1999 in Ireland

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Decades: 1970s • 1980s • 1990s • 2000s • 2010s Centuries: 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st See also: 1999 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1999 List of years in Ireland

Events

• 4 January – The Euro makes its debut on European financial markets.
• 13 January – Derek Hill becomes the eleventh honorary citizen of Ireland.
• 5 February – New legislation changes the name of the RSI No to the Personal Public Service Number and expands its use.
• 31 March – The Irish Land Commission is dissolved.
• 27 April – States of Fear television series made by Mary Raftery for RTÉ begins broadcasting. Its revelations of a history of institutional child abuse lead to questions being raised in the Dáil and an apology to victims from the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and appointment of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse in May.
• 21 May – Gay Byrne hosts his last Late Late Show after 37 years.
• 22 May – The electorate of the entire island of Ireland go to the polls to vote on the Good Friday Agreement.
• 23 May – People North and South give their overwhelming support to the Good Friday Agreement.
• 11 August – Ireland joins the world and watches the last solar eclipse of the millennium.
• 28 August – 80,000 fans see the Robbie Williams concert at Slane Castle, County Meath.
• 12 October – Peter Mandelson arrives in Belfast as the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
• 20 October – President McAleese leads tributes to the former Taoiseach Jack Lynch who died aged 82.
• November – Remaining prohibition orders made under the Censorship of Publications Acts relating to contraception or termination of pregnancy are lifted.
• 29 November – Ten designated ministers are appointed to the power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly.
• 2 December – The Irish Government ratifies changes to Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution. Direct rule from Westminster in Northern Ireland ends.
• 13 December – The first meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council takes place in Armagh.
• 31 December – The last sunset of the millennium occurs at 4.41 pm at Dursey Head in west Cork^{[citation needed]}.

Arts and literature

• 1 November – Sligo boyband, Westlife released their first album. To date, they are the only artist to have 7 singles straight at UK number one.

Sport

Gaelic football

• Meath GAA beat Cork GAA 1–11 to 1–8 to win their second All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in four years.

Golf

• Murphy's Irish Open is won by Sergio García (Spain).

Hurling

• Cork GAA beat Kilkenny GAA 0–13 to 0–12 to win the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship for the first time since 1990.

Soccer

• St Patrick's Athletic win the League of Ireland for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Deaths

January to June

• 15 January – Robert Lowry, Baron Lowry, Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland (b.1919).
• 28 January – Markey Robinson, artist (b.1918).
• 8 February – Iris Murdoch, novelist and philosopher (b.1919).
• 22 February – Pat Upton, Irish Labour Party TD (b.1944).
• 25 April – William McCrea, astronomer and mathematician (b.1904).
• 25 April – Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, journalist, author, sports official and sixth president of the International Olympic Committee (b.1914).
• 11 May – Birdy Sweeney, actor (b.1931)
• 19 May – Victor Bewley.
• 23 May – Cathal Gannon, harpsichord maker and fortepiano restorer (b.1910).
• 15 June – Fred Tiedt, boxer (b.1935).

July to December

• 17 July – Donal McCann, actor (b.1943).
• 27 July – Malachi Martin, Roman Catholic priest and author (b.1921).
• 21 August – Noel Larmour, cricketer and diplomat (b.1916).
• 21 August – Maurice Gerard Moynihan, civil servant and writer (b.1902).
• 24 August – Eithne Strong, poet.
• 13 October – Michael Hartnett, poet (b.1941).
• 15 October – Josef Locke, tenor (b.1917).
• 20 October – Jack Lynch, former Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil (b.1917).
• October – Micheál Cranitch, Fianna Fáil politician, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann in 1973. (b.1912).
• 14 November – Brian Ó Cuív, son-in-law of Éamon de Valera, Celtic scholar and author.
• 29 November – Michael O'Halloran, politician in the UK (b.1933).
• 30 December – Tom Aherne, soccer player (b.1919).

Full date unknown

• Manliff Barrington, motorcycle racer (b.1910).