2011 in Ireland
Encyclopedia
Events during the year 2011 in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

.

January

  • 1 January
    • The Civil Partnership Act
      Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010
      The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 is an Act of the Oireachtas which allows civil partnerships. The act also provides rights for participants in long-term cohabiting relationships who have not entered into a civil partnership or marriage...

       comes into effect allowing civil partnerships where hetero- and homosexual cohabiting couples have the same rights.
    • 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:...

       confirms that 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.
  • 5 January
    • Junior Minister
      Minister of State (Ireland)
      A Minister of State in Ireland is of non-Cabinet rank, attached to one or more Departments of State of the Government of Ireland....

       for Housing, 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 Michael Finneran
      Michael Finneran
      Michael Finneran is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Roscommon–South Leitrim constituency from 2007 to 2011, and also served as a Minister of State....

       announces he will not contest the 2011 general election.
    • 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....

      , 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 Tony Killeen
      Tony Killeen
      Tony Killeen is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Clare constituency from 1992 to 2011, and also served as Minister of Defence from 2010–11.-Early and personal life:...

       announces he will not contest the 2011 general election.
  • 8 January – 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...

     for Meath East, Mary Wallace
    Mary Wallace
    Mary Wallace is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She served as a Teachta Dála for the Meath and Meath East constituencies from 1989 to 2011.Wallace was born in County Dublin in 1959...

    , announces she will not contest the 2011 general election.
  • 22 January – The 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...

    , resigns his position as leader of the Fianna Fáil party.
  • 23 January – 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...

     withdraws from the coalition government, making an immediate general election necessary. The two Green ministers 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...

     (Environment, Heritage and Local Government) and 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....

     (Communications, Energy and Natural Resources) resign, leaving only seven ministers remaining in the cabinet, the constitutional
    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...

     minimum.
  • 25 January
    • 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 Micheál Martin
      Micheál Martin
      Micheál Martin is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He is a Teachta Dála for the Cork South Central constituency...

       is elected
      Fianna Fáil leadership election, 2011
      The 2011 Fianna Fáil leadership election was called by party leader Brian Cowen on 22 January 2011, when he announced that he was resigning as president and leader of the party. He remained as Taoiseach until after the 2011 general election....

       party leader while 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...

       continues as 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...

       TD for Galway East, Noel Treacy
      Noel Treacy
      Noel Treacy is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served as a Teachta Dála for the Galway East constituency from 1982 to 2011....

      , announces he will not contest the 2011 general election, while Fianna Fáil's Mattie McGrath
      Mattie McGrath
      Mattie McGrath is an Irish politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Tipperary South constituency. He was elected as a Fianna Fáil TD at the 2007 general election.-Political career:...

      , TD for Tipperary South
      Tipperary South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
      Tipperary South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...

      , announces he is leaving the party to become an independent.
  • 26 January – British prime minister
    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 ....

     announces that 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...

    's Gerry Adams
    Gerry Adams
    Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...

     has resigned from the British parliament
    Resignation from the British House of Commons
    Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...

     by nominal appointment as Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead
    Manor of Northstead
    The Manor of Northstead was once a collection of fields and farms in the parish of Scalby in the North Riding of Yorkshire in England. By 1600, the manor house had fallen into disrepair and was occupied only by a shepherd. At present the Manor is part of the Barrowcliff area of the town of...

    .
  • 28 January – A fireball explodes in the Irish atmosphere. Astronomy Ireland
    Astronomy Ireland
    Astronomy Ireland is one of the national astronomy clubs of Ireland . It is a non-profit educational organisation, apart from the associated astronomy shop owned by chairman David Moore....

     appeals to the public to report sightings.

February

  • 1 February
    • 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 for Limerick West, John Cregan
      John Cregan (Irish politician)
      John Cregan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served as a Teachta Dála and Senator from 1998 to 2011. He is a native of Dromcolliher, County Limerick....

      , announces he will not contest the 2011 general election.
    • It is announced that the Sunday Tribune
      Sunday Tribune
      The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...

      newspaper has gone into receivership
      Receivership
      In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...

       following the decision of Independent News & Media
      Independent News & Media
      Independent News & Media plc , is a media organisation based in Dublin, Ireland, with interests in 22 countries on 4 continents worldwide. The company owns over 200 print titles, more than 130 radio stations, over 100 commercial websites and many billboard locations, and is a leading press player...

       to stop funding it.
    • It is announced that two of three Waterstone's bookshops
      Waterstone's
      Waterstone's is a British book specialist established in 1982 by Tim Waterstone that employs around 4,500 staff throughout the United Kingdom and Europe....

       in Dublin are to close.
    • The Taoiseach dissolves the Dáil and goes to Áras an Uachtaráin
      Áras an Uachtaráin
      Áras an Uachtaráin , formerly the Viceregal Lodge, is the official residence of the President of Ireland. It is located in the Phoenix Park on the northside of Dublin.-Origins:...

       where the President
      President of Ireland
      The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...

       signs a proclamation of dissolution. The Minister for Local Government makes an order appointing 25 February as polling day. The Clerk of the Dáil issues a writ
      Writ of election
      A writ of election is a writ issued by the government ordering the holding of a special election for a political office.In the United Kingdom and in Canada, this is the only way of holding an election for the House of Commons...

       to the constituency returning officer
      Returning Officer
      In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...

      s to initiate a general election, allowing posters of the candidates to be officially displayed.
    • A Russian
      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...

       agent is expelled from Ireland
      Ireland
      Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

       because of his role in the forgery of 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 for use in the "Illegals Program
      Illegals Program
      The Illegals Program, as it was called by the United States Department of Justice, was a network of Russian sleeper agents under non-official cover whose investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation culminated in the arrest of ten agents and a prisoner swap between Russia and the United...

      " spy ring in the United States. A Garda
      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 :...

       investigation discovers that members of the Russian espionage
      Espionage
      Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...

       agency, the SVR
      Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)
      The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service is Russia's primary external intelligence agency. The SVR is the successor of the First Chief Directorate of the KGB since December 1991...

      , were involved in the forgeries. Alexander Smirnov, the first secretary in the Russian embassy's consular section, is instructed to leave Ireland.
  • 2 February – Russian
    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...

     deputy foreign minister Vladimir Titov
    Vladimir Titov
    Vladimir Georgiyevich Titov , Colonel, Russian Air Force, Ret., and former Russian cosmonaut was born January 1, 1947, in Sretensk, in the Zabaykalsky Krai region of Russia. He is married to the former Alexandra Kozlova of Ivanovo Region, Russia...

     threatens Ireland
    Ireland
    Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

     that 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...

     will retaliate for the Irish expulsion of a Russian forger. Ireland warns Russia that retaliation would be unjustified. An Irish government spokesman said Irish embassy staff in Moscow perform no spying
    Espionage
    Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...

     activity.
  • 5 February – It emerges that a large number of gun enthusiasts have mounted legal challenges against the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of August 2009 which banned handguns and restricted access to other firearms.
  • 10 February – A small plane
    Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
    The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States....

     carrying ten passengers and two crew crashes while landing in fog at Cork Airport. Six people are killed.
  • 25 February – Irish general election. There are party reverses and gains on a historic scale with support for the outgoing government parties 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...

     and 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...

     collapsing.

March

  • 9 March – The members of the 31st Dáil
    Members of the 31st Dáil
    This is a list of the members who were elected to the 31st Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 2011 general election on 25 February 2011 and met at midday on 9 March 2011...

     convene for the first time and elect 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...

     as Taoiseach by a vote of 117–27.

April

  • 12 April – Sebastian Barry
    Sebastian Barry
    Sebastian Barry is an Irish playwright, novelist, and poet. He has been shortlisted twice for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction and has won the 2008 Costa Book of the Year....

     is inducted into the Hennessy Literary Awards Hall of Fame by the president
    President of Ireland
    The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...

    , Mary McAleese
    Mary McAleese
    Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...

    .

May

  • Mission to Prey
    Mission to Prey
    "Mission to Prey" is the title of an episode of the RTÉ programme Prime Time Investigates broadcast in May 2011. It was presented by RTÉ's Aoife Kavanagh....

    , presented by Aoife Kavanagh
    Aoife Kavanagh
    Aoife Kavanagh is a journalist with Raidió Teilifís Éireann , the Irish national radio and television broadcaster. She contributed to the RTÉ programmes Morning Ireland and Prime Time Investigates . Kavanagh made national news headlines herself in 2011 when she was at the centre of a controversy...

    , is aired on RTÉ One
    RTÉ One
    RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...

    , leading to the defamation of Fr. Kevin Reynolds
    Fr. Kevin Reynolds
    Fr. Kevin Reynolds is an Irish Catholic priest, falsely alleged by Raidió Teilifís Éireann in its Prime Time programme, to have raped and impregnated a minor Kenyan woman named Veneraanda and fathering a child called Sheila, during his time as a missionary...

    . Justice and Defence Minister Alan Shatter
    Alan Shatter
    Alan Joseph Shatter is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency and has been the Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence since March 2011.-Background and early life:...

     supports the programme at the time.
  • 17 May–20 May – State visit
    Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of Ireland
    Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh made a state visit to the Republic of Ireland from 17 May to 20 May 2011, at the invitation of the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese....

     by Queen Elizabeth II, the first by a monarch of the United Kingdom to the Republic of Ireland
    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,...

     since its formation.
  • 23 May – Official visit by President of the United States
    President of the United States
    The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

     Barack Obama
    Barack Obama
    Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

    , including Dublin and his ancestral village of Moneygall
    Moneygall
    Moneygall is a small village on the border of counties Offaly and North Tipperary, in Ireland. It is situated on the R445 road between Dublin and Limerick. At the time of the 2006 census, the village had a population of 298. Moneygall has a Catholic church, five shops, a post office, a national...

    .

June

  • 30 June–3 July – The Tall Ships' Races begin in Waterford
    Waterford
    Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

    . Half a million people were expected to attend the festival.

July

  • 1 July – The VAT
    Vat
    Vat or VAT may refer to:* A type of container such as a barrel, storage tank, or tub, often constructed of welded sheet stainless steel, and used for holding, storing, and processing liquids such as milk, wine, and beer...

     rate is lowered from 13.5% to 9% for a range of services connected to the hospitality and tourism sectors.
  • 7 July – Avril Doyle
    Avril Doyle
    Avril Doyle is a former Irish politician. She was a member of Fine Gael, part of the European People's Party.Avril Belton was born in Dublin and was educated at University College Dublin. Her father Richard Belton was a Senator and her grandfather Patrick Belton was a Teachta Dála...

     withdraws from the race to be 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...

    's presidential candidate.
  • 13 July – Publication of the Cloyne Report
    Sexual abuse scandal in Cloyne diocese
    The sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne is officially elaborated as the "Commission of Investigation, Dublin Archdiocese, Catholic Diocese of Cloyne". It has examined how allegations of sexual abuse of children in the diocese were dealt with by the church and state. The...

     of the investigation into how the Cloyne Diocese
    Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne
    The Diocese of Cloyne is a Roman Catholic diocese in southern Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The diocese is in the secular province of the same name - Munster...

     mishandled child sexual abuse allegations. The investigating commission states that the greatest failure by the diocese was the failure to report all abuse cases to the 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 :...

    .
  • 20 July – The 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...

    , 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...

    , makes a Dáil speech in response to the Cloyne Report strongly attacking the Vatican
    Holy See
    The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

     and the Catholic Church.

August

  • David Norris withdraws from his presidential election campaign following controversy but will resume his candidacy in the following month.

September

  • 7 September – Telecommunication company TalkTalk
    TalkTalk
    TalkTalk is a pay television, telecommunications and internet service provider company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...

     announces the loss of 575 jobs with the closure of its call centre in Waterford
    Waterford
    Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

    .
  • 22 September – The first Irish case of death by spontaneous combustion
    Spontaneous combustion
    Spontaneous combustion is the self-ignition of a mass, for example, a pile of oily rags. Allegedly, humans can also ignite and burn without an obvious cause; this phenomenon is known as spontaneous human combustion....

     is recorded 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...

    .

October

  • 11 October – Republic of Ireland
    Republic of Ireland national football team
    The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

     reach the play-offs of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers.
  • 24 October – Ireland is struck by flash floods
    2011 European floods
    The 2011 floods in Europe, caused by low-pressure area, occurred in late October–early November in France, Italy and Ireland. In Italy the river Po rose 4 m in Turin and a number of people died in Genoa. A state of emergency in the Italian regions of Liguria and Tuscany was declared after floods...

    .
  • 27 October – Irish presidential election and three constitutional referendums
    Irish constitutional referendums, 2011
    Two referendums were held simultaneously in Ireland on 27 October 2011, each on a proposed amendment of the Constitution of Ireland. The proposed amendments are on judicial salaries pay cuts, and to provide additional powers to Oireachtas committees....

     held.

November

  • 11 November – Michael D. Higgins
    Michael D. Higgins
    Michael Daniel Higgins is the ninth and current President of Ireland, having taken office on 11 November 2011 following victory in the 2011 Irish presidential election. Higgins is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, author and broadcaster. Higgins was President of the Labour Party until his...

     takes office as President of Ireland
    President of Ireland
    The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...

    .
  • 15 November – Republic of Ireland national football team
    Republic of Ireland national football team
    The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

     qualify for UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland
    Poland
    Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

    /Ukraine
    Ukraine
    Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

    .
  • 15 November – Willie Penrose
    Willie Penrose
    Willie Penrose is an Irish politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Longford–Westmeath constituency since May 2007...

     resigns as Minister of State for Housing and Planning
    Ministers of State of the 31st Dáil
    This is a list of Ministers of State of the 31st Dáil. On 9 March 2011, the 29th Government of Ireland was nominated by Dáil Éireann on the advice of the Taoiseach, and then appointed by the President...

     due to his opposition to the Government's decision to close the army barracks 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...

    .
  • 16 November – Thousands of students, their parents and families, descend on Dublin from around the country and march on Government Buildings amid concerns about the reintroduction of third-level fees. A small group also engage in a sit-down protest outside the Fine Gael office on Dublin's Upper Mount Street.
  • 22 November – Fine Gael's Darren Scully resigns as Mayor of Naas
    Naas
    Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...

     after commenting on live radio about the "aggressive attitude" of "black Africans".
  • 23 November – Prime Time Investigates is axed as Director-General of RTÉ
    Director-General of RTÉ
    The Director-General of Raidió Teilifís Éireann is chief executive and editor in chief of RTÉ. The current Director-General is Noel Curran, and is the most senior person in the Public Service Broadcaster, Noel Curran replaced Cathal Goan in the role in February 2011.The RTÉ Board appoints the...

     Noel Curran
    Noel Curran
    Noel Curran is a radio and television producer and current Director-General of RTÉ. He joined Raidió Teilifís Éireann as a reporter in 1992 after a period working as a business journalist for Business & Finance magazine. He later produced both Kenny Live and The Late Late Show...

     describes the broadcasting of "Mission to Prey
    Mission to Prey
    "Mission to Prey" is the title of an episode of the RTÉ programme Prime Time Investigates broadcast in May 2011. It was presented by RTÉ's Aoife Kavanagh....

    " as "one of the gravest editorial mistakes ever made" at RTÉ.
  • 26 November – Thousands of people march against austerity in Dublin.
  • 29 November – Three student union presidents (of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
    Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
    Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology is a third level institute of education and is based at five locations in the west of Ireland.-Galway Campus:...

    , University College Cork and IT Carlow) under the leadership of Union of Students in Ireland
    Union of Students in Ireland
    The Union of Students in Ireland is the national representative body for third-level students' unions in Ireland. The Union of Students in Ireland is the sole national representative body for students in Ireland but does not represent students from two of the seven Irish Universities, namely...

     (USI) President Gary Redmond, and in posession of a chemical toilet and supplies of food that could have lasted them weeks, occupy a room at the Department of Social Protection on Dublin's Store Street as part of a continued effort to have the Labour Party clarify its position on tuition fees. Ten student union presidents also attempt to occupy a room at the Department of Enterprise on Kildare Street for the same reasons.
  • 30 November – Nine FEE
    Free Education for Everyone
    Free Education for Everyone is an Irish student campaign group which was set up in September 2008 in University College Dublin to fight the proposed re-introduction of university fees...

     students, also seeking clarification on the government's view on third-level fees, participate in a peaceful sit-down protest by occupying the constituency office of Fine Gael TD and former mayor Brian Walsh in Bohermore, Galway. They unfurl a banner on the roof with the message, "FREE EDUCATION NOTHING LESS".
  • 30 November – Audits of child protection practices conducted by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church are published by six dioceses, with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe
    Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe
    The Diocese of Raphoe is a Roman Catholic diocese in north-western Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses which are subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Armagh. The current Bishop of Raphoe is The Most Rev. Dr. Philip Boyce, D.D., O.C.D.. He was enthroned as bishop on 1 October...

    , overseen by Philip Boyce
    Philip Boyce
    The Most Reverend Dr. Philip Boyce , D.D., O.C.D., is the Catholic Lord Bishop of Raphoe. He presides over the Diocese of Raphoe in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland.- Early life :...

    , coming in for most criticism.
  • 30 November – A settlement is reached between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh and a man sworn to secrecy by Seán Brady
    Seán Brady
    Seán Baptist Brady is an Irish cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the current Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.-Early life and education:...

     over abuse by Brendan Smyth as a teenager.

December

  • 1 December – Tommy Broughan
    Tommy Broughan
    Thomas P. "Tommy" Broughan is an Irish politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North–East constituency since November 1992. He sits as an independent TD after losing the Labour Party whip on 1 December 2011....

     TD is expelled from the Labour Party after voting to reject a government amendment to extend the bank guarantee for another year.
  • 1 December – Roscrea District Court solicitors stage a walkout over the courthouse's closure.

The Arts

  • 11 February—The Eurosong 2011
    Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
    Ireland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany with the song "Lipstick" performed by Jedward. The song was selected by the Irish public through the national final Eurosong 2011 competition, organised by the Irish broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann .-Eurosong...

     competition was held in Dublin.
  • 12 February—The eighth annual 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...

     were held at Dublin's Convention Centre.
  • 26 May—John Banville
    John Banville
    John Banville is an Irish novelist and screenwriter.Banville's breakthrough novel The Book of Evidence was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and won the Guinness Peat Aviation award. His eighteenth novel, The Sea, won the Man Booker Prize in 2005. He was awarded the Franz Kafka Prize in 2011...

     wins the Kafka Prize for literature.
  • 3 November—Niall Tóibín
    Niall Toibin
    Niall Tóibín is an Irish comedian and actor. Born in Cork into an Irish speaking family, Tóibín grew up on the north-side of the city in Bishop's Field. He has appeared in Ryan's Daughter, Bracken, The Irish R.M., Caught in a Free State, Ballykissangel, Far and Away, and Veronica Guerin, and has...

     is honoured with the Irish Film and Television Academy's (IFTA) Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony at the Irish Film Institute
    Irish Film Institute
    The Irish Film Institute is both a film theatre and a national body that supports Irish Film heritage. It maintains an archive of Irish films and provides education in film culture. It shows independent and foreign language films overlooked by commercial multiplexes at its cinema in the Temple Bar...

    .

Cricket

  • 2 March - Ireland beat England by 3 wickets in Bangalore
    Bangalore
    Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

     at the World Cup
    2011 Cricket World Cup
    The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...

     with a Kevin O'Brien
    Kevin O'Brien (cricketer)
    Kevin Joseph O'Brien is an Irish cricketer who plays for Railway Union Cricket Club and Gloucestershire. He holds the world record for the fastest century ever scored at a World Cup, coming from 50 balls against England on 2 March 2011. An all-rounder, O'Brien is an aggressive right-handed...

     hitting the fastest World Cup century off only 50 balls.

2011 Six Nations Championship

  • 5 February—Six Nations
    2011 Six Nations Championship
    The 2011 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2011 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 12th series of the Six Nations Championship. The annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy,...

     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,...

     11–13 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...

    .
  • 13 February—Ireland 22–25 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...

    .
  • 27 February—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...

     18–21 Ireland
  • 12 March—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...

     19–13 Ireland
  • 19 March—Ireland 24–8 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...

    .

Rugby World Cup

  • 11 September— Ireland 22-10 United States
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

  • 17 September—Ireland 15-6 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...

  • 25 September—Ireland 62-12 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...

  • 2 October—Ireland 36-6 Italy
    Italy
    Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

  • 8 October- Ireland 10-22 Wales
    Wales
    Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...


2011 Nations Cup

  • 8–9 February and 24–29 May—2011 Nations Cup association football tournament in Dublin
    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...

    .
  • 8 February—Republic of Ireland
    Republic of Ireland national football team
    The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

     3–0 Wales
    Wales national football team
    The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

    . Crowd: 19,783.
  • 9 February—Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland national football team
    The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...

     0–3 Scotland
    Scotland national football team
    The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

    . Crowd: 18,742.
  • 24 May—Republic of Ireland 5–0 Northern Ireland. Crowd: 12,083.
  • 25 May—Wales 1–3 Scotland. Crowd: 6,036.
  • 27 May—Wales 2–0 Northern Ireland. Crowd: 529.
  • 29 May—Republic of Ireland 1–0 Scotland. Crowd: 17,694.

2012 UEFA European Championships Qualifiers

  • 26 March—European Championship qualifying match
    UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group B
    This page shows the standings and results for Group B of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.-Standings:- Results and fixtures :...

    : Republic of Ireland
    Republic of Ireland national football team
    The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

     2-1 FYR of Macedonia in Dublin.
  • 2 September—Republic of Ireland 0-0 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...

     in Dublin.
  • 6 September—Republic of Ireland 0-0 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...

     in Moscow
    Luzhniki Stadium
    The Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in Moscow, or briefly Luzhniki Stadium , is the biggest sports stadium in Russia. Its total seating capacity is 78,360 seats, all covered. The stadium is a part of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, previously called the Central Lenin Stadium...

    .
  • 7 October—Republic of Ireland 2-0 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...

     in Barcelona
    Mini Estadi
    Mini Estadi is a football stadium located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The 15,276 seat stadium is situated across from Camp Nou, the home stadium of FC Barcelona.The stadium was home to FC Barcelona C until July 2007, when they disbanded...

    .
  • 11 October—Republic of Ireland 2-1 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...

     in Dublin.
  • 11 November-Republic of Ireland 4-0 Estonia
    Estonia national football team
    The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....

     in Tallinn
    Tallinn
    Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...

    .
  • 15 November-Republic of Ireland 1-1 Estonia in Dublin.

International friendly matches

  • 29 March—Republic of Ireland 2–3 Uruguay
    Uruguay national football team
    The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...

     in Dublin.
  • 7 June—Republic of Ireland 2–0 Italy
    Italy national football team
    The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

     at Stade Maurice Dufrasne
    Stade Maurice Dufrasne
    Stade Maurice Dufrasne is a football stadium in Liège, Belgium. The stadium holds 30,023 people. It is also known as Stade de Sclessin and is the home stadium of Standard Liège...

    , in Liège
    Liège
    Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....

    .
  • August—Republic of Ireland 0–0 Croatia
    Croatia national football team
    The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...

     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...

    , in Dublin.

League of Ireland

  • 4 March—Beginning of League of Ireland
    2011 League of Ireland
    The Premier Division consists of ten teams. Each team plays every other team four times, twice at home and twice away, for a total of 36 matches.-Teams:...

     season.
  • 24 September- Derry City win the 2011 League of Ireland Cup
    2011 League of Ireland Cup
    The 2011 League of Ireland Cup, also known as the 2011 EA Sports Cup, was the 38th season of the Irish football knockout competition.The competition was won by Derry City who defeated Cork City in the final on 24th September 2011 in Turners Cross, Cork.A total of 27 teams entered the 2011 competition...

    .
  • 29 October—End of League of Ireland season.
  • 06 November- Sligo Rovers win the 2011 FAI Cup
    2011 FAI Cup
    The 2011 FAI Senior Challenge Cup, also known as the 2011 FAI Ford Cup, is the 88th season of the national football competition of the Republic of Ireland...

    .

Deaths

  • 2 January—Eoin Neeson, 83: historian, author, journalist, former director of the Government Information Bureau.
  • 9 January—Joss Lynam: mountaineer, founder member of Irish Mountaineering Club
    Irish Mountaineering Club
    The Irish Mountaineering Club is a mountaineering club based in County Wicklow, Ireland, although most of its members come from the Dublin Region. Its activities encompass all aspects of mountaineering, but its climbing activities are most prominent...

    , following a short illness.
  • 10 January—Michaela McAreavey née Harte, 27: daughter of Tyrone
    County Tyrone
    Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...

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

     manager Mickey Harte
    Mickey Harte
    Michael "Mickey" Harte is the current manager of Tyrone Gaelic football team. He has led the team to three All-Ireland titles, three Ulster titles, one National League, and four Dr...

    , strangled during her honeymoon
    Murder of Michaela McAreavey
    Michaela McAreavey born 31 December 1983 was murdered on 10 January 2011, while she was on honeymoon in Mauritius. She was found strangled to death in her hotel room...

     in Mauritius.
  • 16 January—Louis McRedmond, 78: journalist and author, former editor of the Irish Independent
    Irish Independent
    The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...

    , head of information at RTÉ
    RTE
    RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...

    .
  • 18 January—David Schulman, 80: former President of Mensa International
    Mensa International
    Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...

    , and charity volunteer.
  • 20 January—Gordon Holmes, former State Solicitor of Limerick, former chairman of the Parole Board and the former Garda Síochána Complaints Board
    Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission
    The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is an independent statutory body in Ireland charged with overseeing An Garda Síochána, the police force of the Republic of Ireland. It was established under the Garda Síochána Act, 2005. The Commission deals with complaints from members of the public about...

    .
  • 6 February—Gary Moore
    Gary Moore
    Robert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....

    , 58: former Thin Lizzy
    Thin Lizzy
    Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...

     guitarist. Heart attack while on holiday in Estepona
    Estepona
    Estepona is a town and municipality in the region of the Costa del Sol, southern Spain. It is located in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. Estepona is renowned for its beaches, which stretch along some 21 km of coastline...

    , Spain.
  • 13 February—T. P. McKenna
    T. P. McKenna
    Thomas Patrick McKenna , known professionally as T. P. McKenna, was an Irish actor who worked on stage, in film and television in Ireland and the UK from the 1950s.- Film and television :...

    , 81; actor. Died in his sleep after a long illness.
  • 14 February—Sean Boru
    Sean Boru
    Sean Boru was an Irish actor and author.Boru was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in 1998, 2000 and 2002. He received radiotherapy the first 2 times, then chemotherapy...

    , 57, Actor and author. http://www.halsteadgazette.co.uk/news/8871017.Actor_and_writer_Sean_Boru_dies_age_57/
  • 9 March—Seán Cronin
    Seán Cronin
    Seán Cronin was a journalist and former Irish Army officer and twice Irish Republican Army chief of staff.Cronin was born in Dublin in 1920 but spent his childhood years in Ballinskelligs, in the County Kerry Gaeltacht....

    , 91, Irish journalist and republican, Irish Republican Army chief of staff (1957–1958, 1959–1960), after long illness. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0310/1224291778899.html
  • 14 March—Gerald Barry
    Gerald Barry (Irish journalist)
    Gerald Barry was an Irish political journalist and broadcaster. He worked for public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and the Sunday Tribune newspaper, during which time he became known for his "highly probing", "highly intelligent", "quite rigorous", "clinical, even forensic but never...

    , 63; broadcast and print journalist, following a long illness.
  • 25 March—Thady Wyndham-Quin, 7th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl, 71, Aristocrat. http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/131230/dunraven
  • 15 April—Michael Hurley
    Michael Hurley (Jesuit)
    Father Michael Hurley, S.J., was an Irish Jesuit priest and theologian, who has been widely called the "father of Irish ecumenism" for promoting Christian unity. Hurley co-founded the Irish School of Ecumenics in 1970 and served as the school's director until 1980.Hurley was born in Ardmore,...

    , 87, Irish Jesuit and ecumenical theologian, co-founder of the Irish School of Ecumenics
    Irish School of Ecumenics
    The Irish School of Ecumenics is a new discipline within an aspirant School at Trinity College Dublin, and existed as an independent entity until negotiating admission to Trinity College about a decade ago. The ISE is dedicated to the promotion of ecumenism, religious reconciliation and interfaith...

    . http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/obituaries/2011/0416/1224294798316.html
  • 27 April—Harry Thuillier
    Harry Thuillier
    Harry Thuillier was an Irish fencer and broadcaster. He competed in the individual foil events at the 1952 and 1960 Summer Olympics.-References:...

    , 85, Olympic fencer and radio presenter. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0428/1224295621152.html
  • 4 May—Joe Murray, 74; broadcaster and journalist, following a short illness.
  • 10 May—Patrick Galvin
    Patrick Galvin
    Patrick Galvin was an Irish poet, singer, playwright, and prose and screen writer born in Cork's inner city.-Biography:Galvin was born in Cork in 1927 at a time of great political transition in Ireland...

    , 83; writer and poet, following a long illness.
  • 17 May—Tomás Mac Anna, 87; playwright, actor and director, following a short illness.
  • 17 May—Seán Dunphy
    Sean Dunphy
    Sean Dunphy was an Irish singer who represented Ireland at the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest, achieving second place with "If I Could Choose". He was also the first Irish singer to record in Nashville....

    , 73; showband singer, following a short illness.
  • 19 May—Garret FitzGerald
    Garret FitzGerald
    Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He...

    , 85; 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...

    , following a short illness.
  • 20 May—Michael Bell
    Michael Bell (Irish politician)
    Michael Bell was an Irish Labour Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Louth constituency. Bell was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the November 1982 general election and retained his seat until losing it at the 2002 general election. He was a trade union official before entering...

    , 74; former TD
  • 21 May—John Delaney
    John Delaney (businessman)
    John Delaney was an Irish businessman and the founder and CEO of the trading exchange website Intrade. He died at the age of 42 while attempting to climb Mount Everest—a lifelong ambition—and came within 50 metres of the summit. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter who was born...

    , 42, businessman (Intrade
    Intrade
    Intrade is an online trading exchange website. The website's members speculate on the outcomes of non-sports-related future events. Intrade was founded by John Delaney in 2001 and acquired by Tradesports in 2003. Dublin-based owner Trade Exchange Network Limited also operated TradeBetX.com, which...

    ). http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/business/27delaney.html?ref=obituaries
  • 21 May—Padraig Kennelly
    Pádraig Kennelly
    Pádraig Kennelly was an Irish journalist, editor, photographer, cameraman and publisher, who co-founded and edited the Kerry's Eye newspaper....

    , 82, publisher, editor and journalist, founder of Kerry's Eye
    Kerry's Eye
    Kerry's Eye is a weekly local newspaper in County Kerry, Ireland. It is published every Thursday, with a circulation of approximately 25,000.Husband and wife, Pádraig Kennelly and Joan Kennelly, founded the newspaper in the basement on their home on Ashe Street in Tralee in 1974. Kerry's Eye was...

    . http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0522/kennellyp.html
  • 24 May—Edward Plunkett, 20th Baron of Dunsany, 71, artist. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8575899/Lord-Dunsany.html
  • 3 June—Peter Murphy
    Peter Murphy (broadcaster)
    Peter David Murphy was a Irish radio and television broadcaster, best known as the host of the RTÉ's Cross Country Quiz.-Background and early life:...

    , 88, television presenter (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...

    ). http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0604/murphyp.html
  • 6 June—Declan Costello
    Declan Costello
    Declan Costello was an Irish jurist and Fine Gael party politician, who served as a Teachta Dála for twenty years, as Attorney General for four years and as a High Court judge for another twenty years before his retirement....

    , 84; former TD and judge
  • 7 June—Liam Kelly
    Liam Kelly (Irish republican)
    Liam Kelly was an Irish republican, who was elected both to House of Commons of Northern Ireland and as a member of Seanad Éireann...

    , 88, Republican and politician. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsday/obituary.aspx?n=liam-kelly-william&pid=151703109
  • 10 June—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...

    , 52; serving TD
  • 22 June—Myles Staunton
    Myles Staunton
    Myles Staunton was a Irish Fine Gael politician and businessman.He first stood for election at the 1969 general election for the Mayo West constituency but was unsuccessful. He was elected for Mayo West as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála at the 1973 general election...

    , 75; former TD.
  • 19 July—Brendan Kehoe
    Brendan Kehoe
    Brendan Patrick Kehoe was an Irish-born software developer and author. Born in Dublin, he was raised in China, Maine in the United States. In his early teens, he was first exposed to computing when he was given a Commodore 64 computer and he used this machine to teach himself about computing and...

    , 40, software developer
    Software developer
    A software developer is a person concerned with facets of the software development process. Their work includes researching, designing, developing, and testing software. A software developer may take part in design, computer programming, or software project management...

     and author, after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia
    Acute myeloid leukemia
    Acute myeloid leukemia , also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common acute...

    .
  • 11 October—Peter McDermott
    Peter McDermott
    Peter 'The Man in the Cap' McDermott was an inter-county Gaelic footballer for County Meath in Ireland who enjoyed much success in the 1940s and 50s. During his playing career he won 2 Senior All Ireland medals as well as 6 Leinster medals...

    , 93; former 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 footballer and coach.
  • 12 October—Martin White
    Martin White (hurler)
    Martin White was an Irish hurler who played as a centre-forward for the Kilkenny senior team.White made his first appearance for the team during the 1931 championship and became a regular member of the team until his retirement following the conclusion of the 1938 championship...

    , 102; former Kilkenny
    Kilkenny GAA
    The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...

     hurler and the oldest surviving All-Ireland medal winner.
  • 22 October—Cathal O'Shannon
    Cathal O'Shannon (TV presenter)
    Cathal O'Shannon was an Irish journalist and television presenter. He was a former journalist with The Irish Times newspaper and a former TV reporter and presenter for RTÉ...

    , 83; journalist and television presenter.
  • November 2011—Terry Willers, 76; cartoonist.
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