1976 in Ireland

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Decades: 1950s • 1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s Centuries: 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st See also: 1976 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1976 List of years in Ireland

Events

• 5 January
  • Former Taoiseach, John A. Costello, dies in Dublin aged 84.
  • Kingsmill massacre: ten Protestant men are killed in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army using the cover name "South Armagh Republican Action Force", after loyalists shot dead six Catholic civilians in South Armagh the previous day.
• 1 March - Merlyn Rees, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the Government of the United Kingdom, ends Special Category Status for those sentenced for crimes relating to civil violence in Northern Ireland.
• 4 March - The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention is formally dissolved, resulting in direct rule of Northern Ireland by the Government of the United Kingdom in London.
• 18 March - Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave and Mrs Cosgrave are greeted by President Gerald Ford and Mrs Betty Ford at the White House.
• 31 March - "Sallins Train Robbery": A large quantity of money is stolen from a CIÉ train at Sallins, County Kildare.
• 3 April - The last passenger train runs on the Limerick-Claremorris line ending an 80-year-north-south link along the western seaboard.
• 17 May - Tim Severin in the boat Brendan sets off from Dingle to America, tracing the route of the legendary 6th-century Irish monk Brendan.
• 29 June - The highest temperature record in Ireland this century, 32.5C (90.5F) at Boora, Offaly. The highest on record was in 1887.^[1]
• 15 July - Four prisoners escape when bombs explode in the Special Criminal Court, Dublin.
• 21 July - Christopher Ewart-Biggs, UK ambassador, and a civil servant, Judith Cooke, are killed by a landmine at Sandyford, Co. Dublin.
• 23 September - The President, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, consults with the Council of State for four hours on whether to refer the Emergency Powers legislation to the Supreme Court.
• 22 October - President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh resigns following the 'thundering disgrace' remark from the Minister for Defence, Paddy Donegan.
• 27 October - A new £5 note is introduced with the image of the 9th-Century philosopher Johannes Scotus Eriugena.
• 20 November - National Peace Day is marked with marches, church services and bell ringing.
• 3 December - Patrick Hillery is inaugurated as the sixth President of Ireland in St. Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle.
• 10 December - Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan win the Nobel Peace Prize.^[2]

Arts and literature

• 25 September - The band U2 is formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, Dublin.
• The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature is launched; Heno Magee is the first recipient.^[3]
• John Banville's novel Dr Copernicus is published.
• Breandán Ó hEithir's novel Lig Sinn i gCathú is published and becomes the first Irish language book to top Ireland's hardback bestseller list.^[4]
• The monthly journal Books Ireland is founded.

Sport

Golf

• Carroll's Irish Open is won by Ben Crenshaw (USA).

Births

January to June

• 10 January - Jason Sherlock, Dublin Gaelic footballer.
• 6 February - Darragh Maguire, soccer player.
• 10 February - Tony McDonnell, soccer player.
• 12 February - Mundy, singer-songwriter.
• 13 February - Denis Hickie, rugby player.
• 17 March - Stephen Gately, singer and actor.
• 20 April - Shay Given, international soccer player.
• 24 April - Steve Finnan, soccer player, former international.
• 15 May - Mark Kennedy, soccer player.
• 25 May - Cillian Murphy, actor.
• 31 May - Colin Farrell, actor.
• 2 June - Dáithí Ó Sé, TV host
• 12 June - Tony Scully, soccer player.
• 29 June - Duncan O'Mahony, Canadian football punter and placekicker.

July to December

• 3 July - Shane Lynch, singer and actor.
• 8 July - David Wallace, rugby player.
• 14 July - Kirsten Sheridan, film director and screenwriter.
• 23 July - Brian Carney, rugby player.
• 11 August - Claire Byrne, journalist and television presenter
• 18 August - Robbie Murray, boxer.
• 20 August - Tony Grant, soccer player.
• 16 September - Liz Bonnin, television presenter
• 4 October - Owen Heary, soccer player.
• 15 October - Paul Mooney, cricketer.
• 20 October - John Leonard, Dublin Gaelic footballer.
• 19 October - Alan Quirke, Cork Gaelic footballer.
• 4 November - Stuart Byrne, soccer player.

Full date unknown

• Paddy Christie, Dublin Gaelic footballer.
• Kevin Flynn, Dublin hurler.
• Seánie McGrath, Cork hurler.

Deaths

January to June

• 5 January - John A. Costello, barrister, Attorney-General, Fine Gael TD and twice Taoiseach (born 1891).
• 23 January - David Sullivan, labour leader in USA (born 1904).
• 2 February - Gardner Budd, lawyer.
• 12 February - Frank Stagg, Provisional Irish Republican Army hunger striker for 62 days in Wakefield Prison (born 1942).
• 28 February - Pat Hone, cricketer (born 1886).
• 29 February - Liam Cunningham, Fianna Fáil TD (born 1915).
• 8 March - Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster, peer and gambler (born 1892).
• 13 April - Noel Lemass, Jnr, Fianna Fáil TD (born 1929).
• 4 May - Hugh Delargy, British Labour Party politician and MP (born 1908).
• 27 June - Derrick Kennedy, cricketer (born 1904).

July to September

• 11 July - Michael Hayes, Pro-Treaty TD, Cabinet Minister, Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann member (born 1889).
• 22 July - Jim Ganly, cricketer and rugby player (born 1904).
• 29 July - Knox Cunningham, barrister, businessman and Ulster Unionist politician (born 1909).
• 12 September - Reginald Lyons, cricketer (born 1922).

October to December

• 7 October - Michael O'Neill, nationalist politician and MP (born 1909).
• 15 October - James Ennis, cricketer (born 1900).
• 31 October - Eileen Gray, architect and designer (born 1878).
• 2 November - Walter Starkie, author and translator (born 1894).
• 14 November - Frederick Alfred Pile, soldier and politician (born 1884).
• 4 December - W. F. McCoy, Ulster Unionist member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland (born 1886).

Full date unknown

• Willie Hough, Limerick hurler (born 1892).
• Dan Kennedy, Kilkenny hurler (born 1926).

References