfather Part III
    The Godfather Part III
    The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American gangster film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola. It completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia kingpin who tries to legitimize his criminal empire...

    , The Dead).
  • 10 January—Danny Fitzgerald
    Danny Fitzgerald
    Danny Fitzgerald was an Irish sportsperson. A dual player at the highest levels, he played hurling and Gaelic football with his local club Claughaun and was a member of the LImerick senior inter-county teams in both codes between 1983 and 1993....

    , 48, retired Limerick
    Limerick GAA
    The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...

     hurler
    Hurling
    Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

     and Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er.
  • 17 January—Bob Stakelum, retired Tipperary
    Tipperary GAA
    The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...

     hurler
    Hurling
    Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

    , Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er and referee.
  • 25 January—Pádraig MacKernan
    Pádraig MacKernan
    Pádraig MacKernan was an Irish diplomat who served as Secretary General of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs as well as Irish Ambassador to both France and the United States and as an Irish member of the EEC and EC's Political Committee and later the EC and EU's Committee of Permanent...

    , 69, diplomat, Secretary General (Foreign Affairs
    Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
    The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for promoting the interests of Ireland in the European Union and the wider world...

    ), Ambassador to France
    France
    The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

     and United States
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

    .
  • 27 January—Martin Grace, 67, stunt performer
    Stunt performer
    A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...

    , (James Bond film series
    James Bond (film series)
    The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...

    , 1967–1985), aneurysm
    Aneurysm
    An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...

    .
  • 28 January—Mick Higgins
    Mick Higgins
    Mick Higgins was an Irish sportsperson who played Gaelic football for Cavan, winning three All-Ireland medals during his career...

    , 87, retired Cavan
    Cavan GAA
    The Cavan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Cavan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cavan...

     Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er and All-Ireland
    All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
    The 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...

    -winning captain.

February

  • 4 February—Tomás Mac Giolla, 86, retired Workers' Party
    Workers' Party of Ireland
    The Workers' Party is a left-wing republican political party in Ireland. Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970 after a split within the party, adopting its current name in 1982....

     leader and TD
    Teachta Dála
    A 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...

    .
  • 10 February—Andy Creagh, 56, retired Cork hurler
    Hurling
    Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

     and Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er.
  • 16 February—Ronan Lawlor, 21, jockey
    Jockey
    A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

    , riding accident.
  • 19 February—Pádraig Tyers
    Pádraig Tyers
    Pádraig Tyers was an Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Lees and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1954 until 1956. Tyers also enjoyed a distinguished career as an Irish language scholar, author and educator.-References:...

    , 84, retired Cork Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er. and Irish language
    Irish language
    Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

     scholar
  • 20 February—Niall McCrudden
    Niall McCrudden
    Niall McCrudden was a music manager, promoter, celebrity optician and socialite. He was co-founder of Insight, one of Ireland's foremost optician chains. He became known as the "optician to the stars" after selling a pair of sunglasses to Jim Corr.-Career:...

    , 45, optician
    Optician
    An optician is a person who is trained to fill prescriptions for eye correction in the field of medicine, also known as a dispensing optician or optician, dispensing...

     and socialite
    Socialite
    A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....

    .
  • 22 February—Paul Clancy, musician.
  • 22 February—Eugene Lambert
    Eugene Lambert
    Eugene Lambert was an Irish puppeteer from County Sligo. He was owner of the Lambert Puppet Theatre in Monkstown, County Dublin....

    , 81, puppeteer.
  • 25 February—Henry Barron, 81, Irish
    Republic of Ireland
    Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

     judge
    Judge
    A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

     (granted first divorce
    Divorce
    Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...

    , 1997), after short illness.

March

  • 13 March—Michael 'Haulie' Donnellan, retired Clare
    Clare GAA
    The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....

     hurler
    Hurling
    Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

    .
  • 14 March—Pat Fanning
    Pat Fanning
    Pat Fanning was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Mount Sion and was a member of the Waterford senior inter-county team in the 1940s and 1950s. He won the county championship on seven occasions...

    , 91, retired Waterford
    Waterford GAA
    The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...

     hurler
    Hurling
    Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

     and President of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1970 until 1973.
  • 15 March—John Mulhern, 69, horse trainer.
  • 15 March—Peter Moore
    Peter Moore (Gaelic footballer)
    Peter Moore was an Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Ballinabrackey and was a member of the Meath senior inter-county team from 1959 until 1970.-References:...

    , 70, retired Meath
    Meath GAA
    The 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 :...

     Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er and coach
    Manager (Gaelic games)
    In Gaelic games, a manager or coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of a team. Managing, or coaching, entails the application of sport tactics and strategies during the game itself, and usually entails substitution of players and other such...

    .
  • 31 March—Paddy McNicholl, musician and music promoter (Connolly's of Leap).

April

  • 3 April—Derek Crozier, 92, Crosaire
    Crosaire
    John Derek Crozier , under the pseudonym "Crosaire", was the compiler of the "Irish Times crossword" from its inception in 1943 until his death. Since he has been the sole compiler, the crossword is often called "the Crosaire" by metonymy. It is a cryptic crossword, in contrast to the "Simplex...

     compiler with The Irish Times
    The Irish Times
    The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...

     since 1943.
  • 18 April—John Forde
    John Forde
    John Forde was an Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local clubs Ardnaree and Ballina Stephenites and was a member of the Mayo senior inter-county team from 1949 until 1955.-References:...

    , 89, former Mayo
    Mayo GAA
    The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...

     Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er.
  • 19 April—Philip McGuinness
    Philip McGuinness
    Philip McGuinness was a Gaelic footballer from County Leitrim, Ireland, and was a member of the Leitrim inter-county panel until 2010. He died on 19 April 2010 after an accidental collision in a club game in Leitrim...

    , 26, Leitrim
    Leitrim GAA
    The Leitrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Leitrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Leitrim. The county board is also responsible for the Leitrim inter-county teams.-Gaelic football:In the 1924 Connacht...

     Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er and hurler
    Hurling
    Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

    .
  • 23 April—Denis Donovan, 60, international bridge
    Contract bridge
    Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...

     player, heart attack
    Cardiac arrest
    Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...

    .
  • 27 April—Mick English, 77, former rugby union
    Rugby union
    Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

     player.
  • 30 April—Gerry Ryan
    Gerry Ryan
    Gerard "Gerry" Ryan was an Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann...

    , 53, broadcaster and presenter of RTÉ 2fm
    RTÉ 2fm
    RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...

    's The Gerry Ryan Show
    The Gerry Ryan Show
    The Gerry Ryan Show was RTÉ 2fm's mid-morning radio show...

    .

May

  • 2 May—Michael Sayers, 98, writer and pioneer of live drama.
  • 9 May—Rita Childers
    Rita Childers
    Margaret "Rita" Childers was the second wife of Erskine Hamilton Childers, the fourth President of Ireland . She formerly worked as a press attaché in the British Embassy in Dublin...

    , 95, wife of former President Erskine Childers
    Erskine Hamilton Childers
    Erskine Hamilton Childers served as the fourth President of Ireland from 1973 until his death in 1974. He was a Teachta Dála from 1938 until 1973...

    .
  • 12 May—Bree O'Mara
    Bree O'Mara
    Bridgid "Bree" O'Mara was an Irish-South African novelist, ballet dancer, TV producer and air hostess who was killed in the crash of Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771.-Early life:...

    , 42, South Africa
    South Africa
    The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

    n-born Irish novelist.
  • 14 May—Fred O'Donovan
    Fred O'Donovan
    Fred O'Donovan was an Irish theatre producer and businessman. He worked and associated with, Seán O'Casey, George Bernard Shaw, Peter O'Toole, Maureen Potter and Siobhán McKenna, amongst others....

    , 80, former RTÉ Authority chairman.
  • 19? May—Thomas Caffrey
    Thomas Caffrey
    Thomas Andrew Caffrey was an Irish chocolatier and founder of Caffrey's Confectionery, which today sells products in Ireland, Europe, Australia and the United States and is the oldest remaining family-owned, family-named chocolate company in Ireland...

    , 92, confectioner.
  • 20 May—Breandán Ó Buachalla
    Breandán Ó Buachalla
    Professor Breandán Ó Buachalla was an Irish scholar of the Irish language. According to Raidió Teilifís Éireann, he was "the leading authority on Gaelic poetry and writing in early modern Ireland" and "one of the most prominent Irish language academics of his generation". The Irish Times described...

    , 74, Irish language
    Irish language
    Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

     scholar.
  • 21 May—Bill Long
    Bill Long (writer)
    Bill Long was an Irish writer and broadcaster. He often featured on RTÉ Radio 1. He was also Ireland's longest surviving heart transplant patient.-Early life:...

    , 78, author and broadcaster.
  • 23 May—Liam Tolan, 17, Meath
    Meath GAA
    The 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 :...

     minor Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er, road traffic accident.
  • 25 May—Catherine Molloy, 66, general practitioner.
  • 26 May—Kieran Phelan
    Kieran Phelan
    Kieran Phelan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and member of Seanad Éireann on the Industrial and Commercial Panel....

    , 60, Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

     senator
    Seanad Éireann
    Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...

    , sudden death.
  • 29 May—Adrian Freeman
    Adrian Freeman
    Adrian Freeman was an Irish sportsperson from Tooreen, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo. He played Gaelic football and hurling....

    , Mayo
    Mayo GAA
    The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...

     hurler
    Hurling
    Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

    , traffic collision.
  • 31 May—Diarmuid Whelan
    Diarmuid Whelan
    Dr. Diarmuid Whelan was an Irish academic in the history department of UCC. Born in Cork, he studied at Christian Brothers College, Cork and UCC. He wrote his doctoral thesis on Conor Cruise O'Brien....

    , 39, history academic.

June

  • 16 June—Gene Morgan, 84, former Armagh
    Armagh GAA
    The Armagh County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Armagh GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Armagh...

     Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er.
  • 22 June—Dinny O'Shea, 78, retired Kerry
    Kerry GAA
    The Kerry 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 Kerry...

     Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er.
  • 23 June—Dermot Earley
    Dermot Earley
    Lieutenant-General Dermot Earley DSM was an Irish army officer and sportsman. He played Gaelic football with his local clubs Michael Glavey's and Sarsfield's and was a member of the Roscommon GAA senior inter-county team from 1965 until 1985...

    , 62, former Chief of Staff
    Chief of Staff
    The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...

     of the Irish Defence Forces
    Irish Defence Forces
    The armed forces of Ireland, known as the Defence Forces encompass the Army, Naval Service, Air Corps and Reserve Defence Force.The current Supreme Commander of the Irish Defence forces is His Excellency Michael D Higgins in his role as President of Ireland...

     and former Roscommon
    Roscommon GAA
    For more details of Roscommon GAA see Roscommon Senior Club Football Championship or Roscommon Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Roscommon County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Roscommon GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games...

     Gaelic football
    Gaelic football
    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

    er.

July

  • 10 July—Seán Dublin Bay Rockall Loftus
    Seán Dublin Bay Rockall Loftus
    Seán Dublin Bay Rockall Loftus was an Irish environmentalist, barrister and politician who drew attention to his campaign issues by changing his name. He was often known as "Dublin Bay Loftus".Born Seán D...

    , 82, activist, politician and lawyer.
  • 15 July—Derek Nally, music promoter, manager and entrepreneur, heart attack
    Myocardial infarction
    Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

    .
  • 19 July—Rory Brady
    Rory Brady
    Rory Brady was a barrister. He was Attorney General of Ireland from 2002 to 2007, and also served on the Council of State. Internationally, he sat on the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. He was later a visiting fellow at Harvard University in the United States...

    , former Attorney General of Ireland
    Attorney General of Ireland
    The Attorney General is a constitutional officer who is the official adviser to the Government of Ireland in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in Ireland. The Attorney General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings when invited and attends...

     (2002–2007).
  • 24 July—Alex Higgins
    Alex Higgins
    Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play...

    , 61, snooker
    Snooker
    Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...

     player

August

  • 10 August—Séamus Dolan
    Séamus Dolan
    Séamus Dolan was a Fianna Fáil politician from County Cavan in Ireland. He was a Teachta Dála from 1961 to 1965, and a senator from 1965 to 1969 and from 1973 to 1982...

    , 95, former Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

     TD
    Teachta Dála
    A 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...

     and Senator
    Seanad Éireann
    Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...

    , Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann
    Cathaoirleach
    Cathaoirleach is the title of the chairman of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach is Senator Paddy Burke...

     (1977–1981)
  • 11 August—Eoghan Mac Aoidh, 24, guitarist, traffic collision.
  • 13 August—Colin Stavely, 68, violinist and leader of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
    RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra
    The RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra is the concert music orchestra of Raidió Teilifís Éireann...

    .
  • 20 August—James Dooge
    James Dooge
    James Clement Dooge was an Irish politician, engineer, climatologist, hydrologist and academic. Dooge had a profound effect on the debate on climate change, in the world of hydrology and in politics in the formation of the European Union.Dooge lived a multifaceted existence with his roles...

    , 88, former Fine Gael
    Fine Gael
    Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...

     Senator
    Seanad Éireann
    Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...

    , Minister for Foreign Affairs
    Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
    The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Government of Ireland. Its headquarters are at Iveagh House, on St Stephen's Green in Dublin; "Iveagh House" is often used as a metonym for the department as a whole.The current...

     (1981–1982)
  • 31 August—Mick Lally
    Mick Lally
    Michael 'Mick' Lally was an Irish stage, film and television actor. He departed from a teaching career for acting during the 1970s...

    , 64, actor
    Actor
    An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

     (Glenroe
    Glenroe
    Glenroe was an Irish television drama series broadcast between September 1983 and May 2001 on RTÉ One. The programme was a spin-off from Bracken, a short-lived RTÉ drama itself spun off from The Riordans. Glenroe was broadcast on Sunday nights at 20.30, generally from September to May. The show was...

    ).

October

  • 5 October—Moss Keane
    Moss Keane
    Maurice Ignatius "Moss" Keane was a rugby union footballer who played for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.-Life and career:...

    , 62, former rugby union
    Rugby union
    Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

     footballer with Ireland
    Ireland national rugby union team
    The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...

    .
  • 8 October—Maurice Neligan
    Maurice Neligan
    Maurice Neligan was an Irish heart surgeon, activist, newspaper columnist and media commentator. He was considered one of Ireland's most recognisable doctors - "Ireland's answer to Dr Christian Barnard" - and performed a number of firsts in Irish medicine. It is thought that he performed 14,000 -...

    , 73, former cardiothurasic surgeon and co-founder of Blackrock Clinic
    Blackrock Clinic
    Blackrock Clinic in Blackrock, Dublin was co-founded in 1984 by surgeons Joseph Sheehan, his brother Jimmy Sheehan, Maurice Neligan and Nuclear Medicine Specialist George Duffy as a private, high-tech hospital offering healthcare to privately insured patients....

    , carried out Ireland's first heart transplant.
  • 15 October—Jim Dougal
    Jim Dougal
    James "Jim" Dougal was a Northern Irish journalist, writer and broadcaster who had worked, from 1969 until shortly before his death for RTÉ, UTV and the BBC.-Journalism:...

    , 65, journalist.
  • 24 October—Carey Joyce
    Carey Joyce
    Carey Patrick Joyce was an Irish politician. A farmer and agricultural contractor from Fermoy, Joyce was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála at the 1981 general election for the Cork East constituency. He lost his seat at the February 1982 general election...

    , 88, former Fianna Fáil
    Fianna Fáil
    Fianna 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...

     politician.
  • 28 October—Paddy Mullins
    Paddy Mullins
    Paddy Mullins was an Irish racehorse trainer in a career which spanned fifty two years.His first winner was Flash Parade, which won the 1953 La Touche at Punchestown...

    , 91, former horse racing trainer.
  • 31 October—Johnny O'Connor
    Johnny O'Connor (hurler)
    Johnny O'Connor was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local clubs Abbeyside, Clonea, UCD, Castletownroche and Avondhu, and was a member of the Waterford senior inter-county team from 1947 until 1958. He also won a Railway Cup medal with Munster in 1955...

    , 82, former Waterford
    Waterford GAA
    The Waterford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Waterford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for all levels of Gaelic games in County Waterford. The County Board is also responsible for the Waterford inter-county teams. The county...

     hurler.

November

  • 4 November—Larry Roddy, concert promoter and music activist.
  • 15 November—Moira Hoey, 88, actress famous for her starring role as Mary Riordan in The Riordans
    The Riordans
    The Riordans was the second Irish soap opera made by Raidio Telefís Éireann . It ran from 1965 to 1979 and was set in the fictional townland of Leestown in County Kilkenny...

    .
  • 25 November—Tony Dixon
    Tony Dixon (DJ)
    Tony Dixon was an Irish disc jockey, blogger and a member of the "Northside mafia". He specialised in the hip hop and R&B genres.Dixon grew up in Pinewood, Dublin's Northside. He was associated with Ian Dempsey, Tony Fenton and Gerry Ryan. He was part of the "Big D" station during the 1970s and...

    , 52, disc jockey and blogger, brief illness.
  • 29 November—Paddy Comerford, 80, stage actor and comedy performer.

December

  • 28 December—John Doyle
    John Doyle (hurler)
    John Doyle was an Irish sportsperson and politician, hailed as one of the best defenders in hurling and his county's most iconic player upon his death. He played hurling with his local Holycross-Ballycahill club from the 1940s until the 1970s and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county...

    , 80, former Tipperary
    Tipperary GAA
    The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...

     hurler.
  • 29 December—Jimmy Coffey
    Jimmy Coffey
    Jimmy 'Butler' Coffey was an Irish sportsperson. He was born in Newport, County Tipperary. He played hurling with his local Newport club and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1931 until 1940...

    , 101, former Tipperary
    Tipperary GAA
    The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...

    hurler.
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