Editing 1978 in Ireland

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{{YearInIrelandNav|1978}}
Events from the year '''1978 in Ireland'''.

== Incumbents ==
* [[President of Ireland|President]]: [[Patrick Hillery]]
* [[Taoiseach]]: [[Jack Lynch]] ([[Fianna Fáil|FF]])
* [[Tánaiste]]: [[George Colley]] ([[Fianna Fáil|FF]])
* [[Minister for Finance (Ireland)|Minister for Finance]]: [[George Colley]] ([[Fianna Fáil|FF]])
* [[Chief Justice of Ireland|Chief Justice]]: [[Tom O'Higgins]]
* [[Dáil Éireann|Dáil]]: [[21st Dáil|21st]]
* [[Seanad Éireann|Seanad]]: [[14th Seanad|14th]]

== Events ==

=== January ===

* 18 January – The [[European Court of Human Rights]] found Britain guilty of ''[[inhuman or degrading treatment|inhuman and degrading treatment]]'' of [[Irish republicanism|republican]] internees in Northern Ireland.
* 19 January – The [[Fianna Fáil]] government dismissed the Garda Commissioner Edmund Garvey. No explanation was given.
* 21 January – [[Johnny Giles]] resigned as manager of the [[Republic of Ireland national football team]].

=== March ===

* 23 March – The [[List of Irish state funerals|state funeral]] of former President [[Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh]] took place in [[Sneem]], County Kerry.
* 31 March – Six thousand people marched through [[Dublin]] to [[Wood Quay]] to protest against the building of civic offices above an ancient [[Viking]] settlement.

=== May ===

* 27 May – Brittany Ferries inaugurated a regular [[Cork (city)|Cork]]–[[Roscoff]] service.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brittany Ferries Resume French Service in Year of 40th Anniversary|date=2 April 2018|first=Jehan|last=Ashmore|url=https://afloat.ie/port-news/ferry-news/item/38831-brittany-ferries-resume-french-service-in-year-of-40th-anniverary|work=Afloat|location=Ireland|access-date=8 February 2020}}</ref>

=== June ===

* 1 June – [[David Cook (Northern Ireland politician)|David Cook]] of the [[Alliance Party of Northern Ireland|Alliance Party]] became the first non-[[Unionists (Ireland)|Unionist]] Lord Mayor of [[Belfast]].
* 21 June – [[Rosemary Smith]] established an Irish land speed record of 156.101{{nbsp}}mph on the [[Carrigrohane Straight]] in Cork, driving a seven-litre [[Jaguar XJ|Jaguar XJ6]].<ref>New Irish land speed record, ''[[Irish Examiner|The Cork Examiner]]'', 1978-06-21.</ref>

=== August ===

* 10 August – A new £10 note bearing an image of the writer [[Jonathan Swift]] was introduced.
* 19 August – Over 5,000 people took part in a rally{{Where|reason=In Dublin or Carnsore Point?|date=September 2024}} against a proposed [[nuclear power station]] in [[Carnsore Point]], County Wexford.

=== September ===

* 1 September – [[Dublin Institute of Technology]] was created on an ad hoc basis by the [[City of Dublin]] [[Vocational Education Committee]].

=== November ===

* 2 November – Ireland's second national television channel, [[RTÉ Two|RTÉ 2]], opened with a live broadcast from the [[Cork Opera House]].
* November – [[Cork University Hospital|Cork Regional Hospital]] officially opened in [[Cork (city)|Cork]].

=== Undated ===

* The first [[Supermac's]] fast food restaurant opened.

== Arts and literature ==
* [[Iris Murdoch]] was awarded the [[Booker Prize]] for her novel ''[[The Sea, The Sea]].''
* [[Peter Sheridan]] was awarded the [[Rooney Prize for Irish Literature]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Judges shortlist 16 authors|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|date=4 September 1999}} Article dates award as 1977 but other sources confirm [[Desmond Hogan]] as 1977 winner.</ref>
* [[Seán Ó Ríordáin]]'s posthumous poetry collection ''Tar éis mo Bháis'' was published.<ref>{{cite book|last=Boylan|first=Henry|year=1998|title=A Dictionary of Irish Biography|edition=3rd|page=350|location=Dublin|publisher=Gill and Macmillan|isbn=0-7171-2945-4}}</ref>
* First broadcast of craft TV series [[Hands (TV series)|''Hands'']].

== Sport ==

=== Athletics ===
* 25 March – [[John Treacy]] won the world cross-country championship in [[Glasgow]].

=== Golf ===
*[[Irish Open (golf)|Carroll's Irish Open]] was won by [[Ken Brown (golfer)|Ken Brown]] ([[Scotland]]).

=== Horse racing ===
*[[Shergar]] won the [[Epsom Derby]] (by a record ten [[Length (horse racing)|length]]s), and the [[Irish Derby]].

== Births ==
* 11 January – [[Adrian O'Connor]], backstroke swimmer.
* 12 January – [[David Worrell]], association footballer.
* 19 January – [[Simon Webb (footballer)|Simon Webb]], association footballer.
* 28 January – [[Sheamus]], pro wrestler.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-12 |title=WWE Profile - Sheamus |url=https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/17165712/wwe-profile-page-sheamus |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>
* 30 January – [[John Doyle (Gaelic footballer)|John Doyle]], [[Kildare GAA|Kildare]] Gaelic footballer.
* 21 February – [[Damien English]], [[Fine Gael]] [[Teachta Dála]] (TD) for [[Meath West (Dáil constituency)|Meath West]].
* 23 February – [[Jason Byrne (footballer)|Jason Byrne]], association footballer.
*7  March – [[John Miskella]], [[Cork GAA|Cork]] Gaelic footballer.
* 9 March – [[Derek O'Connor (footballer, born 1978)|Derek O'Connor]], association footballer.
* 16 March – [[Jemma Redmond]], biochemist, pioneer of [[3D bioprinting]] (died 2016).
* 2 April – [[John Hoyne]], [[Kilkenny GAA|Kilkenny]] hurler.
* 4 April – [[Alan Mahon]], association footballer.
* 5 April – [[Stephen Murphy (footballer)|Stephen Murphy]], association footballer.
* 19 April – [[Geordan Murphy]], international rugby player.
* 23 April – [[Nicholas Murphy (Gaelic footballer)|Nicholas Murphy]], [[Cork GAA|Cork]] Gaelic footballer.
* 24 April – [[Jimmy Coogan]], [[Kilkenny GAA|Kilkenny]] hurler.
* 29 April – [[David O'Loughlin]], cyclist.
* 5 May – [[Paul Byrne (journalist)|Paul Byrne]], broadcast journalist.
* 10 June – [[Karl Scully]], tenor.
* 21 June – [[Wayne Sherlock]], [[Cork GAA|Cork]] hurler.
* 25 June – [[Kieran Kelly (jockey)|Kieran Kelly]], jump jockey (killed in racing accident 2003).
* 4 July – [[Derek Lyng]], [[Kilkenny GAA|Kilkenny]] hurler.
* 18 July
** [[Shane Horgan]], international rugby player.
** [[Annie Mac]](Manus), disc jockey and broadcast presenter.
* 27 July – [[Brian Barry-Murphy]], association footballer.
* July – [[Diarmuid O'Sullivan]], [[Cork GAA|Cork]] hurler.
* 8 August – [[Alan Maybury]], association footballer.
* 21 August – [[Alan Lee (footballer)|Alan Lee]], association footballer.
* 28 August – [[Barry Ryan (footballer)|Barry Ryan]], association footballer.
* 27 September – [[John Paul Phelan]], [[Fine Gael]] party [[Seanad Éireann|Senator]].
* 1 October – [[Barry Conlon]], association footballer.
* 2 October – [[Eddie Brennan]], [[Kilkenny GAA|Kilkenny]] hurler.
* 5 October – [[Shane Ryan (Dublin Gaelic footballer)|Shane Ryan]], Gaelic footballer.
* 9 October – [[Nicky Byrne]], entertainer, singer with [[Westlife]], and television host.
* 17 October – [[Jerry Flannery]], international rugby player.
* 25 October – [[Chris Keane]], rugby player.
* 31 October – [[Ella McSweeney]], radio and television producer
* 9 November – [[Martin Comerford]], [[Kilkenny GAA|Kilkenny]] hurler.
* 15 December – [[Edele Lynch|Edele]] and [[Keavy Lynch]], members of [[B*Witched]].
* 22 December – [[Eugene Cloonan]], [[Galway GAA|Galway]] hurler.
<!--This is a description list; please see [[Help:List]] before changing-->
;Full date unknown
:* [[Caoimhe Butterly]], human rights activist.
:* [[Julie Feeney]], singer songwriter.
:* [[Mike FitzGerald (hurler)|Mike FitzGerald]], [[Limerick GAA|Limerick]] hurler.
:* [[Richie Mullally]], [[Kilkenny GAA|Kilkenny]] hurler.
:* [[Mike O'Brien (hurler)|Mike O'Brien]], [[Limerick GAA|Limerick]] hurler.

== Deaths ==
* 23 January – [[Cormac Breslin]], [[Fianna Fáil]] [[Teachta Dála]] (TD) and [[Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann]] (born 1902).
* 4 March – [[Emmet Dalton]], Republican activist, soldier and film producer (born 1898 in the United States).
* 6 March – [[Micheál MacLiammóir]], actor and dramatist (born 1899 in London).
* 21 March – [[Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh]], Attorney-general, [[Chief Justice of Ireland]] and fifth [[President of Ireland]] (born 1911).
* 7 July – [[Mary Swanzy]], painter (born 1882; died in London).
* 28 August – [[Robert Shaw (actor)|Robert Shaw]], actor and novelist (born 1927 in England).
* 12 September – [[Wilfred Hutton]], cricketer (born 1901).
* October – [[Moss (Maurice) Twomey]], [[List of IRA Chiefs of Staff|chief of staff]] of the [[Irish Republican Army]] (born 1897).
* 5 November – [[Denis O'Dea]], actor (born 1905).
* 13 December – [[Jack Doyle (boxer)|Jack Doyle]], boxer, actor and singer (born 1913; died in London).
* Full date unknown – [[Gabriel Hayes]], sculptor, designer of Irish coins (born 1909).

== See also ==
*[[1978 in Irish television]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Years in Ireland}}
{{Year in Europe|1978}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1978 In Ireland}}
[[Category:1978 in Ireland| ]]
[[Category:1970s in Ireland]]
[[Category:1978 by country|Ireland]]
[[Category:Years of the 20th century in Ireland]]