1989 in Ireland

See also: 1988 in Ireland, other events of 1989, 1990 in Ireland and the list of 'years in Ireland'.

Events

January 2 - Dundalk, County Louth celebrates its 1200 year heritage.
February 12 - Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane is shot dead by loyalists, who were aided by the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
March 21 - Three Irish soldiers on United Nations duty are killed in a landmine explosion in southern Lebanon.
April 3 - Belfast-born Alex Higgins beats Stephen Hendry to win the British Benson and Hedges snooker championship.
April 4 - The Windmill Lane Consortium says that if it gets the franchise it will be on the air within 9 to 12 months with its station TV3.
June 16 - Ray McAnally, one of the country's most versatile actors, dies suddenly.
June 22 - an order is signed creating the University of Limerick, the first university founded since the foundation of the state, later in the day Dublin City University is created
June 29 - Charles Haughey resigns as Taoiseach. He remains on in a caretaker capacity.
August 19 - 10,000 people march from Dublin city centre to the British Embassy calling for British withdrawal from Northern Ireland.
September 4 - Century Radio goes on the air for the first time.
October 11 - The Republic of Ireland beat Northern Ireland 3–0 in a World Cup Qualifier at Lansdowne Road.
October 19 - Three of the Guildford Four are released in London. Paul Hill is immediately re-arrested.
December 21 - Aer Rianta's 5,000,000th passenger is presented with a holiday to Florida.
December 26 - Poet, playwright and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Samuel Beckett, dies in Paris.

Arts and literature

Sports

Births

Deaths

January 31 - Allan McClelland, actor and writer.
April 7 - Frank Cluskey, former leader of the Labour Party.
June 15 - Ray McAnally, actor.
August 3 - Dominic Behan, author and songwriter.
August 12 - Emyr Estyn Evans, Ireland's first Professor of Geography.
October 6 - Patricia Cockburn, artist.
October 31 - Liam Redmond, actor.
November 4 - Vivian Mercier, critic, scholar and teacher.
December 14 - Gerry Healy, British Trotskyist leader.
December 22 - Samuel Beckett, poet, novelist, playwright and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.