1990 in Ireland

Events

*January 1 - The Northern Ireland Fair Employment Act becomes law.
*April 3 - There is all-party support for the Government bill to abolish the death penalty for capital murder and replace it with lengthy prison sentences.
*April 26 - The Labour Party selects Mary Robinson as its candidate in the presidential election.
*June 20 - Circulation begins of the IR£1 coin as a replacement for the note of the same denomination.
*July 2 - Deputy President of the ANC, Nelson Mandela, addresses a joint session of both houses of the Oireachtas.
*July 24 - The IRA kills three policemen and a nun in a bomb attack near Armagh.
*August 24 - Brian Keenan is released after 1574 days in captivity in Beirut.
*September 28 - Centenary of People's Park, Dún Laoghaire celebrated
*October 24 - The IRA kills 6 soldiers and a civilian in bomb attacks at Derry and Newry.
*October 25 - Presidential candidate Brian Lenihan denies that he tried to contact President Hillery to stop the dissolution of the Dáil in 1982. This is in spite of a taped interview where he confirms that he did.
*October 31 - An Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Brian Lenihan is sacked from the government over the telephone call controversy.
*November 9 - Mary Robinson is elected the seventh President of Ireland.
*December 3 - Mary Robinson is inaugurated as President of Ireland. Dr. Patrick Hillery bows out after 14 years as Head of State.

Arts and literature

* Brian Friel's "Dancing at Lughnasa" opens at the Abbey Theatre.
* Jim Sheridan's film "The Field" is shown
* John McGahern's novel "Amongst Women" is published

port

Gaelic Games

*Cork GAA's football team win a second consecutive All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.The hurling team wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship to complete a double for the county.

Golf

*Carroll's Irish Open is won by José María Olazábal (Spain).
*Ireland - (David Feherty, Ronan Rafferty, Philip Walton) win the Dunhill Cup.

occer

*World Cup 1990:Group Stage::Republic of Ireland 1-1 England ::Republic of Ireland 0-0 Egypt ::Republic of Ireland 1-1 Netherlands ::"Republic of Ireland qualify for the knock out stage":Knockout stage:: Republic of Ireland 0-0 (AET 5-4 PEN) Romania ::"Republic of Ireland qualify for the quarter final stage":: Republic of Ireland 0-1 Italy ::"Republic of Ireland are knocked out at the quarter final stage"

*St Patrick's Athletic win the Football League of Ireland
*Bray Wanderers win the FAI Cup beating non league St Francis FC in the first everLansdowne Road final

Births

*29 May - Maeve O'Donovan, finalist in the 2006/2007 RTÉ programme "You're A Star."

Deaths

*21 January - Patrick Mulligan, Bishop of Clogher 1970-1979 (b.1912).
*17 February - Brendan Corish, Irish Labour Party TD and former leader, Cabinet Minister and Tánaiste (b.1918).
*28 February - John O'Sullivan, Fine Gael TD and Senator (b.1901).
*6 April - Peter Doherty, soccer player (b.1913).
*8 May - Tomás Cardinal Ó Fiaich, Cardinal, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland 1978-1990 (b.1923).
*12 June - Terence O'Neill, Fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (b.1914).
*3 August - Thomas Dunne, Fine Gael TD and MEP (b.1926).
*19 October - Jerry Cronin, Fianna Fáil TD Cabinet Minister and MEP (b.1925).
*18 November - Fred Daly, golfer (b.1911).

Full date unknown

*Mick Cashman, Cork hurler (b.1931).
*Peter Desmond, soccer player (b.1926).
*Seosamh Mac Grianna, writer (b.1900).