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1990 in Ireland

Events from the year 1990 in Ireland.

Incumbents

Events

January

  • 1 January
  • The Northern Ireland Fair Employment Act became law.
  • The town of Ennis celebrated its 750th birthday.
  • Ireland began a six-month European Presidency.

April

  • 3 April – There was all-party support for the Criminal Justice Bill to abolish capital punishment for all offences and to replace it with lengthy prison sentences (although in practice the penalty for murder has always been commuted in Ireland since 1954).
  • 26 April – The Labour Party selected Mary Robinson as its candidate for the November presidential election.

May

June

  • 11 June – The Irish football team began their first appearance at a World Cup Final tournament with a 1–1 draw against England in Cagliari in Italy. Kevin Sheedy scored for Ireland, with Gary Lineker scoring for England.
  • 17 June – Ireland's World Cup continued with a goalless draw against Egypt.
  • 20 June – The Irish Pound coin was introduced into circulation to replace the note of the same denomination.
  • 21 June – The Irish football team completed their World Cup group stage unbeaten and reached the last 16 group with a 1–1 draw against the Netherlands.
  • 25 June – Ireland reached the World Cup quarter-finals by beating Romania on penalties after a goalless draw in the last 16 tie, in Genoa. As of 2022, this was Ireland's best World Cup result
  • 30 June – Ireland were eliminated from the World Cup Final by a goal from Toto Schillaci in the quarter final match against the hosts, Italy, in Rome.

July

  • 1 July – Half a million people gathered in Dublin to pay tribute to the Irish football team and to former South African President, Nelson Mandela. The football team had reached the World Cup quarter final in Italia '90 before being beaten by Italy, while Mandela accepted the Freedom of the City of Dublin, granted to him two years earlier, at an open-air ceremony outside the Mansion House.
  • 2 July – Nelson Mandela addressed a joint session of both houses of the Oireachtas.
  • 11 July – The Criminal Justice Act abolished capital punishment for all offences and replaced it with lengthy prison sentences.
  • 24 July – The Irish Republican Army (IRA) killed three policemen and a nun in a bomb attack near Armagh.

August

  • 24 August – Brian Keenan was released after 1,574 days in captivity in Beirut.

September

  • September – Janet Catterall became the first woman in Ireland to be ordained as a priest in the Church of Ireland.
  • 28 September – The centenary of People's Park in Dún Laoghaire, was celebrated.

October

  • 24 October – The IRA killed six soldiers and a civilian in proxy bomb attacks in Derry and Newry.
  • 25 October – Presidential candidate Brian Lenihan denied that he tried to contact President Hillery to stop the dissolution of the Dáil in 1982. This was in spite of a taped interview where he confirmed that he did.
  • 29 October – Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands began a three-day state visit to Ireland.
  • 31 October – Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Brian Lenihan was dismissed from the government over the 1982 Hillery telephone call controversy.

November

  • 7 November – Mary Robinson won the presidential election to become the seventh president of Ireland.
  • 27 November – Mary Robinson gave her first television interview as president-elect on the children's entertainment programme, The Den. During a loud and chaotic conversation with the puppets, she confronted Dustin the Turkey for having accused her previously of having smelly feet and teased him about his poor performance in the election. She was asked by one of the Zig and Zag duo, "Mary, how much money do you have?"

December

  • 3 December – Mary Robinson was inaugurated as the first female President of Ireland. Patrick Hillery retired after 14 years as Head of State.
  • Undated
  • The pro-cathedral in Ennis was rededicated as a cathedral.

Arts and literature

Sport

Association football

World Cup 1990

Group stage
:Ireland 1–1 England
:Ireland 0–0 Egypt
:Ireland 1–1 Netherlands
Ireland qualified for the knockout stage
Knockout stage
: Ireland 0–0 (AET 5–4 PEN) Romania
:Ireland qualified for the quarterfinal stage
Quarterfinal stage
: Ireland 0–1 Italy
:Ireland were knocked out at the quarterfinal stage

Domestic football

Gaelic games

Golf

Births

Deaths

See also

References