2006 in Ireland
See also: 2005 in Ireland, other events of 2006, 2007 in Ireland and the list of years in Ireland.
Contents |
Incumbents
- President - Mary McAleese
- Taoiseach - Bertie Ahern
- Tánaiste - Mary Harney (until Sep.); Michael McDowell (after Sep.)
- Secretary of State for Northern Ireland - Peter Hain
- First Minister - office suspended
- Deputy First Minister - office suspended
Events
- January 9 - Steve Staunton is appointed the new manager of the Republic of Ireland football team and will be mentored by Bobby Robson as International Football Consultantant.
- January 17 - The Gaelic Athletic Association, FAI and IRFU announce that a deal has been reached which will allow soccer and rugby to be played in Croke Park.
- January 30 - Postal workers enter a 20 day wildcat strike disrupting most of Belfast's delivery service
- February 14 - The 25th Anniversary of the Stardust Disaster, in which 48 young people died, is remembered by the families of the survivors.
- February 25 - Rioting in Dublin as Republican protestors condemn the right for a "Love Ulster" (Unionist) parade in the city.
- March 11 - The last ever competitive rugby international takes place at the oldest rugby venue in the world, Lansdowne Road, after 128 years of use, before the ground is redeveloped.
- March 17 - Over 400,000 [1] people take to the streets of Dublin to celebrate St. Patrick's Day as part of the world's largest St. Patrick's Day Festival.
- April 16 - Up to 120,000 people line the streets of Dublin to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising.
- April 23 - The 2006 census takes place in the Republic of Ireland.
- April 26 - Prince Philip of the United Kingdom meets President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on a visit to Dublin.
- May 14 - Fianna Fáil celebrates its 80th anniversary with a day of celebrations at the Mansion House, Dublin.
- May 15 The members of the Northern Ireland Assembly are recalled 3 1/2 years after the assembly was suspended, with a view to electing an executive, and havingthe suspension lifted
- May 21 - Armed Gardaí forcibly remove thirty Afghan refugees who had sought sanctuary in St. Patrick's cathedral, Dublin after a one week hunger-strike
- May 22 - Belfast City airport is renamed George Best Belfast City Airport on what would have been George Best's 60th birthday.
- May 24 - Australian Prime Minister John Howard formally addresses Dáil Éireann.
- June 16 - The state funeral of the former Taoiseach Charles Haughey takes place in Dublin.
- June 18 - Irish Government announces plans to spend €3.8 billion on scientific research over 7 years to grow world-class research capabilities.
- July 1 - President Mary McAleese and leadng representatives of all political parties in Ireland, north and south, mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme at the National War Memorial, Islandbridge
- July 7 - Dublin Airport is evacuated for the second time in a week when an abandoned suspect package is found.
- July 19 - The warmest temperature this century (and since 1976) is recorded at Elphin, County Roscommon - 32.3°C (88.7ºF). Ireland is one of many countries affected by the 2006 European heat wave. July 2006 is the warmest, on average, since records began in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. [3]
- July 19 - CSO preliminary 2006 census findings indicate that the population of the Republic of Ireland is 4,234,925 million, an increase of 8.6% since 2002 and at its highest since the 1861 census. The total population for the island now stands at just under 6 million (estimates).
- September 1 - 150th anniversary of the birth of John Redmond, Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party.
- September 7 - Mary Harney resigns as leader of the Progressive Democrats. She has led the party since October 1993.
- September 11 - Michael McDowell becomes, by consensus, leader of the Progressive Democrats
- 18 October - Northern Ireland overtake the Republic of Ireland in the Fifa rankings for the first time. [2]
- 24 November - Loyalist Michael Stone, attempts to bomb the NI Assembly on the day nominations for first and deputy first minister are due to be made.[3][4]
Arts and literature
- June 13 - Colm Tóibín's novel The Master wins the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. He is the first Irish writer to win the prestigious award.
- July 26 - Sesquicentennial anniversary of the birth of George Bernard Shaw
Sports
Olympic Games
The Republic of Ireland sent 4 athletes to the Winter Olympics in 2006, in Turin, Italy.
Athletics
- Ireland's Derval O'Rourke wins the women's 60m hurdles at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships, setting a new national record in the event, and becoming the first Irish woman to win an international senior sprint medal at this level.
- Northern Ireland compete in the Commonwealth Games claiming two silver medals
Rugby Union
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- Ireland claim the triple crown
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- Munster claim the European championship
Soccer
- Northern Ireland 0 : 3 Iceland (2 September)
- Germany 1 : 0 Republic of Ireland (2 September)
- Northern Ireland 3 : 2 Spain (6 September)
- Denmark 0 : 0 Northern Ireland (7 October)
- Cyprus 5 : 2 Republic of Ireland (7 October)
- Northern Ireland 1 : 0 Latvia (11 October)
- Republic of Ireland 1 : 1 Czech Republic (11 October)
- Republic of Ireland 5 : 0 San Marino (15 November)
- Setanta Cup
- Winners: Drogheda United
- Eircom League
- Winners: Shelbourne
- Irish League
- Winners: Linfield F.C.
- Irish Cup
- Winners: Linfield F.C.
- FAI Carlsberg Cup
- Winners: Derry City
Gaelic Athletic Association
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2006
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- Sam Maguire Cup Winners: Kerry
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- Tommy Murphy Cup Winners: Louth
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2006
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- Liam McCarthy Cup Winners: Kilkenny
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- Christy Ring Cup Winners: Antrim
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- Nicky Rackard Cup Winners: Derry
Golf
Europe won the 2006 Ryder Cup, held in Kildare Golf and Country Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare from the September 22 to the September 24.
Deaths
- 12 January - Brendan Cauldwell, 83, actor.
- 15 January - Mella Carroll, 71, Republic of Ireland's first ever female High Court judge.
- 31 January - Ruairi Brugha, 89, Fianna Fáil representing Dublin South, Member of the European Parliament, member of the Seanad.
- 30 March - John McGahern, writer (b.1934).
- 4 April - Denis Donaldson, 55, former member of Sinn Féin who was exposed in 2005 as an MI5 spy.
- 4 April - John de Courcy Ireland, maritime historian and political activist (b.1911).
- 11 May - Michael O'Leary, 70, former Tánaiste and Labour Party leader.
- 16 May - Clare Boylan, author, journalist and critic (b.1948).
- May 18 - Michael O'Riordan, 89, veteran of the Spanish Civil War and chairman of the Communist Party of Ireland.
- May 22 - Richard McIlkenny, one of the Birmingham Six
- June 9 - Shay Gibbons, 77, former Irish international and St Patrick's Athletic footballer
- June 13 - Charles Haughey, 80, former Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil.
- June 18 - Luke Belton, 87, former Fine Gael TD
- June 20 - Michael Herbert, 81,former Fianna Fáil TD, Member of the European Parliament
- June 21 - Monsignor Denis Faul, 73, PP VF, President St Patricks Academy Dungannon, parish priest of Carrickmore County Tyrone, Northern Ireland civil rights activist, chaplin to prisoners in Maze Prison during 1981 hunger strikes
- July 5 - Dr Lewis L Glucksman, 80, philanthropist, patron of the Lewis Glucksman Gallery at UCC, former chairman of Shearson Lehman Brothers, founder at New York University, Cobh resident (1999 - 2006)
- July 7 - Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, 54, renowned folk and traditional musician, founder member of Skara Brae and member of The Bothy Band
- July 8 - Michael Barrett, 79, former Fianna Fáil TD representing Dublin North West (1981 - 1989)
- July 12 - , 70, actor, artist, Director National College of Art and Design (1979 - 2003)
- July 23 - , 56, RTE broadcaster
- 14 August - John Godley, 3rd Baron Kilbracken, author and journalist (b.1920).
- August 17 - Ken Goodall, 59, Irish international rugby player 1967-1970
- September 14 - , 80, writer and academic.
- September 18 - Lt Col. Seán Clancy, 105, Ireland's oldest former soldier who served with Michael Collins in the Irish War of Independence
- October 2 - Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, 88, solicitor, former Ceann Comhairle and Fine Gael Teachta Dála representing Cavan Monaghan
- October 16 - Niall Andrews, 68, former Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála representing Dublin South (1977 - 1987) and MEP representing Dublin
- November 9 - Sam Stephenson, 72, architect
- December 16 - Tony O'Shaughnessy, former Cork hurling star.
References
- ^ http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0317/stpatrick.html RTÉ report on St. Patrick's day parade
- ^ BBC article on Northern Ireland's Ranking
- ^ [1] Stormont attack devices defused (BBC news)
- ^ [2] Ahern welcomes further 'clarity' from Paisley (RTÉ news)