2014 in Ireland

This is a list of events that occurred during the year 2014 in Ireland.

Incumbents

Events

January

1 January
* New Year's Day.
* The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 came into effect, defining when abortions may be performed.
* The age of eligibility to receive the State pension rose to 66 years.
* The exceptionally stormy season begun in December continued with violent gales, heavy rain, high tides, and heavy flooding all over the country, with power supplies cut off to as many as 5,000 customers.
2 January – The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Conor O'Boyle, apologised to the President and Commander-in-Chief, Michael D. Higgins, following a call-in radio programme which discussed a Christmas Eve homily by the Army's head chaplain, Monsignor Eoin Thynne, who noted the absence of Christian remarks in the President's Christmas message, broadcast on 22 December.
3 January – During storm Anne The River Liffey in Dublin rose to its highest tide on record. It burst its banks near the Guinness Storehouse and Heuston Station. Some city quays were closed for an hour while pumping was performed. The East Link Bridge and Strand Road in Sandymount were also closed.
4 January – A very large Irish trade and diplomatic mission travelled to the Persian Gulf region. Over 80 firms sending 100 people on a five-day Enterprise Ireland mission to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi were led by the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, accompanied by the Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation, Richard Bruton.
6 January – Nollaig na mBan was celebrated on the last day of Christmas.
6–7 January – The most prolonged and destructive Irish storm in almost two decades, Superstorm Christine, struck Ireland and did considerable damage, particularly in western and southern coastal parts of the country, on the 175th anniversary of the Night of the Big Wind. The initial assessment of the value of destruction was up to €300m.
24 January – Mount Carmel Hospital in Dublin applied suddenly to the High Court to go into liquidation when National Asset Management Agency financial support was withdrawn. Over 300 jobs were to be lost as a result.
25–29 January – A large fire broke out after 3am on 25 January in the recycling plant at the Merrywell Industrial Estate in Ballymount, Dublin. Fifteen units of the Dublin Fire Brigade and 75 firefighters responded. The blaze was visible in Blessington, 23 kilometres away. Smoke reduced visibility and affected traffic, while residents of surrounding suburbs were advised to shut their doors and windows because of poisons released into the air. The occurrence of a second fire at the same time in a nearby carpet centre raised the question of arson being the cause. The fire was finally extinguished after five days. Three investigations were conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency, by the Gardaí, and by the Fire Service.
30 January – An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha, the Irish Dancing Commission, announced a ban effective from 1 March on the use of make-up, false eyelashes, and fake tan on the faces of Irish dancers aged under 10. Artificial carriage aids used to enforce a rigid posture were also banned for safety reasons. Wigs and the use of fake tan on legs were not prohibited.
31 January–1 February – Storm Brigid blew winds reaching 120 km/h and caused flooding along the west coast including in Tralee, Limerick, and Galway. Power supplies to thousands of homes were severed, flights from Dublin Airport were cancelled, as were ferry sailings from Rosslare.

February

1 February – A man in Ringsend was found dead after responding to a neck nomination drinking dare.
11 February – Billionaire American property developer Donald Trump bought the five-star Doonbeg golf and hotel complex in County Clare, restyling it the Trump International Golf Links, Ireland.
12 February – Storm Darwin blew down between 5,000 and 7,000 hectares of forest, including as many as 7.5 million trees, according to the Department of Agriculture. This represents less than one per cent of Ireland's forest volume. Just over ten percent of Ireland is covered by forest.
12 February – A vehicle belonging to the Police Service of Northern Ireland drove across the border into County Donegal.

March

17 March – Saint Patrick's Day, the national holiday.
30 March – Mothering Sunday. Clocks went forward one hour when Irish Standard Time began.

April

7 April – President Higgins departed from Áras an Uachtaráin with full military honours as he and his wife left for London in preparation for his state visit to Britain.
8–11 April – Michael D. Higgins paid the first state visit by an Irish President to the United Kingdom.
* 8 April – Queen Elizabeth welcomed President Higgins to Windsor Castle as her guest. Later, Higgins addressed both Houses of Parliament in Westminster. In the evening, he was the guest of honour at a state banquet in Windsor Castle.
* 9 April – President Higgins viewed the Colours of the disbanded Irish Regiments at Windsor Castle with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, visited University College London Hospital, and was the guest of Prime Minister David Cameron for lunch at 10 Downing Street.
21 April – Easter Monday.
24 April – President Higgins received the Freedom of Cork in the City Hall from Lord Mayor Catherine Clancy.
Late April – The Molly Malone statue was removed from its original location at the base of Grafton Street to make way for the new Luas tracks which skirt around Trinity College. It was relocated in July.

May

5 May – May Day and Labour Day.
6 May – The appointment of 36 new ambassadors, 12 of them women, was announced by the Government, including the appointment of an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as Irish ambassador to the Vatican, an embassy due to reopen in the next few months, following its closure in 2011. This increased the number of Irish ambassadors to 80.
7 May – Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence, Alan Shatter, resigned as a result of the inquiry by Senior Counsel Séan Guerin into allegations of Garda Síochána malpractice.
8 May
* Frances Fitzgerald was appointed Minister for Justice and Equality to replace her colleague, Alan Shatter, and Charlie Flanagan replaced her as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Enda Kenny became interim Minister for Defence.
* President Higgins departed for a six-day, second official visit to the United States.
15 May – The Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan announced that Budget Day would probably be on 14 October, or else on the following day.
16 May – The Committee of Social Rights of the Council of Europe ruled that, for the first time since the formation of the police force, members of the Garda Síochána could join a labour union and would be allowed to strike.
20 May – The Rosie Hackett Bridge across the River Liffey in Dublin was opened to connect Marlborough Street and Hawkins Street. It is dedicated to public transport including buses and the Luas tram, as well as cyclists and pedestrians.
23 May – Voting took place throughout the country from 7am until 10pm in [2014 2014 European Parliament election in Ireland|European Parliament election in Ireland|European] and [2014 Irish 2014 Irish local elections|local elections|local] elections, as well as in two by-elections, in the Dublin West and Longford–Westmeath constituencies.
25 May – The story of the unrecorded burials of 796 children who died at the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway between 1925 and 1961, which was reported by The Tuam Herald over the previous two years, gained sensational national and, later, international coverage following publication of a new article in a Sunday newspaper.
26 May – Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore, announced his intention to resign his position as leader of the Labour Party following the serious collapse of public support for his party in the local and European elections three days before. The resignation takes effect when his successor is chosen.

June

2 June – June public holiday.
3 June – The counties of North Tipperary and South Tipperary were amalgamated into one County Tipperary.
7 June – British viewers were amazed, confused and impressed when Sky Sports broadcast a hurling match for the first time.
13 June – The Public Health Bill 2014 was published, making Ireland the first European Union country to introduce plain cigarette packaging legislation. Stiff tobacco industry resistance to the law is expected and United States business and political lobbies have approached the Taoiseach to warn that its enactment would affect foreign investment in Ireland. Some EU countries are also expected to fight the legislation.
15 June – Father's Day.

July

4 July – Joan Burton [2014 Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party leadership election (Ireland)|was elected] leader of the Labour Party, succeeding Eamon Gilmore. She was also appointed Tánaiste by the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, following Gilmore's resignation from that position. Burton is the first female Labour Party leader and the third female tánaiste. Alan Kelly was elected deputy Labour Party leader.
14 July
* Former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson was appointed as the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Change.
* It was confirmed that planned concerts at Croke Park by the United States singer Garth Brooks were cancelled following the refusal to grant an event licence by Dublin City Council for a five-concert series owing to the existence of a binding signed agreement between local residents, the Gaelic Athletic Association, and the promoter, that concerts at the venue would be limited to three per year. This limit was already reached during a three-concert series earlier in the year.
Undated in July – The Molly Malone statue was placed in its new location outside the Dublin Tourist Office on Suffolk Street in Dublin.

August

4 August – August public holiday.
5 August – A state of emergency was declared at Letterkenny General Hospital as torrential rain caused flooding for the second consecutive year.
21 August – The post-mortem room of Letterkenny General Hospital was sealed off when the body of a man with suspected Ebola virus disease, who had been working in Sierra Leone, was brought there.

October

11 October
* 130,000 people marched from Parnell Square to Dáil Éireann in Dublin to protest against new water supply charges.
* Two by-election counts were performed following polls on the previous day. Paul Murphy of the Anti-Austerity Alliance won in Dublin South-West, while Independent candidate Michael Fitzmaurice won in Roscommon–South Leitrim.
14 October – The 2015 Budget was announced.
26 October – Clocks went back one hour when Irish Standard Time ended and the country changed to Greenwich Mean Time for winter.
27 October – October public holiday.
31 October – Hallowe'en.

November

22 November
* Revised Irish Water charges were announced. The cap on charges will now be €60 for a one-adult household and €160 for all other households.
* The five-metre cross on the summit of Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil, was found by climbers to have been cut down with an angle grinder. The steel cross, erected by 100 people in 1976, replaced an older wooden one erected during the 1950s. The cross was re-erected by a large party a week later, on the 29th, against the objections of environmentalists and members of Atheist Ireland. The anonymous fellers of the cross sent video of their action to TheJournal.ie news provider on 2 December indicating that the incident was a protest against the number of Irish primary schools being run by the Catholic Church.
25 November – Nóirín O'Sullivan was appointed as the 20th Commissioner of the Garda Síochána.

December

2 December – 350,000 second-level students were out of school as teachers placed pickets in the row over reform of the Junior Cert.
7 December – President Higgins began a nine-day state visit to China where he was scheduled to have meetings with the President, Xi Jinping, the Prime Minister, Li Keqiang, and the Chairman of the National People's Congress, Zhang Dejiang.
10 December – Between 30,000 and 100,000 people marched in Dublin to protest against water charges being introduced.
25 December – Christmas Day.
26 December – Saint Stephen's Day.

Arts

April – Tramp Press launched in Dublin by Lisa Coen and Sarah Davis-Goff as an independent publisher specialising in Irish fiction with the publication of Oona Frawley's debut novel Flight.
Emmet Kirwan's play Dublin Oldschool was produced.
Niall Williams' novel History of the Rain was published.

Sports

Association football

;International friendly matches
;UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group D

Cycling

11 May – Stage three of the 2014 Giro d'Italia started in Armagh and finished in Dublin.

Gaelic games

;All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final

7 September – Kilkenny 3–22 – 1–28 Tipperary

;2014 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final Replay

27 September – Kilkenny 2–17 – 2–14 Tipperary

;2014 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final

21 September – Donegal 0–12 – 2–9 Kerry

Horse racing

;Irish Grand National steeplechase

21 April – Shutthefrontdoor

Rugby union

;2014 Six Nations Championship

2 February – Ireland 28–6 Scotland.
8 February – Ireland 26–3 Wales.
22 February – England 13–10 Ireland.
8 March – Ireland 46–7 Italy.
15 March – France 20–22 Ireland.

;2014 Summer Internationals

7 June – Argentina 17–29 Ireland.
14 June – Argentina 17–23 Ireland.

;2014 Autumn Internationals

8 November – Ireland 29–15 South Africa.
16 November – Ireland 49–7 Georgia.
22 November – Ireland 26–23 Australia.

Deaths

January

2 January – Patrick Heron, 61; author, cancer.
7 January – Joe O'Mahony, 65; former Limerick F.C. football player, illness.
10 January – Anthony J. Hederman, 92, judge, Attorney General.
15 January – Liam Hogan, 74, former Limerick hurler, short illness.
19 January – Peadar Clohessy, 70, politician, Teachta Dála for Limerick East.
20 January – John Mackey, 96, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Auckland.
26 January –
* Ollie Conmy, 74, football player.
* Barry Nash, 18; All-Ireland minor handball champion, road traffic accident.
27 January – Shane Hourigan, 44; hurling referee, road traffic accident.
28 January – Ted Nealon, 84; former journalist, broadcaster, and Fine Gael party TD for Sligo–Leitrim, illness.
29 January – Paddy Whelan, 78; former Irish Times photographer, suspected heart attack.
30 January
* John Carty, 63; former Fianna Fáil party TD for Mayo.
* Seán Flynn, 56; education correspondent with the Irish Times, illness.
* Jim Mansfield, 74; businessman, long illness.
* Joan Tighe, 91; fashion journalist, short illness.

February

1 February – Jonny Byrne, 19; Carlow under-21 hurler, drowning.
7 February – Ernie Lyons, 99, motorcycle racer.
8 February – Finbarr Dwyer, 67, accordion player.
11 February –
* Ronnie Masterson, 87; actress.
* Seán Potts, 83; whistle player.
13 February – Tommy Cooke, 99; Limerick hurler and oldest living All-Ireland medallist.
14 February – Patrick Scott, 93; artist.
17 February – James McNaughton, 51; Antrim hurler.
18 February – Maigread Murphy, 94; teacher, patron of the arts and widow of sculptor Séamus Murphy.
20 February – Ted Joyce, 90; former Carlow Gaelic footballer.
24 February – Peadar Smith, 85; former Louth Gaelic footballer.
27 February – Raymond James Boland, 82, Irish-born American Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Birmingham in Alabama and Kansas City-St Joseph, complications from lung cancer.

March

3 March – Gerry Collins, 57; former Dublin Gaelic footballer and face of Health Service Executive anti-smoking campaign, lung cancer.
4 March – Barrie Cooke, 83, artist.
6 March – Tony Herbert, 94, politician, and hurler.
10 March – Eileen Colgan, 80; actress.
11 March – Christine Buckley, 67; institutional abuse survivor and campaigner, cancer.
13 March – Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond, 70; entrepreneur and former politician, helicopter crash.
15 March – Paddy Cronin, 88; fiddler, short illness.
17 March –
* Charlie O'Mahony, 73; former Cork Celtic footballer, long illness.
* Paddy McGuigan, 74, songwriter and musician.
20 March – Shane MacThomais, 46; historian, suddenly.
21 March – Oliver Maloney, 77; former Director-General of RTÉ, illness.
25 March –
* Nicky McFadden, 51; Fine Gael TD, motor neuron disease.
* Frank O'Keeffe, 91; former Kerry Gaelic footballer.

April

3 April – John Ryan, 86; former Labour Party TD.
22 April – John Hannigan, 75; former Donegal Gaelic footballer and manager, short illness.
29 April – Daphne Pochin Mould, 93, author and photographer.

May

15 May – Greg Hughes, 75, Gaelic footballer.

June

4 June – Martin Treacy, 78, retired hurler.
15 June – Ambrose O'Gorman, 102, oldest priest in Ireland.
25 June – The Very Reverend Cyril Haran, 83, priest and Gaelic football manager.
27 June – Flor Hayes, 70: Gaelic footballer, short illness.
28 June – Joe Dooley, hurler.
29 June – Dermot Healy, 66, novelist, playwright and poet.

July

3 July – Tim Flood, 87: former hurler.
4 July – Packie McQuaid, former Gaelic footballer.
7 July – Denis Lyons, 78, former Fianna Fáil TD, short illness.
13 July – Jeremy Browne, 11th Marquess of Sligo, 75, hereditary peer.
20 July – Thomas Brennan, 74, equestrian.
22 July – Louis Lentin, 80, theatre, film and television director, sudden illness.

August

8 August – J. J. Murphy, 86, actor
10 August – Ann Rowan, 85, actress.
16 August – Liam Flood, 71, bookmaker and poker player.
20 August – Eric Barber, 72, association footballer.
21 August – Albert Reynolds, 81, politician, Taoiseach, TD for Longford–Roscommon.

September

2 September – James White, 76, politician and hotelier.
12 September – Ian Paisley, former First Minister and founder of the DUP
20 September – Billie Barry, dance instructor.
29 September – Hugh Doherty, 93, association footballer.

October

13 October – Gabrielle Reidy, 54, actress, cancer.
19 October – Gerard Parkes, 90, actor.
22 October – Barry McSweeney, Irish scientist, Chief Science Advisor.

November

4 November – Jack Fitzsimons, 84, architect and activist.
5 November – Séamus Heery, 87, Gaelic footballer.
8 November – Joe Walsh, 71, former Fianna Fáil TD and long serving Minister for Agriculture.
9 November – Luke Dolan, 108, Ireland's oldest man.
10 November – Brian Farrell, 85, political broadcaster and academic.
13 November –
* Gus Cremins, 93, Gaelic football player.
* Paddy MacHugh, first Telefís Éireann weather forecaster, short illness.
14 November – Michael O'Brien, 81, former Cork senior hurling team coach, long illness.
16 November – Dessie Hughes, 71, racehorse trainer and former jockey, short illness.
19 November – Jeremiah Coffey, 81, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Sale, Australia.
26 November – Anita Notaro, author and former television director, front-temporal dementia.
27 November – Jack Kyle, 88, rugby union player, long illness.

December

5 December – Jackie Healy-Rae, 83, former Independent TD, long illness.
6 December – Mick Barry, 95, road bowler regarded as the greatest of all time, long illness.
16 December – Andy Kettle, 68, chairman of the Dublin County Board, pneumonia.
26 December – Timothy Dowd, 99, detective who led Son of Sam manhunt.
27 December – Pat Gillen, 89, one of the last surviving Irish D Day veterans.
30 December – Desmond Fisher, 94, journalist, broadcaster and former head of current affairs with RTÉ.