1989 in Ireland

Events from the year 1989 in Ireland.

Incumbents

Events

2 January – The town of Dundalk celebrated its 1,200-year heritage.
12 February – Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane was shot dead by unionists.
20 March – Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan of the Royal Ulster Constabulary were killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army. An inquiry concluded in 2013 that a member or members of the Garda Síochána probably colluded in the ambush.
21 March – Three Irish soldiers on United Nations duty were killed in a landmine explosion in southern Lebanon.
19 April – Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act provided for legal separation of married couples.
21 April – The People In Need Telethon was broadcast for the first time.
11 May – At a meeting in Malahide Castle between Taoiseach Charles Haughey and visiting Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, Haughey promised Ortega support at the European Council of Ministers for aid and investment for his country despite an earlier telephone call from U.S. secretary of state James Baker urging Haughey to take a tough position against Ortega over democratic standards in Nicaragua.
22 June – An order was signed creating the University of Limerick, the first university founded since the foundation of the state; later in the day Dublin City University was created.
29 June – Charles Haughey resigned as taoiseach, remaining on in a caretaker capacity.
19 August – Ten thousand people marched from Dublin city centre to the British Embassy calling for British withdrawal from Northern Ireland.
14 September – The biggest group parachute jump over an urban area in Ireland was performed by 14 parachutists at Drumcondra in Dublin from an altitude of three thousand feet to celebrate the centenary of the first parachute jump in Ireland in 1889, which was performed by Londoner Percival Spencer who jumped from two thousand feet in front of 25,000 people, also in Drumcondra.
24 September – At least 70 people were injured in a train crash in Claremorris.
19 October – Three of the Guildford Four were released from prison in London. Paul Hill was immediately re-arrested.
26 November – The first edition of The Sunday Business Post newspaper was published in Dublin.
21 December – Aer Rianta's five millionth passenger was presented with a holiday to Florida.
Unknown date – The Irish Pride bakery was founded with the merger of Western Pride, Lydon House, Country Crust, and other bakeries.

Arts and literature

4 April – The Windmill Lane Consortium said that if it got the franchise it would be on the air within 9 to 12 months with its television station, TV3.
1 September – Contemporary music radio station Atlantic 252 went on air for the first time from the long wave Clarkstown radio transmitter in County Meath.
4 September – Independent pop music station Century Radio went on the air for the first time.
14 September – British children's stop-motion animated series Postman Pat premiered in Ireland on Network 2.
18 September – The television soap opera Fair City began on RTÉ One.
10 November – The film My Left Foot was released, directed by Jim Sheridan. Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker won Academy Awards for their performances.
MidWest Radio began broadcasting as a licensed station in County Mayo.
John Banville's novel The Book of Evidence was published.

Sport

Association football

11 October – Ireland beat Northern Ireland 3–0 in a World Cup qualifier in Dublin.
15 November – Ireland won 2–0 in Malta to secure qualification for the World Cup for the first time.

Gaelic football

The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final ended on a scoreline of Cork 0–17 Mayo 1–11

Golf

The Carroll's Irish Open golf tournament was won by Ian Woosnam.

Hurling

The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final ended on a scoreline of Tipperary 4-24 Antrim 3–9.

Births

8 January – Ian Bermingham, association football player.
3 March – Barry O'Rorke, Gaelic footballer and hurler.
17 March – Patrick Curtin, Gaelic footballer.
9 June – Chloë Agnew, singer.
12 June – Nickie Quaid, hurler.
11 July – Rachael Blackmore, jump jockey.
4 August – Michael Murphy, Gaelic footballer.
14 October – Barry Hennessy, hurler.
28 December – Jessie Buckley, actress and singer.
31 December – Brian Gregan, sprinter and athlete.

Deaths

24 January – Michael Scott, architect.
27 January – Dónall Mac Amhlaigh, writer.
January – Jackie Wright, comedian.
11 March – Simon Curley, cricketer.
7 April – Frank Cluskey, former leader of the Labour Party.
3 May – John Mackey, Limerick hurler.
15 June – Ray McAnally, actor.
July – Eddie Gannon, association footballer.
3 August – Dominic Behan, songwriter, novelist and playwright.
10 August – H. Montgomery Hyde, barrister, author and Ulster Unionist MP.
12 September – Seamus Twomey, twice chief of staff of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
4 November – Vivian Mercier, literary critic.
14 December – Gerry Healy, British Trotskyist leader.
22 December – Samuel Beckett, Nobel Prize in Literature 1969, playwright, novelist and poet.
Full date unknown – Hugh T. Baker, cricketer.