1 January – Philip Hogarty (aged 19) becomes the first road death on Irish roads in 2008 after being struck by a Gardapatrol car in Tallaght. Philip was chairman of the Irish Chess Union.[1]
2 January – After 36 years in business, The Burlington Hotel in Dublin closes, with the loss of 400 jobs.[2]
4 January – An unforecasted blizzard hits the country, leading to the heaviest snowfall in Ireland since December 2000.
9 January – After days of heavy rainfall in the South West serious flooding occurs in Fermoy and Mallow with parts of Mallow under 1.3 m of water.[3]
13 January – Following months of protest, Aer Lingus complete their last Shannon to Heathrow flight.
16 January – Wayne O'Donoghue is released from prison after serving three years of a four year jail term for the manslaughter of Robert Holohan (aged 11) in January 2005.[4]
23 January – The brother of a Real IRA leader is one of two Irish citizens arrested in Lithuania on suspicion of buying firearms and explosives for the Real IRA.[5]
25 January – The closure of the Jacob's plant in Tallaght, County Dublin, is announced, with the loss of 220 jobs by March 2009.[6]
26 January – Martin Foley, aka "The Viper", is shot in south Dublin possibly as part of an ongoing feud between criminal gangs. It was the fifth failed attempt on Mr Foley's life.[7]
14 March – The Economic and Social Research Institute predicted that economic growth in Ireland for 2008 will be 1.6%, the lowest level since 1988. It was also forecast that no new jobs will be added to the Irish economy for the first time since 1991.[13]
15 April – The case of broadcaster Pat Kenny and his neighbour, Gerard Charlrton, involving the claiming of an area of land near their home, was settled by the court. It was decided that Kenny would pay an undisclosed sum of money for the land called Gorse Hill.
21 April – It is revealed that four laptops belonging to Bank of Ireland and containing personal information of approximately 10,000 customers were stolen between June and October 2007
14 May – An excavation is carried out in the Slieve Bloom Mountains for the remains of Fiona Pender, who has been missing since 1996, following the discovery of a cross with her name printed on it.
28 June – A syndicate of workers at a concrete products plant in County Carlow become the winners of Ireland's biggest ever lottery jackpot of €18,963,441.
25 September – It is announced that the Irish economy had officially entered recession in January 2008 for the first time since 1983.
30 September – The Government decides during the night to offer a 400 billion guarantee to initially 6 leading Irish banks to prevent their collapse due to the global Economic crisis of 2008
14 October – Minister for FinanceBrian Lenihan unveils Budget 2009. It becomes the toughest Budget in recent years and also the most controversial. He announces that the automatic entitlement of over 70's OAPs to a medical card will be scraped, all workers will be exposed to a 1% income level, and an increase in college fees will come into effect.
21 October – Following country-wide outrage, Brian Cowen increases the higher income thresholds for the elderly that will allow 95% of those over 70 to retain their full medical cards.
8 November – Rugby player Shane Geoghegan is shot dead outside his home in Limerick in a case of mistaken identity. The murder leads to a nationwide appeal to the end of gangland killing in Ireland.
11 December – Irish pork is confirmed to be safe and begins to return to the market.
15 December – Celine Cawley, founder and manager of the advertising agency, Toytown Films and a former Bond girl (A View to a Kill), is found murdered at her home in Howth, Dublin.[15]
31 December – Three Nenagh teenagers become the final Irish road traffic accident victims of 2008, a year which ends with the least such deaths since records began.[17]