1986 in Ireland
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Hiberno-English Template:More citations needed Template:YearInIrelandNav Events from the year 1986 in Ireland.
IncumbentsEdit
- President: Patrick Hillery
- Taoiseach: Garret FitzGerald (Fine Gael)
- Tánaiste: Dick Spring (Labour)
- Minister for Finance:
- Alan Dukes (Fine Gael) (until 14 February 1986)
- John Bruton (Fine Gael) (from 14 February 1986)
- Chief Justice: Thomas Finlay
- Dáil: 24th
- Seanad: 17th
EventsEdit
JanuaryEdit
- 2 January – The national offices of the Progressive Democrats were officially opened.
- 4 January – Phil Lynott, the lead singer of Thin Lizzy, died aged 35.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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FebruaryEdit
- 11 February – Ireland's new football team manager, Jack Charlton, arrived in Dublin.
MarchEdit
- 18 March – Irish citizenship was conferred on Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Tip O'Neill, for inspiring constitutional nationalists to launch an initiative for a new Ireland.
- 31 March – President Hillery and Mrs. Hillery started a four-day official visit to Austria. This was the first Irish state visit there.
AprilEdit
- 8 April – Jennifer Guinness was kidnapped by three armed men for a IR£2 million ransom. She was the wife of banker, John Guinness, of the Guinness brewing family. She was rescued after eight days by gardaí (police) in Ballsbridge, Dublin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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MayEdit
- 4 May – Radiation from the devastated Chernobyl nuclear reactor in Ukraine reached Ireland.
- 6 May – The Divorce Action Group launched its campaign for the forthcoming divorce referendum.
- 21 May – Eighteen Old Master paintings from the Beit collection were stolen from Russborough House by Martin Cahill.
- 30 May – Ireland West Airport in County Mayo was officially opened.
JuneEdit
- 2 June – Fire destroyed Loreto Convent at St. Stephen's Green in Dublin; six nuns died in the blaze.
- 6 June – John Stalker was removed from the 'shoot to kill' inquiry.
- 12 June – Two giant pandas, Ming Ming and Ping Ping, arrived at Dublin Zoo.
- 21 June – An anti-divorce rally took place in Dublin.
- 27 June – Counting began in a Divorce Referendum. Tallymen predicted a strong 'no' vote.
- June (date unknown) – Mick Flavin became a new star of country music.
AugustEdit
- 1 August – Monsignor James Horan, Parish Priest of Knock, County Mayo and builder of Ireland West Airport, died suddenly aged 75 in Lourdes, France.
- 7 August – The deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and member of the British parliament, Peter Robinson, was arrested and charged with illegal assembly, after a loyalist mob took over a village in County Monaghan.
- 25–6 August – The remnants of Hurricane Charley struck Ireland. Dublin suffered its worst flooding since records began in 1880, and a new record for the greatest rainfall in one day was set when 200Template:Nbspmillimetres of rain was measured at Kilcoole in County Wicklow. The River Dodder and River Dargle in County Dublin overflowed leading to flooding of 416 houses and 35 commercial premises.<ref>Monthly Weather Bulletin: Supplement to August 1986 Template:Webarchive Irish Meteorological Service, August 1986.</ref>
OctoberEdit
- 23 October – Thirteen-year-old Philip Cairns disappeared on his way back to school after lunch.
- 30 October – The 20 pence coin entered circulation.
NovemberEdit
- November – Giant's Causeway and the Causeway Coast became the first Irish designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
DecemberEdit
- December (date unknown) – The Government banned South African food imports, about half the total of South African imports into Ireland, in protest against apartheid.<ref>An ‘boks amach’:* the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement History Ireland, Issue 4 (Jul/Aug 2006), Volume 14.</ref>
- 25 December – Dublin Airport was open for the first time on a Christmas Day.
- 31 December – American visa applications at the United States Embassy in Dublin rose by 25%. Thirty thousand people emigrated during 1986.
Arts and literatureEdit
- 17 May – The Self Aid unemployment benefit concert was held in Dublin, featuring dozens of performers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Sigerson Clifford published the second edition of his poetry collection Ballads of a Bogman, including the first publication of "The Boys of Barr na Sráide".
- Bob Geldof published his autobiography, Is That It?
- Patrick McCabe published his novel, Music on Clinton Street.
- John Montague became the first occupant of the Ireland Chair of Poetry.
- The film Eat the Peach was released.
SportEdit
Association footballEdit
- Ireland did not qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
GolfEdit
- The Irish Open was won by Seve Ballesteros (Spain).
BirthsEdit
FebruaryEdit
- 10 February – Steven Foley-Sheridan, association football player.
- 17 February – Joey O'Brien, association football player.
- 24 February – Claire Hennessy, author.
MarchEdit
- 1 March – Shane O'Neill, Cork hurler.
AprilEdit
- 4 April – Stephen Quinn, association football player.
- 18 April – Conrad Logan, association football player.
- 30 April – Derek Doyle, association football player.
MayEdit
- 16 May – Andy Keogh, association football player.
- 19 May – Paul Byrne, association football player.
- 23 May – Shane McFaul, association football player.
JuneEdit
- 3 June – Donal Skehan, singer and television presenter.
- 8 June – Michael Shields, Cork Gaelic footballer, Australian rules footballer.
JulyEdit
- 2 July – Katie Taylor, boxer<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- 11 July – Gerard Nash, association football player.
- 31 July
- Gary Dicker, association football player.
- Deirdre Codd, Wexford Camogie player.
AugustEdit
- 22 August – Stephen Ireland, association football player.
- 31 August – Colm Begley, Australian rules footballer.
SeptemberEdit
- 10 September – Eoin Morgan, cricketer.
OctoberEdit
- 17 October - Simon Harris, Taoiseach
- 19 October – Shaun Williams, soccer player.
NovemberEdit
- 20 November – Evan McMillan, association football player.
DeathsEdit
JanuaryEdit
- 4 January – Phil Lynott, singer and songwriter (born 1949).
FebruaryEdit
- 10 February – James Dillon, former leader of the Fine Gael party, teachta dála (TD) and minister (born 1902).
- 12 February – James Joseph Magennis, British Royal Navy submariner awarded Victoria Cross for taking part in Operation Struggle in 1945 (born 1919).
MarchEdit
- 1 March – Cahir Davitt, lawyer and judge (born 1894).
- 4 March – Edward McLysaght, genealogist and writer (born 1887).
- 16 March – Pat Carroll, Offaly hurler (born 1956).
- 28 March – Eddie McAteer, Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland) member of parliament (born 1914).
MayEdit
- 13 May – Peadar O'Donnell, Irish Republican socialist, Marxist activist and writer (born 1893).
- 22 May – James Christopher Branigan, known as "Lugs Branigan", police officer and boxer (born 1910).
JulyEdit
- 20 July – Dermot Honan. licensed vintner, member of the Seanad from 1965 to 1973.
AugustEdit
- 1 August – James Horan, Roman Catholic monsignor, conceived and created Ireland West Airport (born 1911).
OctoberEdit
- 1 October – Seán Moore, Fianna Fáil party TD (born 1913).
Full date unknownEdit
- Eddie Duffy, traditional Irish musician (born 1894).
- Cecil King, painter (born 1921).