1985 in Ireland

Events

*January 1 - Cork City celebrates 800 years as a chartered city.
*February 26 - Former minister Desmond O'Malley is expelled from the Fianna Fáil Party.
*February 28 - The IRA kills nine Royal Ulster Constabulary officers in a mortar attack at Newry station.
*March 4 - Bob Geldof is honoured for his overseas aid efforts at a civic reception in the Mansion House.
*March 28 - Gaisce is created by a trust deed under the patronage of the President of Ireland.
*March 30 - The Ireland national rugby union team wins the Triple Crown and Five Nations Championship at Lansdowne Road. They beat England 13-10.
*April 28 - Dennis Taylor wins the Embassy World Snooker Championship.
*May 16 - The Minister for Education, Gemma Hussey, announces a new £20 million project to create the transition year in post-primary schools.
*June 23 - An Air India Boeing 747 crashes into the sea 190 kilometres off the Irish coast.
*July 13 - Live Aid is organised by Bob Geldof in London. Ireland is the highest per-capita donor country.
*July 22 - At Ballinspittle, County Cork, two women claim to have seen a statue of the Virgin Mary move. The grotto becomes a place of pilgrimage
*July 31 - Thousands flock to Ballinspittle, County Cork, where a statue of the Virgin Mary is claimed to move miraculously.
*September 2 - Spike Island Jail in County Cork is left in ruins following a riot by prisoners.
*September 10 - The first heart transplant in Ireland takes place.
*September 20 - President Hillery presents Bob Geldof with a cheque for £7 million. This is the Irish contribution to the Live Aid appeal.
*September 29 - Pleasure Trawler "Taurima", owned by Charles Haughey was wrecked near Mizen Head lighthouse.
*October 25 - The first commercial flight departs from Knock Airport.
*November 15 - An Taoiseach, Dr. Garret FitzGerald, and the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, sign the Anglo-Irish Agreement at Hillsborough Castle, County Down.
*November 27 - Mary Harney is expelled from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party over her support of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
*December 21 - Desmond O'Malley founds the Progressive Democrats.

Arts and literature

* Tom Murphy's "Bailegangaire" is produced by the Druid Theatre Company, Galway.
* Frank McGuinness's play "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching to the Somme" is performed.

port

Boxing

*June 8 - Barry McGuigan wins the WBA world featherweight boxing championship.

Football

*Derry City joins the League of Ireland, after being out of senior football since 1972.

Golf

*Carroll's Irish Open is won by Seve Ballesteros (Spain).

Rugby Union

*March 30 - The Irish rugby team wins the Triple Crown and Five Nations Championship at Lansdowne Road. They beat England 13-10.

Births

January to March

*11 January - Mark Yeates, soccer player.
*13 January - Pat Flynn, soccer player.
*13 January - Stephen Quigley, soccer player.
*20 January - Neil Gallagher, soccer player.
*31 January - James "Cha" Fitzpatrick, Kilkenny hurler.
*6 february - John Tennyson, Kilkenny hurler.
*7 February - Michael Lyng, Cavan Gaelic footballer.
*8 February - David O'Connor, soccer player.
*20 February - Alan O'Brien, soccer player.
*15 March - James Hussey, soccer player.

April to June

*10 April - Willo Flood, soccer player.
*11 April - Brian Gannon, soccer player.
*12 April - Paul Murphy, soccer player.
*23 April - Gary Mulligan, soccer player.
*29 April - Pamela Myers, artist.
*6 May - David Tyrrell, soccer player.
*13 may - David Bell, soccer player.
*23 May - David Cassidy, soccer player.
*28 May - Brian Shorthall, soccer player.
*8 June - Barry Murphy, soccer player.

July to September

*10 July - Conan Byrne, soccer player.
*15 July - Enda Mac Nally, artist.
*17 July - Eoin Larkin, Kilkenny hurler.
*5 August - Aaran McEneff, soccer player.
*7 September -Tamir Doyle,
*9 September - Tadhg Purcell, soccer player.
*17 September - Brendan Clarke, soccer player.
*20 September - George McMahon, actor.

October to December

*2 October - Mark Quigley, soccer player.
*6 October - Karl Bermingham, soccer player.
*5 November - Ian Maher, soccer player.
*6 November - Kieran Harte, soccer player.
*15 November - Brian Lloyd, blogger / musician.
*4 December - Stephen Dawson, soccer player.
*9 December - Mark Leech, soccer player.
*24 December - Donnacha Cody, Kilkenny hurler.
*29 December - Patrick Kavanagh, soccer player.

Full date unknown

*Michael Fennelly, Kilkenny hurler.
*Brian Murray, Limerick hurler.
*Anthony Nash, Cork hurler.
*Richie Power, Kilkenny hurler.

Deaths

January to June

*18 January - Wilfrid Brambell, actor (b.1912).
*19 January - Shelah Richards, actress and producer.
*21 February - Dermot Ryan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin (b.1924).
*3 March - Noel Purcell, actor (b.1900).
*May - Tommy Murphy, Laois Gaelic footballer (b.1921).
*16 June - Alexis FitzGerald, Snr, solicitor, Fine Gael Seanad member (b.1916).
*17 June - Bernard Bergin, cricketer (b.1913).
*29 June - Máire Ní Scolaí, singer.

July to December

*8 September - Frederick May, composer.
*29 September - Timothy McAuliffe, Labour Party politician (b.1909).
*11 October - Todd Andrews, Irish revolutionary and public servant (b.1901).
*4 December - Frederick Boland, diplomat, first Irish ambassador to Britain and to the United Nations (b.1904).
*8 December - Jimmy Rudd, soccer player (b.1919).
*11 December - Kathleen Ryan, actress (b.1922).
*17 December - Leo Maguire, singer, songwriter and radio broadcaster (b.1903).

Full date unknown

*Sigerson Clifford, poet and playwright (b.1913).
*Fergus Crawford, soccer player (b.1933).
*Alex Stevenson, soccer player (b.1912).