1996 in Ireland

Events

*January 24 - The international body proposes six principles of democracy and non-violence ('the Mitchell principles') as conditions for entry to all-party talks in Northern Ireland.
*February 5 - The FAI appoint Mick McCarthy as the Republic of Ireland national football teams manager.
*February 9 - The IRA ends its ceasefire by exploding a huge bomb at Canary Wharf in London.
*March 11 - The Hepatitis Tribunal opens in Dublin.
*May 18 - Ireland wins the Eurovision Song Contest for the seventh time with the song "The Voice."
*June 6 - President Mary Robinson meets Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London.
*June 7 - Detective Garda Jerry McCabe is shot dead by the IRA in Adare, County Limerick.
*June 26 - Crime reporter Veronica Guerin is shot in her car in Dublin.
*October 31 - Ireland's first Irish language television station, Teilifís na Gaeilge (TnaG) launched.
*November 6 - "Michael Collins" film is shown in Cork and Dublin.
*November 25 - Michael O'Hehir, broadcaster and sports commentator, dies aged 76.
*November 29 - It is revealed that Dunnes Stores paid £208,000 for an extension to Minister Michael Lowry's house.
*December 13 - On the opening day of a Dublin summit, EU leaders achieve a breakthrough in the row over preparations for a single European currency.

Arts and literature

* Seamus Deane's "Reading in the Dark" is published.

port

Gaelic football

*Meath GAA beat Mayo in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final, after a replay, to win their first title since 1988.

Golf

*Murphy's Irish Open is won by Colin Montgomerie (Scotland).

Hurling

Wexford GAA beat Limerick GAA in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final. It is their first senior All-Ireland since 1968.

Olympics

*Swimmer Michelle Smith wins three gold medals and one bronze in the Atlanta Olympics.

occer

* St Patrick's Athletic won the Football League of Ireland
* Shelbourne won the FAI Cup

Births

Deaths

January to June

*8 January - Joyce McCartan, community activist.
*12 February - James Camlin Beckett, historian.
*18 February - Cathal Ó Sándair, writer (b.1922).
*9 March - Ollie Walsh, Kilkenny hurler (b.1937).
*5 April - Gerard L'Estange, member of the Seanad, Fine Gael TD.
*22 April - Molly Keane, novelist and playwright (b.1904).
*24 April - Tomás de Bhaldraithe, Irish language scholar and lexicographer (b.1916).
*9 June - Patrick Flynn, Liberal Party of Canada MP (b.1921).
*10 June - Peter Raftery, diplomat.
*26 June - Veronica Guerin, journalist, murdered by drug dealers (b.1958).

July to December

*9 July - Christopher Casson, actor.
*16 July - Joe Dunn, Roman Catholic priest and broadcaster.
*6 August - Havelock Nelson, composer and pianist (b.1917).
*18 August - Charles Mitchel, actor and television newsreader, read the first Telefís Éireann news bulletin in 1961 (b.1920).
*25 August - Erskine B. Childers, diplomat, son of President Childers.
*August - Kathleen Mills, camogie player (b.1923).
*11 November - Liam Naughten, Fine Gael politician, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from 1995 until his death. (b.1944).
*24 November - Michael O'Hehir, sports commentator and journalist (b.1920).

Full date unknown

*Sean 'ac Donncha, traditional singer (b.1919).
*Erskine Childers, writer and broadcaster (b.1929).