1990 in Ireland

See also: 1989 in Ireland, other events of 1990, 1991 in Ireland and the list of 'years 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.
• 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

Sports

• The Republic of Ireland football team team plays in the World Cup Finals for the first time.
• June 11 – The Irish team draws 1–1 with England in the first game of the World Cup.
• June 25 – The Republic of Ireland reach the quarter-finals in the championship.
• June 30 – The Republic of Ireland team lose 1–0 to Italy.
• Golf: Ireland (David Feherty, Ronan Rafferty, Philip Walton) win the Dunhill Cup.

Births

Deaths

• February 12 – Harold McCusker, Ulster Unionist MP.
• February 17 – Brendan Corish, former Tánaiste and leader of the Labour Party.
• February 26 – Leon Ó Broin, public servant.
• April 6 – Peter Doherty, footballer.
• April 23 – Willie Bermingham, founder of Alone and firefighter.
• May 8 – Tomás Ó Fiaich, Archbishop of Armagh.
• June 12 – Terence O'Neill, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
• October 1 – John Stewart Bell, scientist.
• October 27 – Tarlach Ó hUid, author.