2011 in Ireland

Events during the year 2011 in Ireland.

Contents 1 Events 1.1 January 1.2 February 1.3 March 1.4 April 1.5 May 1.6 June 1.7 July 1.8 August 1.9 September 1.10 October 1.11 November 1.12 December 2 The Arts 3 Sports 3.1 Cricket 3.2 Gaelic games 3.2.1 Football 3.2.2 Hurling 3.3 Rugby 3.3.1 Heineken Cup 3.3.2 2011 Six Nations Championship 3.3.3 Rugby World Cup 3.4 Soccer 3.4.1 2011 Nations Cup 3.4.2 2012 UEFA European Championships Qualifiers 3.4.3 International friendly matches 3.4.4 League of Ireland 3.5 Athletics 4 Deaths 5 References

Events

January

• 1 January
  • The Civil Partnership Act comes into effect allowing civil partnerships where hetero- and homosexual cohabiting couples have the same rights.^[1]
  • Met Éireann confirms that December 2010 was the coldest on record, with a temperature of -17.5°C recorded in Straide, County Mayo, on Christmas Day.^[2]
• 5 January
  • Junior Minister for Housing, Fianna Fáil's Michael Finneran announces he will not contest the 2011 general election.^[3]
  • Minister for Defence, Fianna Fáil's Tony Killeen announces he will not contest the 2011 general election.^[3]
• 8 January – Fianna Fáil TD for Meath East, Mary Wallace, announces she will not contest the 2011 general election.^[4]
• 22 January – The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, resigns his position as leader of the Fianna Fáil party.^[5]
• 23 January – The Green Party withdraws from the coalition government, making an immediate general election necessary. The two Green ministers John Gormley (Environment, Heritage and Local Government) and Eamon Ryan (Communications, Energy and Natural Resources) resign, leaving only seven ministers remaining in the cabinet, the constitutional minimum.^[6]
• 25 January
  • Fianna Fáil's Micheál Martin is elected party leader while Brian Cowen continues as taoiseach.^[7]
  • Fianna Fáil TD for Galway East, Noel Treacy, announces he will not contest the 2011 general election, while Fianna Fáil's Mattie McGrath, TD for Tipperary South, announces he is leaving the party to become an independent.^[8]
• 26 January – British prime minister, David Cameron announces that Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams has resigned from the British parliament by nominal appointment as Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.^[9][10]
• 28 January – A fireball explodes in the Irish atmosphere. Astronomy Ireland appeals to the public to report sightings.^[11]

February

• 1 February
  • Fianna Fáil TD for Limerick West, John Cregan, announces he will not contest the 2011 general election.^[12]
  • It is announced that the Sunday Tribune newspaper has gone into receivership following the decision of Independent News & Media to stop funding it.^[13]
  • It is announced that two of three Waterstone's bookshops in Dublin are to close.^[14]
  • The Taoiseach dissolves the Dáil and goes to Áras an Uachtaráin where the President signs a proclamation of dissolution. The Minister for Local Government makes an order appointing 25 February as polling day. The Clerk of the Dáil issues a writ to the constituency returning officers to initiate a general election, allowing posters of the candidates to be officially displayed.^[15][16]
  • A Russian agent is expelled from Ireland because of his role in the forgery of Irish passports for use in the "Illegals Program" spy ring in the United States.^[17] A Garda investigation discovers that members of the Russian espionage agency, the SVR, were involved in the forgeries.^[18] Alexander Smirnov, the first secretary in the Russian embassy's consular section, is instructed to leave Ireland.^[19]
• 2 February – Russian deputy foreign minister Vladimir Titov threatens Ireland that Russia will retaliate for the Irish expulsion of a Russian forger.^[20][21] Ireland warns Russia that retaliation would be unjustified. An Irish government spokesman said Irish embassy staff in Moscow perform no spying activity.^[18]
• 5 February – It emerges that a large number of gun enthusiasts have mounted legal challenges against the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of August 2009 which banned handguns and restricted access to other firearms.^[22]
• 10 February – A small plane carrying ten passengers and two crew crashes while landing in fog at Cork Airport. Six people are killed.^[23]
• 25 February – Irish general election. There are party reverses and gains on a historic scale with support for the outgoing government parties Fianna Fáil and the Green Party collapsing.^[24]

March

• 9 March – The members of the 31st Dáil convene for the first time and elect Enda Kenny as Taoiseach by a vote of 117–27.^[25]

April

• 12 April – Sebastian Barry is inducted into the Hennessy Literary Awards Hall of Fame by the president, Mary McAleese.^[26]

May

• Mission to Prey, presented by Aoife Kavanagh, is aired on RTÉ One, leading to the defamation of Fr. Kevin Reynolds.^[27][28] Justice and Defence Minister Alan Shatter supports the programme at the time.^[29]
• 17 May–20 May – State visit by Queen Elizabeth II, the first by a monarch of the United Kingdom to the Republic of Ireland since its formation.^[30][31]
• 23 May – Official visit by President of the United States Barack Obama, including Dublin and his ancestral village of Moneygall.^[32][33][34]

June

• 30 June–3 July – The Tall Ships' Races begin in Waterford. Half a million people were expected to attend the festival.^[35][36]

July

• 1 July – The VAT rate is lowered from 13.5% to 9% for a range of services connected to the hospitality and tourism sectors.^[37]
• 7 July – Avril Doyle withdraws from the race to be Fine Gael's presidential candidate.^[38]
• 13 July – Publication of the Cloyne Report of the investigation into how the Cloyne Diocese mishandled child sexual abuse allegations. The investigating commission states that the greatest failure by the diocese was the failure to report all abuse cases to the Gardaí.^[39]
• 20 July – The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, makes a Dáil speech in response to the Cloyne Report strongly attacking the Vatican and the Catholic Church.^[40]

August

• David Norris withdraws from his presidential election campaign following controversy^{[41][42][43][44]} but will resume his candidacy in the following month.

September

• 7 September – Telecommunication company TalkTalk announces the loss of 575 jobs with the closure of its call centre in Waterford.^[45][46]
• 22 September – The first Irish case of death by spontaneous combustion is recorded in Galway.^[47]

October

• 8 October – Occupy Dame Street begins this afternoon.^[48][49][50]
• 11 October – The Republic of Ireland reach the play-offs of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers. ^[51]
• 24 October – Ireland is struck by flash floods including heavy torrential rain in Dublin which is known as Monster Rain with up to 90mm of rain falling during six hours in the evening. ^[52][53]
• 27 October – Irish presidential election and three constitutional referendums held.^[54]

November

• 11 November – Michael D. Higgins takes office as President of Ireland.^[55]
• 15 November – Republic of Ireland national football team qualify for UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland/Ukraine.
• 15 November – Willie Penrose resigns as Minister of State for Housing and Planning due to his opposition to the Government's decision to close the army barracks in Mullingar.^[56][57][58]
• 16 November – Thousands of students, their parents and families, descend on Dublin from around the country and march on Government Buildings amid concerns about the reintroduction of third-level fees.^[59][60] A small group also engage in a sit-down protest outside the Fine Gael office on Dublin's Upper Mount Street.^[61]
• 22 November – Fine Gael's Darren Scully resigns as Mayor of Naas after commenting on live radio about the "aggressive attitude" of "black Africans".^[62][63]
• 23 November – Prime Time Investigates is axed as Director-General of RTÉ Noel Curran describes the broadcasting of "Mission to Prey" as "one of the gravest editorial mistakes ever made" at RTÉ.^[64]
• 26 November – Thousands of people march against austerity in Dublin.^[65][66][67]
• 29 November – Three student union presidents (of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, University College Cork and IT Carlow) under the leadership of Union of Students in Ireland (USI) President Gary Redmond, and in posession of a chemical toilet and supplies of food that could have lasted them weeks, occupy a room at the Department of Social Protection on Dublin's Store Street as part of a continued effort to have the Labour Party clarify its position on tuition fees.^[68][69][70] Ten student union presidents also attempt to occupy a room at the Department of Enterprise on Kildare Street for the same reasons.^[71]
• 30 November – Nine FEE students, also seeking clarification on the government's view on third-level fees, participate in a peaceful sit-down protest by occupying the constituency office of Fine Gael TD and former mayor Brian Walsh in Bohermore, Galway.^{[72][73][74][75]} They unfurl a banner on the roof with the message, "FREE EDUCATION NOTHING LESS".^[76]
• 30 November – Audits of child protection practices conducted by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church are published by six dioceses, with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raphoe, overseen by Philip Boyce, coming in for most criticism.^[77]
• 30 November – A settlement is reached between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh and a man sworn to secrecy by Seán Brady over abuse by Brendan Smyth as a teenager.^[78]

December

• 1 December – Tommy Broughan TD is expelled from the Labour Party after voting to reject a government amendment to extend the bank guarantee for another year.^[79]
• 1 December – Roscrea District Court solicitors stage a walkout over the courthouse's closure.^[80]
• 2 December – Eight students from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM), including the university's student union president Rob Munnelly, begin occupying the Naas constituency office of Fine Gael TD Anthony Lawlor.^[81] They do so with sleeping bags, clothes, a chemical toilet and a week's supply of food and were supported by other students on Facebook and Twitter.^[82][83] During the occupation Munnelly debates with Lawlor live on Kildare TV, USI President Gary Redmond visits the revolting students and a banner with the slogan "SAVE THE GRANT" is erected at Lawlor's entrance.^[84][85]
• 3 December – Hundreds of people from County Donegal converge on Buncrana to protest against austerity and to tell the government that "Inishowen and Donegal says no to further cuts and austerity".^[86]

The Arts

• 11 February—The Eurosong 2011 competition was held in Dublin.^[87]
• 12 February—The eighth annual Irish Film and Television Awards were held at Dublin's Convention Centre.^[88]
• 26 May—John Banville wins the Kafka Prize for literature.^[89]
• 3 November—Niall Tóibín is honoured with the Irish Film and Television Academy's (IFTA) Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony at the Irish Film Institute.^[90]

Sports

Cricket

• 2 March - Ireland beat England by 3 wickets in Bangalore at the World Cup with a Kevin O'Brien hitting the fastest World Cup century off only 50 balls.^[91]

Gaelic games

Football

• May–18 September—All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2011

Hurling

• 21 May–4 September—All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2011

Rugby

Heineken Cup

• 21 May 2011— 2011 Heineken Cup Final Leinster 33-22 Northampton Saints

2011 Six Nations Championship

• 5 February—Six Nations Italy 11–13 Ireland.^[92][93]
• 13 February—Ireland 22–25 France.^[94]
• 27 February—Scotland 18–21 Ireland^[95]
• 12 March—Wales 19–13 Ireland^[96]
• 19 March—Ireland 24–8 England.^[97]

Rugby World Cup

• 11 September— Ireland 22-10 United States
• 17 September—Ireland 15-6 Australia
• 25 September—Ireland 62-12 Russia
• 2 October—Ireland 36-6 Italy
• 8 October- Ireland 10-22 Wales

Soccer

2011 Nations Cup

• 8–9 February and 24–29 May—2011 Nations Cup association football tournament in Dublin.^[98][99]
• 8 February—Republic of Ireland 3–0 Wales. Crowd: 19,783.^[100][101]
• 9 February—Northern Ireland 0–3 Scotland. Crowd: 18,742.^[102][103]
• 24 May—Republic of Ireland 5–0 Northern Ireland. Crowd: 12,083.^[104][105]
• 25 May—Wales 1–3 Scotland. Crowd: 6,036.^[106]
• 27 May—Wales 2–0 Northern Ireland. Crowd: 529.^[107]
• 29 May—Republic of Ireland 1–0 Scotland. Crowd: 17,694.^[108]

2012 UEFA European Championships Qualifiers

• 26 March—European Championship qualifying match: Republic of Ireland 2-1 FYR of Macedonia in Dublin. ^[109]
• 2 September—Republic of Ireland 0-0 Slovakia in Dublin.^[110]
• 6 September—Republic of Ireland 0-0 Russia in Moscow.^[110]
• 7 October—Republic of Ireland 2-0 Andorra in Barcelona.^[110]
• 11 October—Republic of Ireland 2-1 Armenia in Dublin.^[110]
• 11 November-Republic of Ireland 4-0 Estonia in Tallinn. ^[111]
• 15 November-Republic of Ireland 1-1 Estonia in Dublin.

International friendly matches

• 29 March—Republic of Ireland 2–3 Uruguay in Dublin.^[112][113]
• 7 June—Republic of Ireland 2–0 Italy at Stade Maurice Dufrasne, in Liège.^[114]
• August—Republic of Ireland 0–0 Croatia at the Aviva Stadium, in Dublin.^[115]

League of Ireland

• 4 March—Beginning of League of Ireland season.
• 24 September- Derry City win the 2011 League of Ireland Cup.
• 29 October—End of League of Ireland season.
• 06 November- Sligo Rovers win the 2011 FAI Cup.

Athletics

• 11 December Fionnuala Britton wins Senior Womens gold in the 2011 European Cross Country Championships

Deaths

• 2 January—Eoin Neeson, 83: historian, author, journalist, former director of the Government Information Bureau.^[116]
• 9 January—Joss Lynam: mountaineer, founder member of Irish Mountaineering Club, following a short illness.^[117]
• 10 January—Michaela McAreavey née Harte, 27: daughter of Tyrone Gaelic football manager Mickey Harte, strangled during her honeymoon in Mauritius.^[118][119]
• 16 January—Louis McRedmond, 78: journalist and author, former editor of the Irish Independent, head of information at RTÉ.^[120][121]
• 18 January—David Schulman, 80: former President of Mensa International, and charity volunteer.^[122][123]
• 20 January—Gordon Holmes, former State Solicitor of Limerick, former chairman of the Parole Board and the former Garda Síochána Complaints Board.^[124]
• 6 February—Gary Moore, 58: former Thin Lizzy guitarist. Heart attack while on holiday in Estepona, Spain.^{[125][126][127]}
• 13 February—T. P. McKenna, 81; actor. Died in his sleep after a long illness.^{[128][129][130]}
• 14 February—Sean Boru, 57, Actor and author. [5]
• 9 March—Seán Cronin, 91, Irish journalist and republican, Irish Republican Army chief of staff (1957–1958, 1959–1960), after long illness. [6]
• 14 March—Gerald Barry, 63; broadcast and print journalist, following a long illness.^[131][132]
• 25 March—Thady Wyndham-Quin, 7th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl, 71, Aristocrat. [7]
• 15 April—Michael Hurley, 87, Irish Jesuit and ecumenical theologian, co-founder of the Irish School of Ecumenics. [8]
• 27 April—Harry Thuillier, 85, Olympic fencer and radio presenter. [9]
• 4 May—Joe Murray, 74; broadcaster and journalist, following a short illness.^[133]
• 10 May—Patrick Galvin, 83; writer and poet, following a long illness.^[134]
• 17 May—Tomás Mac Anna, 87; playwright, actor and director, following a short illness.^[135]
• 17 May—Seán Dunphy, 73; showband singer, following a short illness.^[136]
• 19 May—Garret FitzGerald, 85; former Taoiseach, following a short illness.^{[137][138][139]}
• 20 May—Michael Bell, 74; former TD^[140]
• 21 May—John Delaney, 42, businessman (Intrade). [10]
• 21 May—Pádraig Kennelly, 82, publisher, editor and journalist, founder of Kerry's Eye. [11]
• 24 May—Edward Plunkett, 20th Baron of Dunsany, 71, artist. [12]
• 3 June—Peter Murphy, 88, television presenter (RTE). [13]
• 6 June—Declan Costello, 84; former TD and judge^[141]
• 7 June—Liam Kelly, 88, Republican and politician. [14]
• 10 June—Brian Lenihan, Jnr, 52; serving TD^[142]
• 22 June—Myles Staunton, 75; former TD.^[143]
• 19 July—Brendan Kehoe, 40, software developer and author, after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia.^[144]
• 11 October—Peter McDermott, 93; former Meath Gaelic footballer and coach.^[145]
• 12 October—Martin White, 102; former Kilkenny hurler and the oldest surviving All-Ireland medal winner.^[146]
• 22 October—Cathal O'Shannon, 83; journalist and television presenter.^[147]
• 9 November—Terry Willers, 76; cartoonist.^[148]
• 7 December—Pearse Cahill, 95; pioneering aviator.^[149]
• 25 December—
  • Thomas Finnegan, 86; bishop.^[150]
  • Seán French, 80, politician, Lord Mayor of Cork (1976) and TD (1967–1982).^[151]

References

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