1987 in Ireland

Events

*January 20 - Labour ministers resign from the government over a disagreement over budget proposals.
*February 19 - A general election returns a Fianna Fáil minority government with Charles Haughey as Taoiseach.
*March 11 - Former Taoiseach Dr. Garret FitzGerald resigns the leadership of Fine Gael. He is succeeded by Alan Dukes.
*March 22 - The Irish National Lottery is launched.
*March 28 - The National Lottery launches its first scratch cards.
*May 8 - The SAS kills 8 IRA members and a civilian in an ambush at Loughgall, County Tyrone.
*May 9 - Johnny Logan of Ireland wins the Eurovision Song Contest for a second time with the song 'Hold Me Now.'
*May 26 - Voters go to the poll in the referendum on the Single European Act. Nearly 70% vote in favour of the 10th amendment to the constitution.
*July 26 - Stephen Roche wins the Tour de France.
*November 8 - 11 civilians are killed in an explosion during a Remembrance Day service in Enniskillen.
*November 10 - The funeral takes place in Dublin of the broadcaster Eamonn Andrews.
*November 29 - Beaumont Hospital, Dublin opens to patients.

Arts and literature

*U2 release The Joshua Tree album to popular international acclaim.

port

Cycling

*6 September - Stephen Roche completes a remarkable treble by winning the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the World Championship.

Football

*11 November - Republic of Ireland qualify for their first major international tournament when Scotland pull off a shock 1-0 win in Sofia against Bulgaria. Gary Mackay scores the only goal with just three minutes left to put the Republic of Ireland into Euro 88 which will be held in West Germany.

Golf

*Carroll's Irish Open is won by Bernhard Langer (West Germany).

Births

January to June

*22 January- Shane Long, soccer player.
*30 January - Rebecca Knox, professional wrestler.
*3 February - Conor Rafferty, soccer player.
*4 February - Darren O'Dea, soccer player.
*5 February - Denis McLaughlin, soccer player.
*14 February - James Chambers, soccer player.
*16 march - Diarmuid O'Carroll, soccer player.
*12 April - Niall O'Reilly, soccer player.
*13 April - Conor Sammon, soccer player.
*12 May - Darren Randolph, soccer player.
*21 May - Chris McCann, soccer player.

July to December

*1 July - Gary Walsh, soccer player.
*7 July - Diarmuid Connolly, Dublin Gaelic football and Hurling player.
*9 July - Jonathan Hayes, soccer player.
*9 July - Sean Kelly, soccer player.
*31 August - Paul Donnelly, soccer player.
*28 September - Gary Deegan, soccer player.
*16 October - Eric McGill, soccer player.
*7 November - Gareth Whelan, soccer player.
*16 November - T. J. Reid, Kilkenny hurler.
*13 December - Billy Clarke, soccer player.
*21 December - Ronan Finn, soccer player.

Full date unknown

*Pa Cronin, Cork hurler.
*Cathal Naughton, Cork hurler.

Deaths

January to June

*2 January - Roger McHugh, professor, author and playwright.
*14 January - Ewart Milne, poet (b.1903).
*January - Billy King, cricketer (b.1902).
*8 April - Kevin McNamara, Archbishop of Dublin.
*19 April - Con Cremin, diplomat (b.1908).
*23 April - Oliver J. Flanagan, former Fine Gael TD and Cabinet Minister (b.1920).
*27 April - Maurice Gibson, Northern Irish judge (b.1913).
*8 May - Jim Lynagh, Provisional Irish Republican Army member killed in an ambush by the SAS during an attack on Loughgall RUC station (b.1956).
*17 May - Liam Miller, publisher.
*22 June - John Harold Hewitt, poet (b.1907).
*30 June - Tommy O'Connor, soccer player.

July to December

*20 July - Denis J. O'Sullivan, Fine Gael TD (b.1918).
*18 October - Michael Lipper, Irish Labour Party politician and TD (b.1932).
*29 October - Monk Gibbon, poet and author (b.1896).
*5 November - Eamonn Andrews, broadcaster (b.1922).
*25 November - James McDyer, Roman Catholic priest and community leader.
*9 December - Seán Brosnahan, Treasurer INTO, member of the Seanad from 1961 to 1977.
*29 December - Francis Llewellyn Harrison, musicoligist.

Full date unknown

*Eudie Coughlan, Cork hurler (b.1900).
*Bill Hayes, soccer player (b.1915).
*Jimmy Warnock, boxer (b.1912).