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.

Sport

Football

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

Golf

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

Olympics

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

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).