2019 In Ireland
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Events during the year
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
in Ireland.


Incumbents

* President: Michael D. Higgins * Taoiseach:
Leo Varadkar Leo Eric Varadkar ( ; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish politician who has served as Taoiseach since December 2022, and previously from 2017 to 2020. He served as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from June 2020 to De ...
( FG) * Tánaiste: Simon Coveney ( FG) *
Minister for Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
: Paschal Donohoe ( FG) * Chief Justice: Frank Clarke * Dáil: 32nd * Seanad: 25th


Events


January

* 1 January ** Abortion services became available in Ireland for the first time under the provisions of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. ** Two fast-food workers were shot by a raider at Edenmore Shopping Centre in Coolock. **Library fines were abolished to encourage library usage. * 2 January – New domestic violence legislation was enacted which included new crimes of coercive control. * 3 January ** The Luas website went offline after a message was posted to it threatening to "publish all data and send emails to your users" unless "1 bitcoin" was paid in five days. ** Contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit were discussed at the first
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...
meeting of 2019. * 4 January – Former
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
James Heffernan was found guilty of assaulting three gardaí after he was arrested outside the Indiependence Music Festival in August 2016. * 5 January – Figures from
Eurostat Eurostat ('European Statistical Office'; DG ESTAT) is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in the Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Kirchberg quarter of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Eurostat's main responsibilities are to provide statis ...
showed that the Irish police-to-population ratio was less than the European average with 278 Garda officers per 100,000 of the population. * 6 January – Garda sources confirmed that a man named as having been captured in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
by militias fighting against ISIS was a naturalised Irish citizen. * 7 January – A Garda investigation began after skeletal remains were found by a passerby in a ditch in the townland of Ballyandrew,
County Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
. * 9 January – The Government offered protection to five unaccompanied child migrants who had been seeking refuge in Malta after being rescued from the Mediterranean. * 10 January – A fire broke out at the Shannon Key West Hotel in Roosky which had been due to open as an accommodation centre for asylum seekers. * 11 January – 17-year-old Adam Kelly from Skerries Community College was named the 55th BT Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year. * 12 January – One of the most senior figures in the Kinahan organised crime gang was arrested at Birmingham Airport in a joint operation between the Gardaí and the
NCA NCA may refer to: Businessses and organisations Australia * National Capital Authority, a government authority for development planning of the Capital Territory * National Crime Authority, defunct investigative agency India * Nuclear Command Aut ...
. * 13 January – Fianna Fáil announced plans to reintroduce a Bill to the Seanad which aims to protect and give official recognition to the National Anthem. * 15 January – Galway-based Supermac's won its long-running case against fast food giant McDonald's to have the use of the Big Mac trademark cancelled. * 16 January – The Finance Minister ordered a new economic assessment for the country after a parliamentary defeat for the
British government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...
's Brexit withdrawal agreement. * 17 January ** Aer Lingus unveiled its new brand livery which included a new shamrock logo, a new font, and teal as the main colour on the undercarriage, tail and engines of its planes. **The Dáil was told that a woman carrying a baby diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality was not granted a termination at the Coombe Hospital in Dublin. **A 22-year-old man died after being shot in the head and chest in a car park outside a gym in
Swords A sword is a cutting and/or thrusting weapon. Sword, Swords, or The Sword may also refer to: Places * Swords, Dublin, a large suburban town in the Irish capital * Swords, Georgia, a community in the United States * Sword Beach, code name for ...
in Dublin. * 18 January – A man is shot dead and a woman injured at a house in Warrenpoint,
County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...
. * 19 January – **Hundreds of young people attended a protest at Leinster House calling on the Government to do more to tackle climate change. **A car bomb exploded outside a courthouse in
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
. The New IRA are believed to be responsible. * 20 January – A commemoration was held to mark the 100th anniversary of the Soloheadbeg Ambush, which is considered to have started the War of Independence. * 21 January – The centenary of the First Dáil was commemorated with a joint sitting of the Dáil and Seanad in the round room of the Mansion House in Dublin. * 22 January – European Commission spokesman
Margaritis Schinas Margaritis Schinas (Greek: Μαργαρίτης Σχοινάς; ; born 28 July 1962) is a Greek politician and former civil servant. He took office in December 2019 as a vice-president in the Von der Leyen Commission with the portfolio of Europea ...
said Ireland would see a new "
hard border The impact of Brexit on Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border, the Irish border and its adjacent polities involves changes in trade, customs, immigration checks, local economies, services, recognition of qualifications, medical cooperat ...
" if the UK failed to approve a Brexit withdrawal deal. * 23 January – Gardaí seized almost €1 million worth of cannabis in
Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
. * 24 January – The Government published legislation that would underpin Ireland's plan to deal with a no-deal Brexit. * 25 January – The Taoiseach warned of the prospect of "a police presence, or an army presence" at the border in a worst-case Brexit. * 26 January – Up to 1,500 people attended a protest on the old Dublin road near Carrickcaron,
County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...
to demonstrate against a hard Brexit. * 27 January – Four men in their early twenties were killed in a road accident near
Gort an Choirce Gort an Choirce or Gort a' Choirce (; meaning "oat field"), anglicised as Gortahork, is a village and townland in the northwest of County Donegal, Ireland. It is a Gaeltacht community, where the Irish language is the main language spoken in the a ...
, County Donegal. * 28 January – Former Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín launched a new political party called
Aontú Aontú (; "Unite") is an all-Ireland political party that was formally launched in January 2019, and operates in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ideologically, Aontú is opposed to abortion and combines elements of social con ...
. * 29 January – The Cabinet agreed to hold a referendum which, if passed, would delete a Constitutional clause requiring a mandatory period of separation before divorce. * 30 January – Hospital and community care services were severely disrupted by the first 24-hour nurses' strike in 20 years.


February

* 1 February – Skeletal remains and a ring fort, believed to date back to the Bronze Age, were discovered on land where former Taoiseach
Liam Cosgrave Liam Cosgrave (13 April 1920 – 4 October 2017) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 1973 to 1977, Leader of Fine Gael from 1965 to 1977, Leader of the Opposition from 1965 to 1973, Minister for External Affairs from ...
lived in Dublin. * 2 February – The chairman of the National Children's Hospital Development board Tom Costello resigned following the controversy over the spiralling costs of the project. * 3 February –
Damian Foxall Damian Foxall (born 7 March 1969) is an Irish sailor from County Kerry. Personal details Foxall is married to Lucy Hunt, he has two children with Oisin and Neave and resides in Quebec, Canada. Key Sailing Results In addition to his offshore ex ...
made a 400-metre descent on skis from the summit of Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil. * 4 February – The Central Bank announced that €674m was paid by banks in redress, compensation and costs to customers caught up in the tracker mortgage controversy. * 5 February – Nearly 40,000 nurses and midwives undertook a second day of strike action in an ongoing dispute over pay and retention issues. * 6 February – European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Ireland will not be left alone and the EU is ready to assist Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit. * 7 February – More than 35,000 nurses took to the picket line for the third time in nine days causing widespread chaos in hospitals and in the community. * 8 February **A 39-year-old man died after being shot a number of times after leaving his home for work in
Darndale Darndale ( meaning ''daffodil'') is an area on the Northside of Dublin, in Ireland, featuring a high concentration of social housing. It is located in the north of the sprawling suburb of Coolock. Darndale lies within the Dublin 17 postal distr ...
. **The Taoiseach met each of the five main Stormont parties in Belfast before hosting discussions with British Prime Minister Theresa May at Farmleigh. * 9 February **Tens of thousands of people took part in a rally in support of nurses and midwives who are involved in a dispute over pay and staffing levels. **The SDLP voted by more than two to one to back a new partnership with Fianna Fáil. * 10 February **The Health Minister Simon Harris and his family were trapped in their home in Greystones where up to 20 people arrived outside, claiming to be "against austerity". **It was later announced that Harris will apologise to the Dáil over information he provided on the cost of the new National Children's Hospital. * 11 February **President Higgins began a three-day visit to England, during which he is expected to call for ties between Ireland and the UK to remain strong after Brexit. **After discussions at the Labour Court, the INMO and the Psychiatric Nurses Association suspended their proposed three days of industrial action. * 12 February – Health Minister Simon Harris apologised to the Dáil for not answering questions on the cost of the National Children's Hospital "more fully" last September. * 13 February **Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern gave evidence to the Committee for Exiting the European Union in Westminster. **The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation recommended acceptance of the Labour Court recommendations aimed at resolving their dispute over pay and conditions. * 14 February – A woman in her early 70s died following a collision with a Luas tram in Tallaght. * 15 February – The fifth plenary session of the All-Island Civic Dialogue on Brexit took place at Dublin Castle. * 16 February – A controlled explosion was carried out on a hand grenade believed to date from the War of Independence in Lahinch, County Clare. * 17 February – Ten members of the 'Fingal Battalion' group protested outside the home of Communications Minister Richard Bruton. * 18 February – An investigation got under way after a medical centre on the outskirts of
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...
town was daubed with anti-abortion graffiti overnight. * 19 February – An Irish ticket holder won the EuroMillions jackpot worth €175,475,380. * 20 February – A Sinn Féin-tabled no confidence motion in Health Minister Simon Harris was defeated in a Dáil vote by 58 votes to 53 with 40 abstentions. * 21 February – All operations at Dublin Airport were suspended for 30 minutes after a pilot spotted a drone over the airfield. * 22 February – Tánaiste Simon Coveney launched emergency measures to protect Ireland in the event of a "lose, lose, lose" no-deal Brexit. * 23 February – At the 79th Fianna Fáil Ardfheis, party leader Micheál Martin said that the national interest demanded a general election be avoided because of Brexit. * 24 February – The Taoisaech attended the inaugural EU-Arab League summit in Sharm El Sheikh. * 25 February – A search began for the missing head of an 800-year-old Crusader after vandals broke into
St. Michan's Church St. Michan's Church is a Church of Ireland church located in Church Street, Dublin, Ireland. The first Christian chapel on this site dated from 1095, and operated as a Catholic church until the Reformation. The current church dates from 1686, a ...
and decapitated his mummified remains. * 26 February – The Government announced that was to make up to €428 million available to prepare the country for Brexit this year. * 27 February – Newly released figures revealed that a record number of 9,987 people were homeless in January, including 3,624 children. * 28 February **A 30-year-old Italian man was jailed for years for the assault of Liverpool fan Seán Cox outside Anfield last April. **A security alert was sparked at the Leinster House complex when Fine Gael TD
Noel Rock Noel Rock (born 11 November 1987) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin North-West constituency from 2016 to 2020. He previously served as Chair of the Committee on Housing, Planning and Loca ...
was followed inside and confronted by a protester.


March

* 1 March – Businessman Denis O'Brien lost his High Court action alleging he was defamed in articles published in the ''
Sunday Business Post The ''Business Post'' (formerly ''The Sunday Business Post'') is a Sunday newspaper distributed nationally in Ireland and an online publication. It is focused mainly on business and financial issues in Ireland. Founding to Irish financial crisi ...
''. * 2 March – A protest took place outside Dublin's
GPO GPO may refer to: Government and politics * General Post Office, Dublin * General Post Office, in Britain * Social Security Government Pension Offset, a provision reducing benefits * Government Pharmaceutical Organization, a Thai state enterpris ...
following a rise in the number of assaults and cases of racial abuse on foreign nationals. * 3 March – Ulster Council delegate Jarlath Burns said the GAA should not remain neutral if there is to be a referendum on Irish unity after Brexit. * 4 March – The Department of Health was evacuated after a package containing white powder, later revealed to be baking soda, was sent to Health Minister Simon Harris. * 5 March – Gardaí began helping an investigation by London Metropolitan Police after three explosive devices, posted in Dublin, were sent to key transport hubs in London. * 6 March – Transport Minister Shane Ross apologised after referring to Sinn Féin's transport spokeswoman Imelda Munster as a "donkey". * 7 March – Aer Lingus confirmed that its female cabin crew will no longer be required to wear make-up or skirts as part of new uniform rules. * 8 March – A former female member of the
Irish Defence Forces The Defence Forces ( ga, Fórsaí Cosanta, officially styled ) derives its origins from the Irish Volunteers. Whilst the Irish for ''Defence Forces'' is , as Ó Cearúil (1999) points out, the Defence Forces are officially styled . is used in ...
was detained in
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
over alleged membership of ISIS. * 9 March – Controlled drugs with an estimated street value of €865,000 were seized by Gardaí in County Meath. * 10 March – 39-year-old Micheál Ryan was among the 157 people who were on board an Ethiopian Airlines flight which crashed while en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. * 11 March – MMA fighter Conor McGregor was arrested and charged with robbery and criminal damage in Miami after allegedly smashing a fan's phone. * 12 March – The Irish Aviation Authority suspended the operation of all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into and out of Irish airspace after two recent accidents involving the aircraft elsewhere in the world. * 13 March – New research revealed that Dublin entered the top five most expensive locations in Europe for rental accommodation for the first time. * 14 March **Northern Ireland's
Public Prosecution Service A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial ...
decided that one former British Army soldier is to be charged with the murder of civilians on Bloody Sunday in January 1972. **The Taoiseach met with the US President Donald Trump at the White House where Mr Trump said he was planning to visit Ireland in the year. * 15 March – Thousands of students took part in school strikes and demonstrations around the country in protest at what they said was Government inaction on climate change. * 16 March – At least eight people were taken to hospital following a collision between a Luas tram and a double-decker bus at Queen Street in Smithfield, Dublin. * 17 March **Hundreds of thousands of people attended more than 100 parades and festivities in cities, towns and villages across the country to mark
St. Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...
. **Three teenagers are crushed to death at a St Patrick's Day disco party in a hotel in
Cookstown Cookstown ( ga, An Chorr Chríochach, IPA: anˠˈxoːɾˠɾˠˈçɾʲiːxəx is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the fourth largest town in the county and had a population of 11,599 in the 2011 census. It, along with Maghe ...
, County Tyrone. * 18 March – The FAI reiterated that the €100,000 bridging loan they received from chief executive John Delaney "was made in the best interests" of the association. * 19 March **The Taoiseach met with EU Council President Donald Tusk in Dublin ahead of Thursday's EU Council summit regarding the Brexit negotiations. **It was announced that Joe Murphy, a hunger striker who died in 1920, was to receive a posthumous service medal in recognition of his role in the fight for independence. * 20 March – The Cabinet approved a number of issues regarding the introduction of directly elected mayors in
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
, Limerick and Waterford. * 21 March – The Department of Justice confirmed that a plan to provide an accommodation centre for asylum seekers at a disused hotel in Rooskey will not now go ahead. * 22 March – The Army's Bomb Squad made safe the viable improvised explosive device recovered from a Limerick
An Post (; literally 'The Post') is the state-owned provider of postal services in Ireland. An Post provides a "universal postal service" to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union. Services provided include letter post, p ...
office. * 23 March – Eric Eoin Marques was extradited to the United States over allegations that he conspired to distribute and advertise child abuse images on the dark web. * 25 March – A young mother died after a freak accident at Cork University Maternity Hospital. Her newborn baby died from injuries almost 36 hours later. * 26 March – Average noise levels at Dublin Airport are to be kept below 45 decibels after TDs voted in favour of the restrictions. * 27 March – The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government announced that the number of homeless people in emergency accommodation exceeded 10,000 for the first time. * 28 March – The Eurosceptic
Irish Freedom Party The Irish Freedom Party or the Irexit Freedom To Prosper Party, sometimes referred to as IFP, or IFTPP is a minor right-wing to far-right hard Eurosceptic political party in Ireland, launched on 8 September 2018. It advocates Irish withdrawal ...
launched a nationwide billboard campaign calling for the country to leave the European Union. * 29 March – A father who slapped his two-year-old daughter in a Cork supermarket, causing concerned witnesses to report him to Gardaí, was convicted and fined €700. * 30 March – Border Communities Against Brexit organised a number of mass demonstrations on the border to mark the day after Brexit had been due to take place. * 31 March – Minister of State
Finian McGrath Finian McGrath (born 9 April 1953) is an Irish former Independent politician who served as Minister of State for Disability Issues from 2016 to 2020. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 2002 to 2020. Early and personal life Born in Tuam, C ...
was criticised for suggesting Gardaí were involved in political policing and had an agenda implementing drink-driving laws.


April

* 1 April – Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said a no-deal Brexit had shifted from a "remote possibility" to a "real possibility". * 2 April ** Facebook Chief Executive
Mark Zuckerberg Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (; born ) is an American business magnate, internet entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is known for co-founding the social media website Facebook and its parent company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc.), o ...
visited the company's international headquarters in Dublin and discussed a range of "policy issues" with a number of TDs. ** Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met French President
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...
for Brexit talks in Paris. * 3 April – It was announced that turbans and the hijab would be allowed to be worn by
Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
and
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
members of the Garda Síochána. * 4 April – German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the Taoiseach in Dublin to discuss Brexit, and show solidarity with Ireland amid the Brexit negotiations. * 5 April – An inquest found that a botched IRA warning call contributed to the deaths of 21 people unlawfully killed in the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings. * 6 April – Irish-trained Tiger Roll won the
2019 Grand National The 2019 Grand National (officially known as the Randox Health Grand National for sponsorship reasons) was the 172nd annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase was h ...
, therefore becoming the tenth horse to win the race more than once. * 7 April – An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.4 in Killybegs, County Donegal was detected by the Irish National Seismic Network. * 8 April **Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused UK
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...
Karen Bradley of not having a "deep appreciation" of Irish politics. **The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the EU will "stand fully behind Ireland" regardless of what happens in the Brexit negotiations. * 9 April – Sport Ireland decided to suspend and withhold future funding to the FAI after it emerged the association was to reveal it failed to obey State funding rules. * 10 April – FAI executive vice-president John Delaney was accused of behaving "disgracefully" by not answering TDs' questions at an Oireachtas committee meeting. * 11 April – Former INLA member Dessie O'Hare was jailed for seven years for his involvement in a gang which evicted a man and his family from their home. * 12 April – Ireland's Ambassador to the UK accused the British political magazine '' The Spectator'' of making a "hostile" anti-Irish attack which should be consigned to the past. * 13 April – President Higgins addressed an event to mark the 175th anniversary of the
Society of St Vincent de Paul The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP or SVdP or SSVP) is an international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor. Innumerable Catholic parishes have ...
in Ireland. * 15 April **The PSNI announced that a British soldier who shot and killed 15-year-old Daniel Hegarty in
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
in July 1972 is to be charged with murder. **John Delaney stepped aside from his role as Executive Vice-President of the FAI pending the completion of an independent review. * 16 April **The Speaker of the US House of Representatives
Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
and a team of high-ranking US politicians began a two-day visit to Dublin. **The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, said that the FAI had written to him indicating that the organisation's board will step down. * 17 April **The Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi hailed the Good Friday Agreement as a "beacon to the world" during her address to Dáil Éireann. ** Katherine Zappone was criticised for suggesting the people of Tuam knew more about what happened to babies in the mother and baby home than they were sharing. * 18 April – The 70th anniversary of Ireland becoming a Republic was commemorated. * 19 April – Politicians and leaders, including the President and Taoiseach, united in their condemnation of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
. * 20 April – Saoradh, a far left political party with links to the so-called New IRA, were criticised for holding a march on O'Connell Street. * 21 April – President Higgins led a military commemoration of the
Easter Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...
at the
GPO GPO may refer to: Government and politics * General Post Office, Dublin * General Post Office, in Britain * Social Security Government Pension Offset, a provision reducing benefits * Government Pharmaceutical Organization, a Thai state enterpris ...
on O'Connell Street. * 22 April ** Two marches were held in Dublin by the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and
Republican Sinn Féin Republican Sinn Féin or RSF ( ga, Sinn Féin Poblachtach) is an Irish republican political party in Ireland. RSF claims to be heirs of the Sinn Féin party founded in 1905 and took its present form in 1986 following a split in Sinn Féin. RS ...
. ** The
Irish Prison Service The Irish Prison Service (IPS) () manages the day-to-day operation of prisons in the Republic of Ireland. Political responsibility for the Ireland's prisons rests with the Minister of the Department of Justice. Budget, staff, and figures As of ...
announced that almost €700,000 was to be spent over the next two years on the electronic tagging of prisoners. * 23 April – New legislation was published which will allow up to 60,000 parents a year to gain new paid parental leave and benefit from November. * 24 April **Consultants claimed that conditions are so bad at University Hospital Waterford that dead bodies have been left on trolleys, often leaking body fluids on to the floor. **The President, the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister Theresa May attended the funeral of Lyra McKee in Derry. * 25 April – Three teenagers required medical attention for burns after they were splashed with a corrosive liquid during an altercation in Waterford. * 26 April **A Status Red wind warning for County Clare was issued by Met Éireann in preparation for Storm Hannah. **The Taoiseach and the UK Prime Minister confirmed the establishment of talks involving the main political parties in Northern Ireland in an effort to restore power-sharing. * 27 April – Minister for Health Simon Harris announced that he wants to make children's vaccinations mandatory and has sought legal advice on the matter. * 28 April – Members the Fingal Battalion Direct Action Group protested outside the home of Minister for Health Simon Harris for a number of hours in Greystones. * 29 April – An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.1 was recorded about 15 km south east of
Donegal Donegal may refer to: County Donegal, Ireland * County Donegal, a county in the Republic of Ireland, part of the province of Ulster * Donegal (town), a town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland * Donegal Bay, an inlet in the northwest of Ireland b ...
and 15 km north east of Ballyshannon. * 30 April – A memorial to the 49,000 Irishmen who died in Flanders was inaugurated in the Peace Garden in Dublin.


May

* 1 May – After a 15-week trial and 20 hours of deliberations, the jury found 50-year-old farmer Patrick Quirke guilty of murdering his so-called love rival Bobby Ryan. * 3 May – Terminally ill Ruth Morrissey was awarded €2.1 million in damages over the misreading of smear tests and the failure to tell her about it. * 4 May – The Taoiseach apologised to anyone who feels he did not treat seriously the concerns raised about mortuary services at University Hospital Waterford. * 7 May – The Cabinet approved the €3 billion National Broadband Plan (NBP) which aims to bring high-speed internet to more than 540,000 premises across rural Ireland. * 8 May – A memo from the Department of Public Expenditure revealed that it recommended the government not proceed with the preferred bidder for the National Broadband Plan . * 9 May –
Garda Commissioner The Garda Commissioner ( ga, Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána) – officially known as the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána – is the head of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. The Garda Commissione ...
Drew Harris Jeremy Andrew Harris, (born 5 April 1965), is the current Commissioner of the Garda Síochána in the Republic of Ireland, having assumed office in September 2018. He previously served as Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern ...
said the system to ensure disqualified drivers do not use the roads is "not working" and has created road safety problems. * 10 May – Ireland became only the second country in the world to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency. * 14 May – Leading National Hunt owner Michael O'Leary announced that he was to phase out his racing team at Gigginstown House Stud over the next "four or five years". * 16 May – Three members of the Garda Síochána – a superintendent, an inspector and a detective – were arrested for alleged links with a Munster organised crime group. * 17 May – Murdered journalist Lyra McKee was posthumously honoured with a special award for outstanding commitment and contribution to journalism. * 19 May – The son of Sophie Toscan du Plantier appealed for witnesses to come forward and give evidence in the upcoming trial in France of Ian Bailey. * 20 May – Britain's
Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, began a two-day visit to Ireland. * 21 May – A Drinkaware survey revealed that more than one in five Irish adults are classified as a hazardous drinker. * 22 May – King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
began a three-day state visit to Ireland. * 23 May – Gardaí in
Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
arrested 18 people and seized seven cars as part of an operation targeting feuding gangs in the town. * 24 May – Elections to the European Parliament, local authorities and a divorce referendum were held across Ireland. * 26 May – The referendum on divorce was passed by a large majority with a final result of 82.1% voting in favour, and 17.9% voting against. * 27 May – The trial of Ian Bailey for the murder of French woman Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork in 1996 started in Paris. * 28 May – More than 20,000 passengers were affected by delays to rail travel after services in and out of Heuston Station were suspended following a major signal fault. * 29 May – Fine Gael confirmed an internal review will be established to examine the facts surrounding
Maria Bailey Maria Bailey (born 21 November 1975) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 2016 to 2020. She served as Chair of the Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government ...
's civil case that was dropped earlier in the week. * 30 May – A full election recount was announced in the
Ireland South South is a constituency of the European Parliament in Ireland. It elects 5 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) using proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV). History and boundaries It was created in ...
constituency (election held on 24 May), which the returning officer saying it may cost up to €1 million, and could take up to 28 working days. * 31 May – Ian Bailey was found guilty in absentia by a French court of the
murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier Sophie Toscan du Plantier, a 39-year-old French woman, was killed outside her holiday home near Toormore, Goleen, County Cork, Ireland, on the night of 23 December 1996. British journalist Ian Bailey, who lived near Toscan du Plantier's home i ...
in 1996. Bailey's solicitors described proceedings as a "show trial."


June

* 1 June – Prominent Donegal county councillor
Frank McBrearty Jnr Frank McBrearty Jnr is an Irish politician and businessman, who has been a County Councillor on Donegal County Council since 2009. The son of Frank McBrearty Snr, McBrearty became known nationally as a result of the Morris Tribunal's ruling tha ...
resigned from the Fine Gael party just days after winning them a seat on the local council. * 3 June – The
Archbishop of Dublin The Archbishop of Dublin is an archepiscopal title which takes its name after Dublin, Ireland. Since the Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic successions to the title: one in the Catholic Church and the other in the Church of Irelan ...
Diarmuid Martin Diarmuid Martin (born 8 April 1945) is the retired Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. Martin was ordained a priest in 1969 and represented the Holy See at major United Nations International Conferences before becoming th ...
said violence in the capital has taken on an "unprecedented level of depravity". * 4 June – Sinn Féin withdrew its request for a full recount in the European Parliament election for Ireland South after initial counting indicated no major ballot anomalies. * 5 June **Around 124,000 students began their
Leaving Certificate A secondary school leaving qualification is a document signifying that the holder has fulfilled any secondary education requirements of their locality, often including the passage of a final qualification examination. For each leaving certifica ...
and Junior Cycle exams. ** President Trump and
First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
Melania Melania is a feminine given name that derives from the Greek word (melania) meaning "black, dark". People named Melania include: * Melania the Elder (350–410), a Christian saint and an influential figure in the ascetic movement * Melania the ...
landed at Shannon Airport to begin their first official visit to Ireland. * 6 June – Around 2,000 people protested in Dublin city centre against the ongoing visit of Donald Trump to Ireland. * 7 June – 27-year-old Dubliner Fiona Geraghty was one of 17 people killed in a bus crash in Dubai. * 8 June – Eleven people appeared in court charged with over 200 counts relating to the alleged rape, sexual exploitation and neglect of children. * 9 June – The Scottish government said Irish vessels could be boarded if they do not stop fishing in the waters around the disputed Rockall. * 10 June – Former US Secretary of State John Kerry at an ocean summit in Cork criticised world leaders who have been lying about the climate crisis and have dismissed the scientific evidence. * 11 June **A 39-year-old man was fatally stabbed on O'Connell Street in Dublin. **The second report of the Scally Inquiry into the CervicalCheck scandal found wider outsourcing of screening tests, with 16 laboratories being used rather than six. ** There was major disruption on the 3.04pm rail service from Galway to Dublin Heuston when a woman went into labour and gave birth just outside Kildare. * 12 June – A court in Paris, which last week found Ian Bailey guilty of the
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, has ordered him to pay €115,000 to reimburse her family. * 13 June – Two men were killed after their light aircraft came down in a remote field near
Athy Athy ( ; ) is a market town at the meeting of the River Barrow and the Grand Canal in south-west County Kildare, Ireland, 72 kilometres southwest of Dublin. A population of 9,677 (as of the 2016 census) makes it the sixth largest town in Kild ...
,
County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...
. * 14 June – A man was arrested following the discovery of the body of a woman at a house near Westport,
County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
. * 15 June – A formal apology was issued to former Garda Majella Moynihan, the woman who was found in breach of discipline after becoming pregnant out of wedlock in 1984. * 17 June – The Government launched its climate action plan in an effort to "nudge people and businesses to change behaviour" in a bid to tackle climate change. * 18 June – Two 14-year-old boys were found guilty of the
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
of 14-year-old Ana Kriégel in
Lucan Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (3 November 39 AD – 30 April 65 AD), better known in English as Lucan (), was a Roman poet, born in Corduba (modern-day Córdoba), in Hispania Baetica. He is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imperial ...
in May 2018. * 19 June – Ireland was awarded a road safety prize from the European Transport Safety Council for its "exemplary progress" in reducing road deaths in recent years. * 20 June – Limerick was awarded the title of European Green Leaf 2020 for smaller cities. * 21 June –
An Post (; literally 'The Post') is the state-owned provider of postal services in Ireland. An Post provides a "universal postal service" to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union. Services provided include letter post, p ...
announced that deliveries to the Mac Uilliam Estate in Tallaght have been suspended following ongoing threats to its staff. * 22 June – A grenade dating back to the Civil War was made safe by the Defence Forces army bomb disposal team after being found in Clontarf. * 23 June **Ireland's first
Ironman Triathlon An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), consisting of a swim, a bicycle ride and a marathon run completed in that order, a total of . It is widely consider ...
was held at Youghal, County Cork; however, poor weather conditions forced organisers to cancel the swim on safety grounds. **The
Donegal International Rally The Donegal International Rally is an annual sporting event held in County Donegal, Ireland. It is a well-established Irish annual rally competition and has been one of the most important events in the Irish Rallying calendar. It has a reputati ...
was cancelled when
Manus Kelly Manus "Mandy" Kelly (9 February 1978 – 23 June 2019) was an Irish rally driver, businessman, and local politician. As a rally driver, he participated in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and won the Donegal International Rally on three cons ...
, who won the event for the last three years, was killed at Fanad Head. * 24 June – The Fine Gael organisation in Waterford passed a unanimous motion of no confidence in its sitting TD, John Deasy. * 25 June ** The Summer Economic Statement revealed that a no-deal Brexit would leave the Government having to borrow almost €5bn Instead of running a €1.2bn surplus. ** The statue of musician Luke Kelly on Dublin's Sheriff Street was vandalised with black paint. * 26 June – 10,000 HSE support staff at 38 hospitals took part in 24 hours of industrial action over pay. * 27 June – Siptu accepted an invitation to attend a preliminary hearing at the Labour Court to discuss the dispute involving 10,000 health service workers. * 28 June – The Taoiseach attended the 20th anniversary of the British-Irish Council in Manchester. * 29 June – Tens of thousands of people turned out on the streets of the capital to celebrate
Dublin Pride The Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride Festival is an annual series of events which celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) life in Dublin, Ireland. It is the largest LGBTQ+ pride festival on the island of Ireland. The festival culmi ...
.


July

* 1 July **Promising boxer Kevin Sheehy is killed in a hit-and-run incident in Limerick. ** Edward Crawford presented his credentials to President Higgins to begin his tenure as United States Ambassador to Ireland officially. * 2 July – Barry's Tea withdrew its local sponsorship of an annual greyhound race following a ''
Prime Time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
'' documentary on the sport in Ireland. * 3 July – The inquest into the death of Denis Donaldson was told that proceedings had been instituted against a person for his murder. * 4 July **The chief executive of the
NTMA The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) ( ga, Gníomhaireacht Bainistíochta an Chisteáin Náisiúnta) is the agency that manages the assets and liabilities of the Government of Ireland. It was established on 1 December 1990 to borrow for ...
said that Ireland has a "mountain of debt" that currently stands at €205 billion, some four times higher than it was in the 2000s. **Taoiseach Leo Varadkar apologised for his comments to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin where he likened him to a "sinning priest". * 5 July – A two-year-old girl died in Cork University Hospital after being found seriously injured in an apartment in the city. * 8 July – The '' Irish Daily Mail'' was fined €25,000 for contempt of court arising from an article published during the trial of two teenage boys for the murder of Ana Kriégel. * 9 July **The Taoiseach apologised on behalf of the State to people who were sexually abused in day schools before 1992. **A new air traffic surveillance system - which can accurately pinpoint the location of any aircraft in distress - was launched at the IAA's control centre near Shannon. * 10 July – Hundreds of farmers protested in Dublin to highlight their concerns about farm incomes and oppose the proposed Mercosur trade deal. * 11 July – A ten-year-old boy died following a drowning incident at a house in Carlingford,
County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...
. * 12 July – Members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association deferred industrial action in a row over pay and working conditions. * 13 July – A potential data breach at Google was being assessed after reports that their Home smart speaker may have been recording conversations among users. * 14 July – Events were held around the country to mark the National Day of Commemoration. * 15 July – The world's first dedicated plastic waste to wax factory opened in
County Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medie ...
. * 16 July – Gemma O'Doherty's YouTube account was permanently removed for breaching its policies on hate speech after posting a video which criticised ethnic minorities. * 17 July – The Minister for Health confirmed the creation of six new regional health boards in the biggest restructuring of the HSE since it was founded 15 years ago. * 18 July – ISIL bride Lisa Smith said she doesn't think she will ever be going back to Ireland and her decision to move to Islamic State (IS) "wasn't worth it". - The M11 Enniscorthy bypass was opened to traffic by the Taoiseach * 19 July – France's Europe Minister Amelie de Montchalin said she had seen at first hand the importance of an ordered Brexit after visiting the Irish border. * 20 July – Hundreds of protestors marched through the streets of Cork to protest the proposed closure of and the loss of 240 jobs at the Cork Mail Centre in Little Island. * 21 July – A man was taken to hospital after being struck by a car that drove at a number of persons in a crowded St. Patrick's Cemetery in Dundalk. * 22 July – An overtime ban involving 6,000 psychiatric nurses was to restart in 48 hours after talks between nurses and health-service management failed to reach an agreement. * 23 July – Fine Gael TD
Maria Bailey Maria Bailey (born 21 November 1975) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 2016 to 2020. She served as Chair of the Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government ...
was removed as Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing over the infamous swing case. * 24 July – Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said comments made by new British Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the Irish backstop are "not in the real world". * 25 July – The Gardaí began an investigation into the standard of care at Hyde & Seek creches after an
RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...
documentary revealed how children were roughly handled. * 26 July – The Tánaiste described Boris Johnson's approach to Brexit as "unhelpful" after a meeting with new Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith in Belfast. * 27 July – Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said an all-Ireland forum on Irish unity should be convened without delay. * 29 July – 18-year-old
Fionn Ferreira Fionn Miguel Eckardt Ferreira (from Ballydehob, County Cork, Ireland) is an Irish inventor, chemistry student and Forbes 30 under 30 listee. He is known for his invention of a method to remove microplastic particles from water using a natural f ...
, from Ballydehob, was named the Grand Prize winner at the 2019 Google Science Fair. * 30 July – Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke by telephone for the first time since Mr Johnson took office almost a week ago. * 31 July – The Central Bank warned that a no-deal Brexit would lead to a dramatic Irish economic slowdown and result in 34,000 fewer jobs.


August

* 1 August – A man whose leg got trapped on the Connemara shoreline during a rising tide was brought to safety in a multi-agency rescue. * 2 August – It was confirmed that the Liffey Swim would go ahead as planned in spite of concerns over the result of water quality tests following a recent overflow into the river. * 3 August – Taoiseach Leo Varadkar took part in Belfast's pride parade for the first time. * 5 August – A 19-year-old man who was hospitalised over the weekend after taking a substance at the Indiependence music festival died. * 6 August **The number of women identified as part of the CervicalCheck IT problem was revealed to be over 4,000, according to the Rapid Review report. **A 15-year-old boy from Navan died after falling from a wall on the Spanish island of
Lanzarote Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is located approximately off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the i ...
. * 9 August – Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny won a yachting regatta alongside adventurer Bear Grylls in the Isle of Wight. * 10 August – Met Éireann issued a yellow weather warning for parts of the midlands and north-east as heavy rain was expected. * 11 August – '' The Sunday Telegraph'' in the UK claimed that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had accepted an offer to meet the Taoiseach to discuss Brexit and the backstop. * 12 August – A spokesperson confirmed that, contrary to some reports, Boris Johnson had no meeting scheduled with the Taoiseach to discuss Brexit. * 13 August **Almost 59,000 students received the results of their Leaving Certificate examinations, a 3% increase on numbers sitting the exam compared to last year. **A three-year-old Irish boy, who was in a critical condition following an incident at a swimming pool in Spain, died. **A body found in a rain forest in Malaysia was confirmed to be that of missing Irish teenager Nora Quoirin. * 18 August – Tipperary win the All Ireland Hurling final against Kilkenny. * 19 August **A roadside bomb explodes in Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh. It is believed the attack was targeting PSNI officers and that the Continuity IRA was responsible. **A 54-year-old man is shot dead in a car at a filling station in Waringstown,
County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...
. * 26 August – New figures revealed that over 1,600 cars had been impounded from unaccompanied learner drivers since new legislation was introduced in December. * 29 August – Sinn Féin was left a £1.5 million (€1.66m) donation in the will of London-born party supporter William E. Hampton. * 30 August – Beef farmers protesting at the ABP meat-processing plant in Bandon agreed a "one-day" deal to allow a Chinese delegation to visit the facility. * 31 August – Former Stormont education minister John O'Dowd signalled his ambition to replace Michelle O'Neill as Sinn Féin's vice president.


September

* 1 September – The Catholic Church claimed for the first time that a pilgrim experienced a "miraculous cure" in Knock. * 2 September – Thomas Kavanagh, a senior figure in the Kinahan organised crime gang, was jailed in the UK for three years for possessing a disguised firearm. * 3 September –
US Vice-President The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice pr ...
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
met with the Taoiseach and President Higgins at the start of his visit to Ireland. * 4 September – The EU's chief Brexit negotiator,
Michel Barnier Michel Barnier (born 9 January 1951) is a French politician who served as the European Commission's Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom (UK Task Force/UKTF) from 2019 to 2021. He previously served as Chief Negotiator, Task ...
, pulled out of a planned visit to Northern Ireland. * 5 September – The World Health Organization revealed that Ireland has one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption and heavy drinking in Europe, * 6 September –
Aontú Aontú (; "Unite") is an all-Ireland political party that was formally launched in January 2019, and operates in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ideologically, Aontú is opposed to abortion and combines elements of social con ...
leader Peadar Tóibín said if his party's candidates are electorally successful in Northern Ireland, they will not take their seats in the British Parliament. * 7 September – Over 180,000 cigarettes were seized after an Italian-registered merchant vessel was detained off the coast of Dublin by revenue officers. * 8 September – Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin accused the Government of being far too passive in its planning for a no-deal Brexit. * 9 September **The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister held their first face-to-face meeting to discuss Brexit since Boris Johnson took over at Number 10. **It was announced that Ireland's EU Commissioner Phil Hogan will be appointed the EU's chief trade negotiator. * 10 September – Up to 3,000 workers have been laid off at meat processing plants amid the ongoing dispute over beef prices, according to Meat Industry Ireland. * 11 September –
Minister for Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
Paschal Donohoe ruled out any reductions in personal taxation in the next Budget. * 12 September **Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that May 2020 would be the "right moment" for a general election. **President Higgins said members of the Defence Forces should have incomes that are sufficient to provide for themselves and their families. ** Independent TD
Noel Grealish Noel Grealish (born 16 December 1965) is an Irish Independent politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency since the 2002 general election. Political career He is from the Gaeltacht region of Carnmore, near G ...
was criticised for comments he reportedly made at a public meeting in which he described African economic migrants as "spongers". * 13 September – The Taoiseach conceded that his party would be willing to support a Fianna Fáil-led Government under a new confidence and supply agreement. * 14 September – It was revealed that the Taoiseach decided not to remove the Fine Gael party whip from 'swing-gate' TD Maria Bailey following appeals from the Tánaiste. * 15 September – An agreement was reached between beef farmers and meat processors after 36 hours of talks organised by the
Minister for Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...
Michael Creed Michael Creed (born 29 June 1963) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cork North-West constituency since 2007, and previously from 1989 to 2002. He previously served as Minister for Agriculture, Food and ...
. * 16 September – Researchers at NUI Galway made aviation history by using drone technology to deliver diabetes medication to the Aran Islands. * 17 September – A former IRA member alleged that Gerry Adams "lied" by claiming he was never a member of the IRA. * 18 September – Kevin Lunney, a director of
Quinn Industrial Holdings Mannok, formerly the QUINN group, is a business group headquartered in Derrylin, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The group has ventured into cement and concrete products, container glass, general insurance, radiators, plastics, hotels, and r ...
was left with a broken leg after he was abducted near his Fermanagh home and assaulted. * 19 September – Processing resumed at Slaney Meats, one of the meat plants that was at the centre of a month-long beef protest blockade. * 20 September ** Thousands of Irish students took part in what was described as the largest global climate protest in history. ** The
Museum of Literature Ireland The Museum of Literature Ireland ( ga, Músaem Litríochta na hÉireann), branded MoLI in an homage to Molly Bloom, is a literary museum in Dublin, Ireland. It opened in September 2019. The museum is a partnership between the National Library o ...
(MoLI) opened in Dublin. * 21 September – The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association revealed that a million people are on waiting lists for acute hospital appointments. * 22 September – The last remaining beef protest blockade was stood down as farmers who had been blockading the Liffey Meats plant in Ballinasloe voted to end their action. * 23 September – The Taoiseach told the United Nations Climate Action Summit in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
that the Government was planning to phase out oil exploration in 80% Irish waters. * 24 September – The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister held Brexit talks on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly. * 25 September – Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin called for the establishment of a cross-border multi-disciplinary agency to tackle criminal activity in the border region. * 27 September – The Finance Minister ruled out a supplementary budget in the event of a no-deal Brexit. * 28 September – John Delaney resigned from his position of Executive Vice President of the Football Association of Ireland with immediate effect. * 29 September – Gardaí recovered a very valuable 17th Century chalice that was stolen during a burglary in Ardee in 1998. * 30 September – The UK proposed the creation of a string of customs posts along both sides of the Irish border as part of its effort to replace the backstop.


October

* 1 October **The Taoiseach insisted the British government should not "impose" customs checks "against the will of the people" north and south of the border. **The developer of a hotel in
Oughterard Oughterard () is a small town on the banks of the Owenriff River close to the western shore of Lough Corrib in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. The population of the town in 2016 was 1,318. It is located about northwest of Galway on the N5 ...
which was earmarked to open as a direct provision centre withdrew his tender and would not be proceeding with the development. * 2 October – A whale, estimated to be 20 feet in length, was spotted in the River Liffey near the opening to Dublin Bay. * 3 October – The full force of
Storm Lorenzo Hurricane Lorenzo, also known as Storm Lorenzo for Ireland and the United Kingdom while extratropical, was the easternmost Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record. Lorenzo was the twelfth named storm, fifth hurricane, third major hurrica ...
was felt along the west and south west coasts over night with high winds, torrential rain and heavy seas. * 4 October – Bailout funds amounting to some €450m to plug overspending in departments, most of which is in Health, were agreed by the Government. * 5 October – A number of workers were brought to hospital after a chemical leak in West Dublin. * 6 October – Two men were killed in a light aircraft crash in
County Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
. * 7 October – A number of road blocks were mounted by climate change activists in a Dublin city centre demonstration as part of the Extinction Rebellion campaign. * 8 October – Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe announced his
budget A budget is a calculation play, usually but not always financial, for a defined period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including time, costs and expenses, environmenta ...
which included a €6 increase in the carbon tax. * 9 October – Fossilised bones from an amphibian-like creature that lived on the west coast 325 million years ago were found near Doolin. * 10 October – The Taoiseach said a Brexit deal by the 31 October deadline was possible following talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Liverpool. * 11 October – Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin ruled out an autumn snap general election if a successful EU-UK deal is negotiated before the Brexit Halloween deadline. * 13 October – The founding rector of Ireland's only Catholic university, precursor of University College Dublin, John Henry Newman was canonised by Pope Francis. * 28 October – Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny's car was set ablaze outside his family home after he spoke out against anti-immigrant elements in Irish society.


November

* 5 November – Two teenage boys received respective sentences of life and 15 years for the murder of 14-year-old Ana Kriégel last year. * 12 November **A new law came into effect making the reckless overtaking of cyclists illegal, punishable by a fine of €120 and a minimum of three penalty points. **The Immigrant Council said comments by Independent TD
Noel Grealish Noel Grealish (born 16 December 1965) is an Irish Independent politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency since the 2002 general election. Political career He is from the Gaeltacht region of Carnmore, near G ...
that €10 billion had been sent abroad over the last eight years are "shameful" and "racist". * 14 November – Controversial Fine Gael TD
Maria Bailey Maria Bailey (born 21 November 1975) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 2016 to 2020. She served as Chair of the Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government ...
was deselected as a candidate for the Dún Laoghaire constituency for the next general election. * 23 November- A Protest Rally was held in Roscommon town against the proposed closure of a respite Holiday Centre in the county. * 26 November – Four men appeared in court charged with assault and false imprisonment of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney. * 28 November- It is revealed that the cost of the new Dáil printer for the Houses of the Oireachtas cost €1.6 million Euros * 29 November – By-elections were held in Dublin Mid-West, Cork North-Central, Dublin Fingal and Wexford to replace outgoing TDs. * 30 November – Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy said he had been compliant "at all times" with Leinster House rules following criticism over his Dáil attendance.


December

* 1 December **Dublin receives its first dedicated 24-hour bus services, with the launch of Dublin Bus routes 15 and 41. **Former member of the Defence Forces Lisa Smith was arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences after arriving at Dublin Airport on a flight from Turkey. * 2 December – A new €22m white-water rafting facility in George's Dock was approved by Dublin City Council. * 3 December – The Government survived a motion of no confidence in Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy by three votes. * 4 December **Fine Gael's Dara Murphy resigned his seat as TD for Cork North-Central to take up a new role in the European Commission. **Former Defence Forces member Lisa Smith appeared in court in Dublin charged with committing a terrorist offence between October 2015 and December 2019. **Gardaí launched an investigation after eight migrants were discovered hiding aboard a bulk cargo ship by crew in Waterford. * 5 December – Farmers mounted a 12-hour blockade of Aldi in Naas in protest over beef prices. * 6 December – The publication of the Football Association of Ireland's accounts revealed liabilities of €55m. * 7 December – The Taoiseach said imposing restrictions on TDs and senators from double-jobbing would "need consideration". * 8 December – Storm Atiyah made landfall in Ireland bringing high winds and rough seas as it tracked eastwards across the country. * 9 December – Kerry TD
Michael Healy-Rae Michael Healy-Rae (born 9 January 1967) is an Irish Independent politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kerry constituency since 2016, and previously from 2011 to 2016 for the Kerry South constituency. He previously served as Chair ...
was treated for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out in his office/shop. * 10 December – A recently discovered painting by the Jack Butler Yeats, which lay hidden in a bank vault for 52 years, sold for more than triple its guide price. * 11 December – The Minister for Children announced that adopted people will not be given automatic access to their birth records under planned changes to legislation. * 12 December – The Irish harp was inscribed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. * 13 December – It was reported that Ireland had been granted an enhanced role in how the Brexit agreement will be implemented. * 14 December – The Taoiseach said an independent person may be appointed to examine the Dáil attendance record and expenses claims of former TD Dara Murphy. * 15 December – It was revealed that Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin had written to the Taoiseach seeking agreement on a date for the next general election. * 16 December – The High Court endorsed a European Arrest Warrant issued by the French Authorities who are seeking the extradition of Ian Bailey. * 17 December – The
Minister for Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Just ...
announced that Ireland is to accept up to 2,900 refugees over the next four years through resettlement and community sponsorship. * 18 December – The Fine Gael Executive Council decided to deselect Verona Murphy as a candidate for the Wexford constituency for the next general election. * 19 December – Three men charged with false imprisonment and attacking Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) director Kevin Lunney were denied bail in the High Court. * 22 December – Tesco Ireland withdrew Christmas cards from sale that were manufactured in a Chinese factory that is alleged to have used "forced labour". * 23 December **The High Court rejected
Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings family ...
's attempt to prevent operations chief Peter Bellew from joining rival EasyJet until 2021. **The Taoiseach wrote to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to say the two men should meet in the first days of 2020 to discuss an agreed general election date. * 28 December – Two people who were kayaking on Lough Derg near
Garrykennedy Garrykennedy (''Garraí Uí Chinnéide'' in Irish) is a townland, settlement and harbour in the historical Barony of Owney and Arra, County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located on the eastern shore of Lough Derg, 2 km north of Portroe Buildin ...
were rescued by the
RNLI The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
after getting into difficulty. * 29 December – The Football Association of Ireland board apologised to those involved in Irish football, the public and its staff for "mistakes of the past".


Arts

* 8 January – The Arts Council withheld €300,000 in funding from the Abbey Theatre, pending confirmation of employment opportunities for Irish-based artists. * 18 January – The Cranberries band members were made Honorary Doctors of Letters at a special ceremony at the University of Limerick. * 31 January – Radio station RTÉ 2fm was renamed Larry Gogan FM for the day in honour of the DJ who retired after 40 years with the station. * 31 May – Radio station RTÉ 2fm celebrated its 40th anniversary. * 20 September –
Museum of Literature Ireland The Museum of Literature Ireland ( ga, Músaem Litríochta na hÉireann), branded MoLI in an homage to Molly Bloom, is a literary museum in Dublin, Ireland. It opened in September 2019. The museum is a partnership between the National Library o ...
(MoLI) opened in Dublin. * 26 November – It was announced that the David Cohen Prize for literature was being awarded to Edna O'Brien for her lifetime achievement.


Deaths


January

* 2 January ** Peter Kelly, 74, politician, TD (2002–2011), cancer. ** Joe McCabe, 99, hurler (
Clonad Clonad GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association hurling club in County Laois, Ireland which fields teams from Under-10 right up to adult level. While Clonad GAA club has successfully fielded underage and adult Gaelic football teams in the past, f ...
, Laois). * 4 January – John Nallen, 86,
Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
er (
Tuam Stars Tuam Stars ( ga, Réalta Thuama) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Tuam area in County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The club is a member of the Galway GAA. Underage teams up to U-16's play in the Galway GAA, Galway lea ...
, Mayo, Galway). * 7 January – Jim Horgan, 63, sports reporter and radio journalist ( Cork's 96FM). * 16 January – Alan McQuillan, 37, radio presenter and producer ( RTÉ 2fm). * 19 January – Emma Church, 54, CervicalCheck scandal campaigner, cervical cancer. * 21 January –
Padraic Fiacc Padraic Fiacc (born Patrick Joseph O'Connor; 15 April 1924 – 21 January 2019) was an Irish poet, and member of Aosdána, the exclusive Irish Arts Academy. Biographical information Born Patrick Joseph O'Connor in Belfast to Bernard and Annie ( ...
, 94, poet.


February

* 7 February ** Arthur Murphy, 90, singer and broadcaster. **Noel Reid, 80, racing journalist and broadcaster. * 8 February – Frankie Byrne, 94, Gaelic footballer (
Meath Meath may refer to: General * County Meath, Republic of Ireland **Kingdom of Meath, medieval precursor of the county ** List of kings of Meath ** Meath GAA, including the intercounty football and hurling teams ** Diocese of Meath, in the Roman Cath ...
). * 9 February **
Mick Kennedy Michael Francis Martin Kennedy (9 April 1961 – 9 February 2019) was a professional association football, footballer who played in the English Football League for Halifax Town A.F.C., Halifax Town, Huddersfield Town A.F.C., Huddersfield Town, ...
, 57, footballer ( Portsmouth,
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
, national team). ** Tomi Ungerer, 87,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
-born author and illustrator. * 11 February – Nora Bennis, 78, political activist and pro-life campaigner. * 28 February – Noel Mulcahy, 88, politician,
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
(1977–1981).


March

* 1 March – Kevin Roche, 96, architect,
Pritzker Prize The Pritzker Architecture Prize is an international architecture award presented annually "to honor a living architect or architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produ ...
winner (1982). * 2 March –
Liam Gilmartin Liam Gilmartin (31 May 1921 – 2 March 2019) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played at club level with St Patrick's and at senior level for the Roscommon county team. He usually lined out as a midfielder. Gilmartin is regarded as one of Ro ...
, 97, Gaelic footballer ( Roscommon). * 4 March – Edward Collins, 78, politician, TD (1969–1987). * 14 March – Pat Laffan, 79, actor ('' The Snapper'', '' Father Ted''). * 16 March –
Dessie Larkin Dessie Larkin (c. 1970 – 18 March 2019) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a member of Donegal County Council representing the Letterkenny electoral area from 1999 to 2014. He served as the County Council's chair of the Planning & ...
, 49, politician, Councillor (1999–2014). * 17 March ** Richie Ryan, 90, politician, TD (1959–1982),
MEP MEP may refer to: Organisations and politics * Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, a political party in Sri Lanka * Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (1956), a former political alliance in Sri Lanka * Maison européenne de la photographie, a photography centre ...
(1973–1977, 1979–1984) and Minister for Finance and the Public Service (1973–1977). **
Mick Carley Michael Carley (1940 – 17 March 2019) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for several clubs ( St Mary's Rochfortbridge, St Loman's, The Downs and Tyrrellspass) and for the Westmeath county team. He usually lined out at Midfield. Carley ...
, 78, Gaelic footballer ( Westmeath). ** Bernie Tormé, 66, guitarist, singer and songwriter, pneumonia. * 18 March –
Jackie Fahey John Fahey (23 January 1928 – 18 March 2019) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála (TD) for over twenty five years. Fahey was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary in 1928. He was educated locally at the Christian Brothe ...
, 91, politician, TD (1965–1992) and Minister of State (1979–1981). * 20 March – Laura Brennan, 26,
HPV vaccine Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are vaccines that prevent infection by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Available HPV vaccines protect against either two, four, or nine types of HPV. All HPV vaccines protect against at least HP ...
campaigner, cervical cancer. * 22 March - Philomena Canning, 59, activist and campaigner for women's health and birth rights, ovarian cancer. * 26 March -
Bronco McLoughlin Anthony "Bronco" McLoughlin (10 August 1938 – 26 March 2019) was an Irish actor, stuntman, and animal trainer. He performed and co-ordinated stunts in more than 40 movies, including being tied to the wooden cross that floats over the top of ...
, 80, actor, stuntman and animal trainer. * 27 March – John Browne, 82, politician,
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
(1983–1987) and TD (1989–2002).


April

* 2 April – Michael Fahy, 78, politician, Councillor (1979–2019). * 3 April – Pádraig Ó hUiginn, 94, civil servant. * 20 April –
Terence Dolan Terence Dolan (8 April 1943 – 20 April 2019) was an Irish lexicographer and radio personality. He was professor of Old and Middle English in the School of English and Drama at University College Dublin. He acted as the School's Research Co-or ...
, 76, academic and compiler of "A Dictionary of Hiberno-English." * 25 April – Feargal Quinn, 82, businessman and
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
(1983–2016), short illness.


May

* 5 May – Eugene McGee, 77, journalist and Gaelic football manager ( Offaly,
Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road that links Dublin (to the south) with Enniskillen, Bally ...
, national team). * 16 May –
Tommy O'Connell Thomas B. O'Connell (September 26, 1930 – March 20, 2014) was an American collegiate and professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. He played in 1953 for the Chicago Bears and in 1956 ...
, 79, hurler ( Fenians,
Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...
). * 17 May –
Anton O'Toole Anthony Thomas O'Toole (18 February 1951 – 17 May 2019) was an Irish Gaelic footballer. His league and championship career at senior level with the Dublin county team spanned thirteen seasons from 1972 to 1984, including six All-Ireland final ...
, 68, Gaelic footballer ( Synge Street P.P., Dublin). * 19 May –
Howard Kilroy Howard Kilroy (30 January 1936 – 17 May 2019) was an Irish accountant and businessman. He was a governor of the Bank of Ireland, CFO of Smurfit Kappa and board member at Cement Roadstone Holdings (CRH). His involvement in Scouting at World Lev ...
, 83, accountant and businessman. * 21 May – Michael Lynch, 84, politician, TD (1982 and 1987–1989) and
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
(1983–1987). * 23 May – Pegg Monahan, 97, actress. * 25 May – Séamus McGrane, 64, dissident republican ( Real IRA), heart attack. * 31 May – Paddy Fahey, 102, composer and fiddler.


June

* 5 June ** Johnny McGrath, 88, hurler ( Nenagh Éire Óg, Tipperary). ** John Lynch, 86, Gaelic footballer (
Tuam Stars Tuam Stars ( ga, Réalta Thuama) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Tuam area in County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The club is a member of the Galway GAA. Underage teams up to U-16's play in the Galway GAA, Galway lea ...
, Roscommon). * 7 June –
Ned Wheeler Ned Wheeler (8 May 1932 – 6 June 2019) was an Irish hurler who played for Wexford Senior Championship club Faythe Harriers. He played for the Wexford senior hurling team for 16 years, during which time he usually lined out at midfield but w ...
, 87, hurler ( Faythe Harriers, Wexford, Leinster). * 9 June –
Pádraig Carney Pádraig Carney (1928 – 9 June 2019) was a Gaelic footballer who played as a centre-forward for the senior Mayo county team. He was one of the last two living players from the winning 1951 Mayo team, the other being Paddy Prendergast. C ...
, 91, Gaelic footballer (
Castlebar Mitchels Castlebar Mitchels is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Castlebar area in County Mayo, Ireland. The club was founded in 1885 and is named after the nationalist John Mitchel (1815–1875). Though football is the club's dominant spor ...
, Mayo, Connacht), short illness. * 12 June – Philomena Lynott, 88, author, entrepreneur and mother of
Phil Lynott Philip Parris Lynott (, ; 20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986) was an Irish singer, bassist, and songwriter. His most commercially successful group was Thin Lizzy, of which he was a founding member, the principal songwriter, lead vocalist and ba ...
, cancer. * 18 June – Tom Dillon, 93, Gaelic footballer ( Ahascragh, Galway, Connacht). * 20 June – Jimmy Reardon, 93, Olympic sprinter. * 23 June **
Manus Kelly Manus "Mandy" Kelly (9 February 1978 – 23 June 2019) was an Irish rally driver, businessman, and local politician. As a rally driver, he participated in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and won the Donegal International Rally on three cons ...
, 41, rally driver, businessman and politician, Councillor (2019), race collision. **
John Dillon John Dillon (4 September 1851 – 4 August 1927) was an Irish politician from Dublin, who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for over 35 years and was the last leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party. By political disposition Dillon was an a ...
, 76, hurler ( Roscrea, Tipperary). * 25 June -
Alfie Linehan Alphonsus James Linehan (20 April 1940 – 25 June 2019) was an Irish cricketer. A right-handed batsman, he played eleven times for the Ireland cricket team between 1971 and 1975 including two first-class matches against Scotland.
, 79, cricketer ( national team). * 28 June – Tom Jordan, 82, actor ('' Fair City''). * 30 June – Brídín Uí Mhaolagáin, President of the Camogie Association (1991–1994).


July

* 1 July – Mary Coyne, 108, Ireland's oldest person. * 8 July – Arthur Ryan, 83, businessman, short illness. * 9 July – John Bailey, 74,
Gaelic games Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the ...
administrator and politician, Councillor (2004–2019), long illness. * 10 July –
Noel Whelan Noel David Whelan (; born 30 December 1974) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and radio co-commentator. As a player, he was a striker who notably played in the Premier League for Leeds United, Coventry City, and Mid ...
, 50, barrister and political analyst, short illness. * 11 July ** Brendan Grace, 68, comedian and singer, lung cancer. **
Séamus Hetherton Séamus Hetherton (1930 – 11 July 2019) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Cavan Championship club Munterconnaught. He played at senior level for the Cavan county team for five seasons, during which time he usually lined out at ri ...
, 89, Gaelic footballer (
Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road that links Dublin (to the south) with Enniskillen, Bally ...
). * 14 July – Robert Elgie, 54, academic. * 15 July -
Karl Shiels Karl Shiels (15 September 1971 – 15 July 2019) was an Irish actor of both stage and screen. His stage roles included ''Henry IV, Part 1'', ''Penelope'', ''At Swim-Two-Birds'', ''The Spanish Tragedy'', ''The Duchess of Malfi'', ''The Shadow o ...
, 47, actor. * 16 July – Tommy Byrne, politician, Councillor (1999-2009 and 2014–2019), short illness. * 21 July – Eddie Bohan, 86, politician,
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
(1987–2007). * 23 July – Danika McGuigan, 33, actress, cancer. * 25 July –
P. J. Qualter P. J. Qualter (1943 – 25 July 2019) was an Irish hurler who played for Galway Senior Championship club Turloughmore and at inter-county level with the Galway senior hurling team. He usually lined out as a full-forward. Honours ;Turloughmo ...
, 76, hurler (
Turloughmore Turloughmore ( ; ) is a village in County Galway, Ireland. The name means "the large lake," a notable feature of the area, together with the Clare River (''Abhainn an Chláir''). Turloughmore lies on the N63 national secondary road. It is a ...
, Galway). * 31 July –
Brendan Fennelly Brendan Fennelly (1956 – 31 July 2019) was an Irish hurling manager and player. A member of the famous Fennelly hurling dynasty, he enjoyed a successful playing career at club level with Ballyhale Shamrocks and at inter-county level with Ki ...
, 63, hurler ( Ballyhale Shamrocks,
Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...
) and manager (
Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272. The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...
, Laois).


August

* 6 August – Danny Doyle, 79, folk singer. * 12 August – John Coffey, 101, hurler ( Boherlahan-Dualla, Tipperary). * 14 August – Billy Purcell, 58, hurler ( Fenians,
Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...
). * 18 August – Gillian Hanna, 75, actress ('' Les Misérables'', '' All the Queen's Men'', ''
Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...
''), autoimmune disease.


September

* 19 September – Sandie Jones, 68, singer, long illness. * 20 September –
Séamus Hegarty Séamus Hegarty, D.D. (26 January 1940 – 20 September 2019) was an Irish Catholic prelate. He served as Bishop of Raphoe from 1982 to 1994, then as Bishop of Derry from 1994 to 2011. Early life and ministry Hegarty was born in Kilcar, County ...
, 79, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of
Raphoe Raphoe ( ; ) is a historical village in County Donegal, Ireland. It is the main town in the fertile district of East Donegal known as the Laggan, as well as giving its name to the Barony of Raphoe, which was later divided into the baronies of R ...
(1982–1994) and
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
(1994–2011). * 21 September –
Gerard Mannion Gerard Mannion (25 September 1970 – 21 September 2019) was an Irish theologian. He published extensively in the fields of ecclesiology, ethics, and public theology, as well as on other subjects in the area of systematic theology and philosophy. ...
, 48, theologian. * 25 September –
John McAdorey John McAdorey (16 September 1974 – 25 September 2019) was an Irish sprint (running), sprinter. He competed in the Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay, men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics. ...
, 45, athlete, cancer. * 28 September –
Dessie O'Halloran Desmond O'Halloran (29 August 1940 – 28 September 2019) was an Irish singer and musician. Biography A native of Inishbofin, O'Halloran emigrated to the United Kingdom in the 1950s, where he enjoyed regular success as a singer at the All-Br ...
, 79, singer and fiddler, short illness.


October

* 6 October –
Seán Clohessy Seán Clohosey (27 October 1931 – 6 October 2019) was an Irish hurler who played for club sides Tullaroan and Young Irelands. He played for the Kilkenny senior hurling team for a decade, during which time he lined out in a variety of position ...
, 87, hurler ( Tullaroan,
Kilkenny Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512. Kilken ...
, Leinster). * 7 October –
Ulick O'Connor Ulick O'Connor (; ; 12 October 1928 – 7 October 2019) was an Irish literature, Irish writer, historian and critic. Early life Born in Rathgar, County Dublin, in 1928 to Matthew O'Connor, the Dean of the Royal College of Surgeons, O'Connor a ...
, 90, writer, historian and critic. * 9 October ** Éamonn Burns, 56, Gaelic footballer and manager (
Bryansford Bryansford is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It sits at the northern side of Tollymore Forest Park, roughly halfway between the towns of Newcastle and Castlewellan. The village is within the townlands of Ballyhafry and Aghacu ...
,
Down Down most often refers to: * Down, the relative direction opposed to up * Down (gridiron football), in American/Canadian football, a period when one play takes place * Down feather, a soft bird feather used in bedding and clothing * Downland, a ty ...
). ** Thomas Flanagan, 89, Roman Catholic prelate, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of San Antonio (1998–2005). * 28 October – Art Foley, 90, hurler ( Wexford, Leinster). * 29 October ** Pat Griffin, 75, Gaelic footballer ( Glenbeigh-Glencar, Clonakilty, Kerry,
Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
). ** Johnny Joyce, 82, Gaelic footballer ( St. Vincent's, Dublin, Leinster). * 30 October –
Tom MacIntyre Tom MacIntyre (10 December 1931– 31 October 2019) was an Irish poet, playwright and writer. Born in Cavan, he grew up in Bailieborough with his four siblings, and briefly worked as a pharmaceutical chemist, before deciding to write. MacIntyre ...
, 87, poet, playwright and writer. * 31 October – Denis Bernard, 86, Gaelic footballer ( Dohenys,
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
,
Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
).


November

* 1 November –
Daniel Mullins Daniel Joseph Mullins (10 July 1929 – 1 November 2019) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Menevia from 1987 to 2001. Biography Born in Kilfinane, County Limerick, Ireland, on 10 July 1929, he was ordained to the priest ...
, 90, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Menevia (1987–2001). * 4 November –
Gay Byrne Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne (5 August 1934 – 4 November 2019) was an Irish presenter and host of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of '' The Late Late Show'' over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999. ''The Late Lat ...
, 85, broadcaster (''
The Late Late Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
'' ''
The Gay Byrne Show ''The Gay Byrne Show'' (previously ''The Gay Byrne Hour'' and also known as ''The GB Show'') was an Irish radio programme, which ran from 1973 until 1998. The programme was presented by Gay Byrne, and aired Monday to Friday for two hours each d ...
''), cancer. * 9 November – Cecil Pedlow, 84, rugby union player ( Lions, national team). * 13 November – Niall Tóibín, 89, actor and comedian, complications from dementia. * 25 November **
Muiris Mac Conghail Muiris Mac Conghail (12 May 1941 – 25 November 2019) was an Irish journalist, writer, broadcaster, poet and film-maker. Early life Mac Conghail was born in Dublin, son of artists Marcus Mac Conighail and Aida Kelly. His father, a cousin of Ha ...
, 78, journalist, writer and broadcaster. ** Terry Kelly, 86, hurler ( Tracton, Blackrock,
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
,
Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
), long illness.


December

* 10 December –
Paul Anthony McDermott Paul Anthony McDermott, SC (4 February 1972 – 10 December 2019) was an English-born Irish lawyer and academic. He was a prominent criminal barrister who often prosecuted cases in the Irish superior courts. He was also known as a lecturer in ...
, 47, barrister and academic, short illness. * 13 December –
Roy Johnston Roy H. W. Johnston (11 November 1929 – 13 December 2019) was an Irish theoretical physicist and republican political activist. He was a Marxist who as a member of the IRA in the 1960s argued for a ''National Liberation Strategy'' to unite the C ...
, 90, physicist and political activist. * 14 December ** Billie Rattigan, 87, Gaelic footballer, ( Dunshaughlin,
Meath Meath may refer to: General * County Meath, Republic of Ireland **Kingdom of Meath, medieval precursor of the county ** List of kings of Meath ** Meath GAA, including the intercounty football and hurling teams ** Diocese of Meath, in the Roman Cath ...
). ** Barbara Wright, 84, academic and translator. * 17 December –
Con Hartnett Cornelius G. M. Hartnett (1951 – 17 December 2019) was an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Cork Championship club Millstreet. He was a member of the Cork senior football team for six seasons, during which time he usually lined out as a l ...
, 68, Gaelic footballer, ( Millstreet,
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
). * 21 December – Frankie Kennedy, 78, Gaelic footballer, ( Drumlane,
Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road that links Dublin (to the south) with Enniskillen, Bally ...
). * 28 December – Jean Costello, 76, actress ('' Fair City'').


See also

*
2019 European Parliament election The 2019 European Parliament election was held between 23 and 26 May 2019, the ninth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979. A total of 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent more than 512 million peopl ...
*
CervicalCheck cancer scandal The CervicalCheck cancer scandal first emerged in 2018 and involved several women in the Republic of Ireland suing the Health Service Executive (HSE) after they received incorrect smear test results for cervical cancer. Background In 2011, V ...


References

{{Year in Europe, 2019