1976 in Ireland

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Decades: 1950s • 1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s Centuries: 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st See also: 1976 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1976 List of years in Ireland

Events

• January 5 - Former Taoiseach, John A. Costello, dies in Dublin aged 84.
• March 18 - Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave and Mrs Cosgrave are greeted by President Gerald Ford and Mrs Betty Ford at the White House.
• March 31 - A large quantity of money is stolen from a CIE train at Sallins, County Kildare, the "Sallins Train Robbery".
• April 3 - The last passenger train runs on the Limerick-Claremorris line ending an 80-year-north-south link along the western seaboard.
• May 17 - Tim Severin in the boat Brendan sets off from Dingle to America. It is to trace the route of the legendary sixth century Irish monk.
• June 29 - The highest temperature record in Ireland this century, 32.5C (90.5F) at Boora, Offaly.
• July 15 - Four prisoners escape when bombs explode in the Special Criminal Court, Dublin.
• July 21 - Christopher Ewart-Biggs, UK ambassador, and a civil servant, Judith Cooke, are killed by a landmine at Sandyford, Co. Dublin.
• September 23 - The President, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, consults with the Council of State for four hours on whether to refer the Emergency Powers legislation to the Supreme Court.
• September 25 - The band U2 is formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, Dublin.
• October 22 - President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh resigns following the 'thundering disgrace' remark from the Minister for Defence, Paddy Donegan.
• October 27 - A new £5 note is introduced with the image of the 9th-Century philosopher Johannes Scotus Eriugena.
• November 20 - National Peace Day is marked with marches, church services and bell ringing.
• December 3 - Patrick Hillery is inaugurated as the sixth President of Ireland in St. Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle.
• December 10 - Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Arts and literature

• John Banville's novel Dr Copernicus is published.
• The monthly journal Books Ireland is founded.

Sport

Golf

• Carroll's Irish Open is won by Ben Crenshaw (USA).

Births

January to June

• 10 January - Jason Sherlock, Dublin Gaelic footballer.
• 6 February - Darragh Maguire, soccer player.
• 10 February - Tony McDonnell, soccer player.
• 13 February - Denis Hickie, rugby player.
• 17 March - Stephen Gately, singer and actor.
• 20 April - Shay Given, international soccer player.
• 24 April - Steve Finnan, soccer player, former international.
• 15 May - Mark Kennedy, soccer player.
• 25 May - Cillian Murphy, actor.
• 31 May - Colin Farrell, actor.
• 12 June - Tony Scully, soccer player.
• 29 June - Duncan O'Mahony, Canadian football punter and placekicker.

July to December

• 3 July - Shane Lynch, singer and actor.
• 8 July - David Wallace, rugby player.
• 14 July - Kirsten Sheridan, film director and screenwriter.
• 23 July - Brian Carney, rugby player.
• 18 August - Robbie Murray, boxer.
• 20 August - Tony Grant, soccer player.
• 4 October - Owen Heary, soccer player.
• 15 October - Paul Mooney, cricketer.
• 20 October - John Leonard, Dublin Gaelic footballer.
• 4 November - Stuart Byrne, soccer player.

Full date unknown

• Paddy Christie, Dublin Gaelic footballer.
• Kevin Flynn, Dublin hurler.
• Seánie McGrath, Cork hurler.
• Mundy, singer-songwriter.

Deaths

January to June

• 5 January - John A. Costello, barrister, Attorney-General, Fine Gael TD and twice Taoiseach (b.1891).
• 23 January - David Sullivan, labour leader in USA (b.1904).
• 2 February - Gardner Budd, lawyer.
• 12 February - Frank Stagg, Provisional Irish Republican Army hunger striker for 62 days in Wakefield Prison (b.1942).
• 28 February - Pat Hone, cricketer (b.1886).
• 29 February - Liam Cunningham, Fianna Fáil TD (b.1915).
• 8 March - Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster, peer and gambler (b.1892).
• 13 April - Noel Lemass, Jnr, Fianna Fáil TD (b.1929).
• 4 May - Hugh Delargy, British Labour Party politician and MP (b.1908).
• 27 June - Derrick Kennedy, cricketer (b.1904).

July to September

• 11 July - Michael Hayes, Pro-Treaty TD, Cabinet Minister, Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann member (b.1889).
• 22 July - Jim Ganly, cricketer and rugby player (b.1904).
• 29 July - Knox Cunningham, barrister, businessman and Ulster Unionist politician (b.1909).
• 12 September - Reginald Lyons, cricketer (b.1922).

October to December

• 7 October - Michael O'Neill, nationalist politician and MP (b.1909).
• 15 October - James Ennis, cricketer (b.1900).
• 31 October - Eileen Gray, architect and designer (b.1878).
• 2 November - Walter Starkie, author and translator (b.1894).
• 14 November - Frederick Alfred Pile, soldier and politician (b.1884).
• 4 December - W. F. McCoy, Ulster Unionist member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland (b.1886).

Full date unknown

• Willie Hough, Limerick hurler (b.1892).
• Dan Kennedy, Kilkenny hurler (b.1926).