2024 in Ireland

For Northern Ireland, see 2024 in Northern Ireland.

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Centuries:	19th 20th 21st
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See also:	2024 in Northern Ireland Other events of 2024 List of years in Ireland

Events during the year 2024 in Ireland.

Incumbents

President Michael D. Higgins

• President: Michael D. Higgins
• Taoiseach
  • Leo Varadkar (FG) (until 9 April 2024)
  • Simon Harris (FG) (from 9 April 2024)
• Tánaiste: Micheál Martin (FF)
• Minister for Finance:
  • Michael McGrath (FF) (until 26 June 2024)
  • Jack Chambers (FF) (from 26 June 2024)
• Chief Justice: Donal O'Donnell
• Dáil: 33rd
• Seanad: 26th

Events

January

• 1 January – It was revealed that 184 people were killed on Irish roads in 2023, the highest number of fatalities in almost a decade.
• 4 January – A second man died in hospital following a shooting at a Dublin restaurant on Christmas Eve.
• 5 January – Focus Ireland and the Simon Community described newly released record figures for homelessness (from November 2023) as "shocking", with 9,409 adults and 4,105 children now homeless.
• 7 January – Irish actor Cillian Murphy won the best actor award at the Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills, California for his leading performance in the film Oppenheimer.
• 9 January
  • 14 migrants were found hidden in a refrigerated trailer at Rosslare Europort in County Wexford.
  • A coroner's inquest held in London found that Sinéad O'Connor died from natural causes.
• 10 January – Gardaí began an investigation into human trafficking after ten Kurdish people from Iran and Iraq, three people from Vietnam, and one from Turkey were discovered in a refrigerated container that arrived at Rosslare Europort.
• 12 January – 17-year-old fifth year student Seán O'Sullivan from Coláiste Chiaráin, County Limerick won the 60th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition with his project 'VerifyMe: A new approach to authors attribution in the post-ChatGPT era'.
• 14 January – Minister of State Jack Chambers came out as gay.
• 17 January – A convent in Lanesborough, County Longford which had been designated as accommodation for Ukrainian refugees was set on fire.
• 18 January – A man died following an explosion at a homeless hostel in Dublin city centre.
• 19 January – The European Court of Human Rights announced that Ireland launched legal action against the United Kingdom on 17 January over the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 that gives amnesty to British soldiers and members of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
• 22 January
  • Senator David Norris retired from the Seanad after 36 years service. In his final speech, he deplored the slaughter in Gaza: "What is happening to the people of Gaza is appalling and cannot be allowed to continue."
  • The Supreme Court decided unanimously that an unmarried father whose partner died is entitled to a widower's pension. The Minister for Social Protection originally refused him the pension; now, the Government must change social welfare law to comply with the Court's decision that the Department was guilty of unconstitutional discrimination. There are roughly 170,000 cohabiting couples in the State.
• 24 January – A private members bill brought by the Social Democrats that would have seen Ireland join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice was defeated in the Dáil.
• 26 January
  • It was reported that President Michael D. Higgins had been awarded the United Nations Agricola Medal. Higgins will be presented with the award by the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Qu Dongyu, in a ceremony in Dublin later this year. Higgins was selected by the FAO "in recognition of [his] contribution and commitment to the welfare of all peoples, [his] extraordinary support for FAO's fundamental goal of attaining universal food security, and the pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals."
  • Homelessness figures for December were released, showing a slight drop in numbers to 13,318 people, including more than 3,900 children, accessing homelessness services in December. This was the first drop recorded in months, but it is not expected to be sustained.
  • Bambie Thug was chosen to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song Doomsday Blue. The winner was chosen by combined votes of the public vote, an international jury and a national jury on the Late Late Show Eurosong Special.

February

• 1 February
  • Three people (two men and a woman) in their early 20s were killed in a road crash in County Carlow.
  • A murder investigation began after a post-mortem examination found that remains which were discovered in east Cork were those of a 47-year-old man who went missing in September 2023.
  • The new Deposit Return Scheme became active. Henceforth, when empty and undamaged plastic, aluminium or steel containers are returned to participating shops and supermarkets, a small deposit, added to the original cost of purchase, is refunded.
• 9 February – A woman in her 30s was arrested following the death of a six-year-old boy discovered in a car in County Waterford.
• 11 February – Sinéad O'Connor was posthumously nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside other artists including Cher, Mariah Carey and Oasis.
• 13 February – A 37-year-old woman was charged with the murder of her six-year-old son who was found unresponsive in a car in County Waterford.
• 16 February – Gardaí seized 546 kg of crystal methamphetamine worth €32.8 million at Cork Port. The quantity seized was by far the largest ever captured in Ireland. The haul, destined for Australia, was believed to belong to the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel. Two suspects were arrested and firearms were seized.
• 23 February – Record homelessness figures were released by the Department of Housing, showing that in January, 13,531 people were making use of emergency accommodation, including over 4,000 children. The figures did not include more than 1,000 asylum seekers.
• 29 February – President Michael D. Higgins was taken to hospital as a precaution, after complaining of feeling unwell.

March

• 2 March – A man in his 40s was hospitalised with serious injuries after masked men armed with machetes and slash hooks stormed an U14 boxing event in Castlerea, County Roscommon.
• 8 March – Constitutional referendums on family matters took place on International Women's Day. Voters rejected both Government proposals to change the constitution, with 67.7% voting No in the Family referendum, while 73.9% voted No in the Care referendum.
• 10 March – Cillian Murphy became the first Irish-born actor to win the best actor award at the Oscar ceremony in Hollywood, California for his leading performance in the film Oppenheimer.
• 16 March – Ireland won the 2024 Six Nations Championship for the second year in a row after defeating Scotland in their final match of the contest.
• 17 March – Thousands of people lined the streets in towns and cities across Ireland and around the world to watch St Patrick's Day parades, with 4,200 participants taking part in the parade in Dublin which was said to be the largest ever.
• 20 March – Leo Varadkar announced his resignation as Taoiseach and Leader of Fine Gael, citing political and personal reasons.
• 21 March – Simon Harris confirmed his intention to run for Fine Gael leader on the evening's edition of the Six One News.
• 22 March
  • Josepha Madigan announced her resignation as Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion and that she would not contest the next general election.
  • Four men were arrested and a firearm seized following a Garda operation in Dublin, during which a man who was reported kidnapped in Belfast was found safe and well.
  • Two men in their 50s were arrested in connection with the Garda investigation into the tragedy in which ten people died in Creeslough, County Donegal.
• 24 March – Simon Harris was confirmed as the new leader of Fine Gael, paving the way for the 37-year-old to become Ireland's youngest Taoiseach.
• 26 March
  • A woman and two girls died in a crash involving a lorry and a car on the N17 in County Mayo.
  • Investigations were launched into a fire at a house in Swinford, County Mayo which claimed the lives of an elderly couple.
• 29 March – Down goalkeeper Charlie Smyth signed a three-year contract with the New Orleans Saints, becoming the first GAA player to sign an NFL contract as part of the International Player Pathway Program.
• 31 March – Sarah McNally, a 41-year-old woman from County Longford, was named as the victim of a stabbing at a bar in Queens, New York, the previous evening. She died at Elmhurst Hospital shortly after the incident.

April

• 2 April
  • Simon Coveney announced he would step down as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when Dáil Éireann reconvenes after Easter.
  • Police in New York confirmed that a man had been charged with the murder of Irish woman Sarah McNally.
• 3 April – A man in his 30s died in hospital following a serious assault in Clondalkin, Dublin over the Easter weekend.
• 4 April – The GAA defended its decision to report Supermac's to Meta over an April Fool's post which featured an altered image of Croke Park stadium, saying "the use of any registered trademark is not permitted, in jest or otherwise", resulting in their Instagram and Facebook accounts being suspended.
• 8 April – Leo Varadkar tendered his resignation as Taoiseach to President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin.
• 9 April – Fine Gael leader Simon Harris became Ireland's youngest Taoiseach after a Dáil vote of 88–69 and being appointed by the President.
• 10 April – A large fire destroyed industrial units in Dublin known as the 'home of car culture in Ireland'. The buildings were home to Deane Motors, Drift Games and JC Autocare.
• 18 April – An inquest into the Stardust fire returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
• 20 April – Taoiseach Simon Harris said he had "apologised unreservedly" to the families of the Stardust fire victims, and that he would "do so on behalf of the State on Tuesday next".
• 23 April
  • In a statement to the Dáil, Taoiseach Simon Harris delivered a formal state apology to the victims of the Stardust fire and their families.
  • The tánaiste and minister for foreign affairs Micheál Martin accused Israel of vindictive punishment of the civilian population of Gaza during a visit to the Rafah Border Crossing in Palestine. He condemned Israeli petty confiscations of emergency humanitarian aid from war victims and described Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza as "barbarity". During a meeting with Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry he discussed Irish and European plans to recognise the State of Palestine.
• 28 April – Taoiseach Simon Harris said that other countries' migration policies "cannot be allowed to undermine" that of Ireland after it emerged that 80% of recent migrant arrivals in Ireland were people who crossed from the UK.
• 30 April – Cabinet approved legislation drawn up by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee that would re-designate the UK as a "safe country" to which asylum seekers can be returned.

May

• 6 May – Gardaí launched an investigation after a man was shot dead in the Drimnagh area of Dublin shortly after midnight.
• 7 May – A 26-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his two sisters and brother in Tallaght, Dublin in September 2022.
• 11 May – Ireland's Bambie Thug came sixth place in the Eurovision Song Contest, marking the country's first top-ten finish since 2011.
• 13 May – The New York–Dublin Portal connecting the two cities via video screens was temporarily turned off, following reports that participants were behaving inappropriately.
• 19 May – Dublin City Council announced that the New York–Dublin Portal would reopen, but with hours limited between 11 am and 9 pm instead of 24 hours.
• 22 May – The three leaders of the Coalition Government – Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, and Minister Eamon Ryan – held a news conference at Government Buildings to announce that Ireland, Norway, and Spain recognised the State of Palestine. This recognition will formally take effect on May 28. In response, the Israeli foreign ministry said it would reprimand the three countries' ambassadors to Israel and show them video of female hostages being held by Hamas. Israel also recalled its own ambassadors to the three countries, having argued that such recognition would encourage Hamas terrorism.
• 28 May – The government officially recognised the State of Palestine, after declaring their intention to do so on May 22. The Palestinian flag was raised outside Leinster House, the seat of government.
• 31 May
  • Former Circuit Court judge Gerard O'Brien was sent to prison for four years for sexually assaulting six boys and for the attempted rape of one of them.
  • Gardaí in Dublin began wearing body cameras for the first time. It was planned to extend the practice to the whole country eventually.

June

• 5 June – Gardaí began an investigation after a young woman who had just celebrated her 23rd birthday died following a dog attack in County Limerick.
• 7 June – A series of elections was held: the European Parliament election, local elections, and a Limerick mayoral election.
• 13 June – A former scout leader, Noel Sheehan of Glenville, County Cork, was sentenced to 4½ years in prison, with the final six months suspended, for the sexual assault and psychological damage of young scouts during the late 1980s.
• 15 June – Five women swam a relay of the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland, starting in 11.8 °C water from Donaghadee and reaching Portpatrick. Afric Creedon, Jackie O'Connor, Karen Molloy, Orla Colreavy, and Siobhán O'Driscoll took half a day to swim a curved 42.2 kilometre route whose course was shaped by the tide.
• 18 June – Eamon Ryan announced his resignation as leader of the Green Party and said he would not stand in the next general election. Catherine Martin resigned as deputy party leader.
• 19 June – The date of the Green Party leadership election was set for 8 July.
• 20 June
  • A 22-year-old soldier who beat a woman unconscious in a random street attack, and boasted about it on social media, walked free from court after Judge Tom O'Donnell gave him a fully suspended sentence which the victim described as "not justice".
  • Aer Lingus confirmed it would cancel between 10 and 20 percent of its flights over the first five days of planned industrial action by pilots, affecting up to 40,000 passengers.
• 21 June
  • The Defence Forces began internal proceedings in relation to the case of a soldier who beat a woman unconscious in an attack, which Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin "condemns unequivocally".
  • The Irish Airline Pilots Association announced an official eight-hour strike on 29 June, in addition to its indefinite work-to-rule.
• 22 June – Thousands of people marched in cities around Ireland to protest against the suspended court sentence given to the soldier Cathal Crotty who beat Natasha O’Brien unconscious during a random street attack in Limerick in 2022. The taoiseach, Simon Harris, condemned the attack as part of "an epidemic of gender-based violence".
• 24 June – Minister for Finance Michael McGrath was named by the government as Ireland's nomination for European Commissioner.
• 25 June – Jack Chambers was named as the new Finance Minister to succeed Michael McGrath.

Sport

Association football

Men's senior international friendly matches

• 23 March – Ireland 0–0 Belgium.

• 26 March – Ireland 0–1 Switzerland.

• 4 June – Ireland 2–1 Hungary.

• 11 June – Portugal v Ireland.

Nations League

• 7 September – Ireland v England.

• 10 September – Ireland v Greece.

• 10 October – Finland v Ireland.

• 13 October – Greece v Ireland.

• 14 November – Ireland v Finland.

• 17 November – England v Ireland.

UEFA Europa League final

• 22 May – Atlanta 3–0 Bayer Leverkusen (match played in Dublin).

Mens Under-17 European Championship qualification

• 20 March – Portugal 4–1 Ireland.

• 23 March – Germany 2–0 Ireland.

• 26 March – Ireland 0–5 Croatia.

Mens Under-21 friendly matches

• 22 March – San Marino 0–7 Ireland.

Women's senior international friendly matches

• 23 February – Italy 0–0 Ireland.

• 27 February – Ireland 0–2 Wales.

Women's Euro 2025 qualifiers

• 5 April – France 1–0 Ireland.

• 9 April – Ireland 0–2 England.

• 31 May – Ireland 0–3 Sweden.

• 4 June – Sweden 1–0 Ireland.

• 12 July – England v Ireland.

• 16 July – Ireland v France.

Rugby

Six Nations Championship

• 2 February – France 17–38 Ireland.

• 11 February – Ireland 36–0 Italy.

• 24 February – Ireland 31–7 Wales.

• 9 March – England 23–22 Ireland.

• 16 March – Ireland 17–13 Scotland.

Autumn Nations Series

• 9 November – Ireland v New Zealand.

Running

• 7 June – The Irish mixed 4×400m relay team of Chris O'Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr, and Sharlene Mawdsley won a gold medal at the European Athletics Championships in Rome.

Swimming

• 14 February – Daniel Wiffen became the 800m freestyle swimming world champion when he won a gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.

Deaths

January

James Herbert Brennan

• 1 January
  • John Kinsella, 76, hurler (Bennettsbridge, Kilkenny senior team).
  • James Herbert Brennan, 83, lecturer and author. Born in Northern Ireland.
• 2 January – Seán Donnelly, 83, Gaelic footballer and manager (Longford Slashers, Longford senior team).
• 5 January
  • William Lee, 82, Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore (1993–2013).
  • Con O'Leary, 77, politician, councillor (1991–2004).
• 12 January – Jimmy Somers, 84, trade unionist.
• 13 January – Christopher Moriarty, 87, naturalist, icthyologist and author.
• 18 January – Seán Dineen, 79, mathematician.
• 20 January – Donal O'Grady, 96, hurler (Tubber, Faughs, Clare senior team, Munster).
• 21 January
  • Ian Bailey, 66, journalist and former suspect in the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.
  • Thomas Hussey, 87, politician, TD (1969–1981), Minister of State (1978–1981) and Senator (1981–1992).
• 22 January – Jackie O'Gorman, 80, hurler (Cratloe, Clare senior team, Munster).
• 24 January
  • Ivor Browne, 94, psychiatrist.
  • Mattie McAuliffe, 94, hurler (Castlemagner, Cork senior team).
• 25 January – Ger Connolly, 86, politician, TD (1969–1997), Minister of State (1979–1981, 1982 and 1987–1992).
• 27 January – John Connor, 79, politician, TD (1981–1982 and 1989–1997) and Senator (1983–1989 and 1997–2002).

February

John Bruton

• 5 February – John Bruton, 76, politician, TD (1969–2004), leader of Fine Gael (1990–2001) and Taoiseach (1994–1997).
• 10 February – Shane O'Hanlon, Gaelic football selector (St Vincent's, Dublin senior team).
• 13 February – Séamus Flynn, 84, Gaelic footballer (Clonguish, Longford senior team, Leinster).
• 16 February – Pa Finn, 87, hurler (St Finbarr's) and manager (Kilbrittain, Cork senior camogie team).
• 18 February – Michael O'Regan, 70, journalist (The Irish Times).
• 22 February – Robert Ellison, 82, Roman Catholic prelate, bishop of Banjul (2006–2017).
• 24 February – Anne Ebbs, 82, table tennis player, Paralympic silver medallist (1972, 1984).

March

Charlie Bird

Emmet Stagg

• 3 March – Dan McCartan, 84, Gaelic footballer (Glenn, Down senior team, Ulster). Born in Northern Ireland.
• 5 March – Sonia Hoey, 43, footballer (Peamount United, Dundalk City) and Gaelic footballer (Dowdallshill, Louth senior team).
• 6 March – Nick Sheridan, 32, journalist and television presenter (News2day, Reporting Scotland, The Nine)
• 9 March – Vince Power, 76, music festival promoter.
• 11 March – Charlie Bird, 74, broadcast journalist, motor neurone disease.
• 15 March – Emmet Bergin, 79, actor.
• 17 March
  • Emmet Stagg, 79, politician, TD (1987–2016) and Minister of State (1993–1994 and 1994–1997).
  • Niall McEneaney, 44, hurler (Mattock Rangers, Louth senior team) and hurling coach (St Fechin's).
• 18 March
  • Rose Dugdale, 82, heiress and paramilitary leader (Provisional IRA). Born in England.
  • Pearse McAuley, 59, paramilitary (Provisional IRA) and convicted criminal. Born in Northern Ireland.
• 21 March – Ger Brady, 44, Gaelic footballer (Ballina Stephenites, Mayo senior team), motor neurone disease.
• 25 March
  • Michael Coady, 84, poet.
  • Imogen Stuart, 96, sculptor. Born in Germany.
• 30 March – Dick Dowling, 85, politician, Senator (1982) and TD (1982–1987).

April

Joe Kinnear

• 4 April – Steve Duggan, 76, Gaelic footballer (Ballyhaise, Cavan senior team, Ulster).
• 7 April – Joe Kinnear, 77, footballer (Tottenham Hotspur, national team) and manager (Wimbledon, Newcastle United).
• 14 April
  • Larry Masterson, 74, television producer.
  • Frank O'Neill, 70, footballer (Cobh Ramblers, Cork Celtic).
  • Sam Nolan, 93, trade union activist.
• 15 April – Gerard Murphy, 73, politician, TD (2002–2007).
• 17 April – Alf McCarthy, 73, broadcaster and actor.
• 19 April – Tony Whyte, 85, Gaelic footballer and manager (Clann na nGael, Roscommon senior team).
• 22 April
  • Tony Felloni, 81, drug dealer.
  • Charlie Hurley, 87, footballer (Millwall, Sunderland, Bolton Wanderers, national team) and manager (Reading).

May

Tony O'Reilly

• 1 May – Michael D'Arcy, 90, politician, TD (1977–1987, 1989–1992 and 1997–2002) and Senator (1993–1997).
• 2 May – Bruce Arnold, 87, writer and journalist. Born in England.
• 4 May – Ron Kavana, 73, singer, songwriter, guitarist and band leader.
• 5 May – Columba Cryan, 94, Gaelic footballer (Ballinamore Seán O'Heslin's, Leitrim senior team, Connacht).
• 8 May
  • George Lavery, 93, Gaelic footballer (Kilwarlin, Down senior team, Ulster) and selector (Down senior team). Born in Northern Ireland.
  • Brian Phelan, 89, actor, dramatist and screenwriter. (Death announced on this date)
• 10 May – Mary Banotti, 84, politician, MEP (1984–2004).
• 17 May – Pat Buckley, 72, Independent Catholic bishop.
• 18 May – Tony O'Reilly, 88, businessman and rugby union player (Leinster, national team).
• 20 May – Fran Rooney, 67, footballer (Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick's Athletic), manager (women's national team), FAI chief executive and businessman.
• 26 May – Joseph Brennan, 82, baker, founder of the Brennan's Bread company.
• 29 May – Gerald Dawe, 72, poet, academic and literary critic.
• 31 May – Seán Óg Sheehy, 85, Gaelic footballer (John Mitchels, Kerry senior team, Munster).

June

• 8 June – Charlie Lennon, 85, fiddler, composer and pianist.
• 15 June – Eugene Davis, 70, footballer (Shamrock Rovers, Athlone Town, St Patrick's Athletic, Bray Wanderers).
• 17 June – Paul Coyle, 56, Gaelic footballer (Devenish St Mary's, Swatragh, Fermanagh senior team) and selector (Fermanagh senior team). Born in Northern Ireland.
• 23 June – Bernard Allen, 79, politician, TD (1981–2011) and Minister of State (1994–1997).
• 24 June – Mike Farnan, 83, Canadian-based politician, Ontario MPP (1987–1995) and Solicitor General of Ontario (1990–1991).
• 25 June
  • Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, 93, Gaelic games commentator.
  • Tommie Gorman, 68, journalist.