1977 in Ireland explained

Events from the year 1977 in Ireland.

Incumbents

• President: Patrick Hillery
• Taoiseach:
  • Liam Cosgrave (FG) (until 5 July 1977)
  • Jack Lynch (FF) (from 5 July 1977)
• Tánaiste:
  • Brendan Corish (Lab) (until 5 July 1977)
  • George Colley (FF) (from 5 July 1977)
• Minister for Finance:
  • Richie Ryan (FG) (until 5 July 1977)
  • George Colley (FF) (from 5 July 1977)
• Chief Justice: Tom O'Higgins
• Dáil:
  • 20th (until 25 May 1977)
  • 21st (from 5 July 1977)
• Seanad:
  • 13th (until 26 May 1977)
  • 14th (from 27 October 1977)

Events

January

• 29 January – Seven Irish Republican Army bombs exploded in the West End of London, but there were no fatalities or serious injuries.

February

• 4 February – British police discovered an IRA bomb factory in Liverpool.
• 10 February – The three IRA terrorists involved in the 1975 Balcombe Street Siege in London were sentenced to life imprisonment on six charges of murder.
• 21 February – A crater on the planet Mercury was named after the Irish poet W. B. Yeats.

March

• 18 March – Six-year-old Mary Boyle from Kincasslagh vanished from her grandparents' farm near Ballyshannon in County Donegal.

May

• 9 May – Ireland's first McDonald's restaurant opened on Grafton Street in Dublin.
• 26 May – Five soldiers were killed in the Glen of Imaal military training area in Country Wicklow when an 81mm mortar exploded during a training exercise.^[1]
• 29 May – A massive peace rally took place in Belfast organized by Betty Williams, Mairéad Corrigan and Ciarán McKeown.

June

• 15 June – Fianna Fáil won the 1977 general election with over 50% of the votes and a 20-seat majority.

July

• 5 July – The 21st Dáil elected Jack Lynch as Taoiseach.^[2]
• 14 July – The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland was recognised as a college of the National University of Ireland.

August

• 10 August – Queen Elizabeth II visited Northern Ireland under tight security as part of her Silver Jubilee celebrations.

September

• 10 September – Irish horses were prevented from entering the United States because of an outbreak of venereal disease in Irish, British and French horses.^{[3] [4]}

September

• 18 September – In Ennis, County Clare, the Christian Brothers celebrated their 150th anniversary.

October

• 3 October – Dunsink Observatory near Finglas was badly damaged by fire. Rubble removed to the nearby municipal dump included valuable Apollo 11 Moon rock fragments donated to Ireland by the American government.^{[5] [6]}
• 22 October – A new £1 note was circulated, a green banknote depicting the mythical Queen Maeve of Connacht.

November

• 18 November – The National Council for Educational Awards was given degree awarding status.

Arts and literature

• August – The Boomtown Rats' debut single "Lookin' After No. 1", written by Bob Geldof, was released in the United Kingdom.
• The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature was awarded to Desmond Hogan.^{[7] [8] [9]}
• Publication of Leland Bardwell's first novel Girl on a Bicycle in Dublin, set in 1940s Ireland.
• Publication of Paul Muldoon's poetry collection Mules.
• Publication of Niall Ó Dónaill's Irish-English dictionary Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla.

Sport

Association football

• The Republic of Ireland national football team failed to qualify for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.

Gaelic sport

• In September, Cork Hurlers completed the 'three in a row' by beating Wexford in the All-Ireland senior hurling final.
• Dublin footballers beat Armagh in the highest ever scoring All-Ireland senior football final.

Golf

• Carroll's Irish Open was won by Hubert Green (USA).

Births

• January – Mickey O'Connell, Cork hurler.
• 4 January – Dan Shanahan, hurler and coach.
• 6 January
  • David Flynn, composer and musician.
  • Genevieve O'Reilly, actress.
• 7 January – Tomm Moore, twice Oscar-nominated animator and film maker.
• 10 January – Michelle O'Neill, née Doris, politician, First Minister of Northern Ireland.
• 7 February – Francis Barrett, boxer.
• 15 February – Damien Faulkner, motor racing driver.
• 16 February – Ian Clarke, software developer.
• 3 March – Ronan Keating, singer.
• 7 March – Ronan O'Gara, International rugby player.
• 16 March – Donal Óg Cusack, Cork hurling goalkeeper.
• 31 March – Finghin Collins, pianist.
• 1 April – Pádraic Joyce, Galway Gaelic footballer.
• 14 April
  • Stephen Grant, association footballer.
  • Trevor Malloy, association footballer.
• 7 May – Lisa Kelly, singer.
• 8 May – Joe Doyle, bass player.
• 9 May – Paul Lynch, novelist.
• 12 May – Barry Foley, Limerick hurler.
• 16 May – Robbie Ryan, association footballer.
• 22 May – Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Cork hurling and Gaelic football player
• 1 June
  • Thomas Byrne, Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for Meath East.
  • Jamie Costin, race walker.
• 15 June – P. J. Ryan, Kilkenny hurler.
• 20 June – Hazel Kaneswaran, singer.
• 21 June
  • Barry Archer, cricketer.
  • Michael Gomez, boxer.
• 25 June – Daniel Kinahan, boxing promoter.
• 2 July – Laura Woods, radio and television presenter.
• 6 July – Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin Senator.
• 27 July – Jonathan Rhys Meyers, actor.
• 9 August – Caroline Morahan, actress and television presenter.
• 14 August – Tom Mulligan, Dublin Gaelic footballer (died 2007).
• 17 August – Colin Hawkins, association footballer.
• 18 August – Elaine Crowley, journalist, newsreader and television presenter.
• 21 August – Anthony Lynch, Cork Gaelic footballer.
• 25 August – Dessie Baker, association footballer.
• 31 August – Ian Harte, international association footballer.
• 7 September
  • Marcus Horan, international rugby player.
  • Timmy McCarthy, Cork hurling player.
• 15 September – Gavin Smith, motor racing driver.
• 15 November – Joe Deane, Cork hurling player.
• 3 December – Kerri Ann, pop singer.
• 11 December – Emma Ledden, television presenter.
• 13 December – Peter Stringer, rugby union player for Munster and Ireland.
• 27 December – Sinead Keenan, actress.

Full date unknown

• John Browne, Cork hurler.

• Stephen Byrne, Offaly hurler.

• Ste V Roc, hip-hop artist and MC.

• Anthony Ruby, artist.

• Donie Ryan, Limerick hurler.

Deaths

• 5 January – Patrick Cogan, Independent TD (born 1903).
• 17 April – William Conway, Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh (born 1913).
• 24 April – Geoffrey Bing, lawyer and Labour politician in UK (born 1909).
• 14 June – Joe Keppel, comic performer (born 1894).
• 14 July – Fiona Plunkett, Republican (born 1896).
• 17 July – Micky Cross, hurler (Claughaun, Limerick, Munster, national team) (born 1902).
• 1 August – Bill Loughery, cricketer (born 1907).
• 21 December – Seán Keating, painter (born 1889).
• 23 December – Raymond McGrath, architect and interior designer (born 1903 in Australia).
• 26 December – Jimmy Walsh, Kilkenny hurler (born 1911).

See also

• 1977 in Irish television

Notes and References

1. Web site: Five injured in mortar mishap . 1997-12-09 . Irish Independent .
2. Dáil Éireann. Parliamentary Debates. 300. 5 July 1977. 24 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120302220125/http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0300/D.0300.197707050004.html. 2 March 2012.
3. Contagious equine metritis – outbreak of the disease in Kentucky and laboratory methods for diagnosing the disease. Swerczek. T. W.. J Reprod Fertil Suppl. 1979. 27. 27. 361–5. 383988.
4. Web site: U.S. Importation of Mares and Stallions U.S.D.A. Quarantine Requirements Regarding Infectious Equine Diseases . cemquarantine.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928000251/http://www.cemquarantine.com/C.E.M.%20articlea.htm . 28 September 2007.
5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16909592 What has happened to Nasa's missing Moon rocks? From lunar landscape to Dublin dump
6. http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1978IrAJ...13..156W&db_key=AST&page_ind=0&data_type=GIF&type=SCREEN_VIEW&classic=YES Dunsink Observatory—Outbreak of Fire, 3 October 1977
7. Book: McElroy, James. Ireland: A Traveler's Literary Companion. Whereabouts Press. 2007. 147.
8. News: The Hogan File. The Irish Times. 2 April 2005.
9. News: Tim. McDonough. Irish Tales Have Rooney Angle. Pittsburgh Press. 2 January 1981. 24 April 2012.