2008 in Ireland
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "2008_in_Ireland".

««« 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003	2008 in Ireland	»»» 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Decades: 1980s • 1990s • 2000s • 2010s Centuries: 19th • 20th • 21st See also: 2008 in Northern Ireland Other events of 2008 List of years in Ireland

Incumbents

• President - Mary McAleese
• Taoiseach - Bertie Ahern (to May 7), Brian Cowen
• Tánaiste - Brian Cowen (to May 7), Mary Coughlan

Events

January

• January 1 - Philip Hogarty (aged 19) becomes the first road death on Irish roads in 2008 after being struck by a Garda patrol car in Tallaght. Philip was chairman of the Irish Chess Union.^[1]
• January 2 - After 36 years in business, The Burlington Hotel in Dublin closes, with the loss of 400 jobs.^[2]
• January 4 - An unforecasted blizzard hits the country, leading to the heaviest snowfall in Ireland since December 2000.
• January 9 - After days of heavy rainfall in the South West serious flooding occurs in Fermoy and Mallow with parts of Mallow under 1.3 m of water.^[3]
• January 13 - Following months of protest, Aer Lingus complete their last Shannon to Heathrow flight.
• January 16 - Wayne O'Donoghue is released from prison after serving three years of a four year jail term for the manslaughter of Robert Holohan (aged 11) in January 2005.^[4]
• January 21 - €4bn was wiped off the Irish Stock Exchange as the worlds stock markets slumped.
• January 23 - The brother of a Real IRA leader is one of two Irish citizens arrested in Lithuania on suspicion of buying firearms and explosives for the Real IRA.^[5]
• January 25 - The closure of the Jacob's plant in Tallaght, County Dublin, is announced, with the loss of 220 jobs by March 2009.^[6]
• January 26 - Martin Foley, aka "The Viper", is shot in south Dublin possibly as part of an ongoing feud between criminal gangs. It was the fifth failed attempt on Mr Foley's life.^[7]

February

• February 1 - Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, travels to Ballymena to meet First Minister, Ian Paisley, and open a resort and spa.^[8]
• February 4 - Dublin based gangland criminal, Paddy Doyle, is shot dead in Southern Spain.^[9]
• February 6 - Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs, announces €250,000 grant to allow Orange Lodges to employ a development officer.^[10]
• February 13 - Giovanni Trapattoni is confirmed as the new manager of the Republic of Ireland soccer team.
• February 23 - Two Polish men were attacked with screwdrivers by a gang of teenagers in Drimnagh Southside Dublin. Both died later from their injuries.
• February 29 - Ireland became the 22nd nation to recognize Kosovan independence

March

• March 5 - A jury finds Brian Kearney guilty of the murder of his wife, Siobhán Kearney, at their home in Goatstown in February 2006.
• March 14 - The Economic and Social Research Institute predicted that economic growth in Ireland for 2008 will be 1.6%, the lowest level since 1988. It was also forecast that no new jobs will be added to the Irish economy for the first time since 1991. [1]
• March 26 - Farmer Michael Hanrahan, 60 , and his son Denis Hanrahan, 27, are found shot dead at their home in Moyvane, County Kerry.

April

• April 2 - Taoiseach Bertie Ahern announces that he will resign as Head of Government on May 6.
• April 8 - Brian Cowen is elected as the seventh leader of Fianna Fáil.
• April 12 - Patrick Hillery, sixth President and former Minister and European Commissioner, dies aged 84.
• April 15 - The case of broadcaster Pat Kenny and his neighbour, Gerard Charlrton, involving the claiming of an area of land near their home, was settled by the court. It was decided that Kenny would pay an undisclosed sum of money for the land called Gorse Hill.
• April 17 - Ciarán Cannon becomes the leader of the Progressive Democrats
• April 21 - It is revealed that four laptops belonging to Bank of Ireland and containing personal information of approximately 10,000 customers were stolen between June and October 2007
• April 30 - Bertie Ahern becomes the sixth Irish leader to address both houses of the United States Congress.

May

• May 6 - As part of one of his last engagements as Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern opens a new visitors centre at the site of the Battle of the Boyne in County Meath alongside Nothern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley
• May 7 - Dáil Éireann elects Fianna Fáil leader Brian Cowen as Taoiseach.
• May 10 - 16 year-old Roman Vysochan, a Latvian national, is found stabbed to death in Corbally on the outskirts of Limerick City.
• May 11 - A 51 year-old man is killed and another seriously injured in a small plane crash in Kilmovee, County Mayo.
• May 14 - An excavation is carried out in the Slieve Bloom Mountains for the remains of Fiona Pender, who has been missing since 1996, following the discovery of a cross with her name printed on it.

Future or Predicted events

August

• August 2-August 10 Jamboree 2008, an international Jamboree will take place in Punchestown

Year Long

• Scouting in Ireland celebrates its centenary. Events to celebrate the centenary are planned throughout the year with the National Jamboree, and an exhibition in the National Museum as highlights.

Sport

Association Football

• Internationals

6 February - Republic of Ireland 0 - 1 Brazil

24 May - Republic of Ireland v Serbia

• World Cup 2010 Qualifiers^[11]

6 September - Georgia v Republic of Ireland

10 September - Montenegro v Republic of Ireland

15 October - Republic of Ireland v Cyprus

• Setanta Cup
  • Winners:

• Eircom League
  • Winners:

• FAI Ford Cup
  • Winners:

Athletics

• 26 January-27 January - Irish Indoor Athletics Championships, Odyssey Arena, Belfast.

Gaelic Athletic Association

• Football

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2008

National Football League 2008

• Hurling

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2008

National Hurling League 2008

Golf

Rugby Union

• 2008 Six Nations Championship

2 February - Ireland 16 - 11 Italy

9 February - France 26 - 21 Ireland

23 February - Ireland 34 - 13 Scotland

8 March - Ireland 12 v 16 Wales

15 March - England 33 v 10 Ireland

Ireland come fourth, their lowest finishing position since 1999

• 2007-08 Heineken Cup

Only Munster advance from the group stage. They progress to the finals.

Deaths

• 1 January - Peter Caffrey, actor (b.1949).
• 3 January - John O'Donohue, poet and philosopher (b.1956).
• 26 January - Raymond Daniels, 28, footballer (Wicklow GAA), suspected heart attack. [2]
• 27 January - Dan Kavanagh, 87, former Kerry Gaelic footballer.
• 1 February - Brendan O'Reagan, 91, founder of airport duty-free
• 13 February - Paul Goldin, hypnotist [3]
• 23 February - Jim English, Wexford hurler (b.1932).
• 29 February - Chris Cary, 61, broadcaster and founder of Radio Nova (Ireland). Died in on a working trip in Tenerife from a stroke.
• 5 March - Jimmy Faulkner, guitarist with Christy Moore and other groups. [4]
• 6 March - Garry McMahon, former Kerry Gaelic footballer.
• 7 March - Tommy O'Brien, 63, former handballer.
• 3 April - Brendan O'Brien, 67, musician (The Dixies), probable heart attack. [5]
• 4 April - Pat Stakelum, Tipperary hurler (b.1927).
• 12 April - Patrick Hillery, 84, former President of Ireland.
• 13 April - Michael Mills, 80, former journalist and Ireland's first government ombudsman (1984–1994). [6]
• 28 April - John Barron, 74, former Waterford hurler.
• 2 May - Martin Codd, former Wexford hurler (b.1929).
• 9 May - Nuala Ó Faoláin, 68, journalist and writer.

References