2026 in Ireland

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Centuries:	19th 20th 21st
Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	2026 in Northern Ireland Other events of 2026 List of years in Ireland

For Northern Ireland, see 2026 in Northern Ireland.

Events during the year 2026 in Ireland.

Incumbents

President Catherine Connolly

• President: Catherine Connolly
• Taoiseach: Micheál Martin (Fianna Fáil)
• Tánaiste: Simon Harris (Fine Gael)
• Minister for Finance: Simon Harris (Fine Gael)
• Chief Justice: Donal O'Donnell
• Dáil Éireann: 34th
• Seanad Éireann: 27th

Events

January

• 1 January – Pension auto-enrolment commenced for employees between the ages of 23 and 60, earning over €20,000, and not already in a pension scheme.
• 5 January – The taoiseach, Micheál Martin, met Chinese president Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square, Beijing. The taoiseach then received a personal tour of the Forbidden City, which was closed to visitors that day.
• 7 January
  • The president, Catherine Connolly, referenced the United Nations Secretary-General as she urged "full respect for international law, including the United Nations Charter" while noting that discussion of the United States attack on Caracas, during which President Maduro and his wife were seized and transported to Manhattan, "often overlook[s]" the "appalling" death toll (100+) the country experienced that night.
  • Responding to Donald Trump's remarks about the US assuming control of Greenland, the taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said the European Union was "rock-solid behind Denmark" and described the island as "part of Denmark", while the minister for foreign affairs, Helen McEntee, said Greenland was "not for sale... not for taking".
• 9 January – The Department of Foreign Affairs announced that 12,904 passports issued in late December and early January would be reissued, because a technical error caused them not to be fully compliant with international travel standards.
• 13 January – The accreditation ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin this morning for the new Iranian ambassador, Eshagh Al Habib, was postponed by the Department of Foreign Affairs because of the continuing upheaval in Iran.
• 24 January – A teenage girl, later identified as Grace Lynch, was knocked down by a scrambler bike and later died in hospital from her injuries.

February

• 4 February – Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed government plans for Grace's Law, a planned ban on the use of scrambler bikes in public places, following the death of Grace Lynch.
• 6 February – It was announced that the buried remains of a further 22 infants have been uncovered at the site of the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway.
• 11 February – Culture Minister Patrick O'Donovan announced the Basic Income for the Arts scheme that will see 2,000 eligible artists paid €325 a week by the Government to support them in their endeavours. Applications will open in May with the payment lasting three years.

March

• 7 March – Former president Mary Robinson said the airstrikes against Iran were "illegal and breach international law" while attending a rally in Belfast for International Women's Day.
• 12 March – £937m of Irish investment in the UK was announced ahead of a UK–Ireland summit.
• 13 March – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a summit with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Cork, where he said the Iran war had increased the importance of good relations between the UK and Ireland.
• 17 March – During his annual visit to Washington for Saint Patrick's Day, Taoiseach Micheál Martin met US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office and thanked him for "affirming the tremendous bonds" between Ireland and the US.
• 25 March – Due to the 2026 Iran war which resulted in soaring fuel prices, the Government cut taxes on both diesel and petrol, with excise duty on a litre of diesel reduced by 20 cents, with a 15 cents drop for petrol until the end of May.

April

• 7 April – Farmers began a blockade of major roads and oil refineries across the country in response to soaring fuel prices and wider government mismanagement.
• 10 April – It was announced that the remains of a further 36 infants have been uncovered at the site of the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home at Tuam, County Galway.
• 11 April – Fuel tankers regained access to Whitegate refinery in County Cork following a joint operation between gardaí and the defence forces to disperse protesters.
• 12 April – The government announced a package worth €505m to support those "most impacted" by rising fuel costs.
• 14 April
  • Just prior to the vote on the motion of confidence in the government, Micheal Healy-Rae resigned as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, saying that the Taoiseach's speech was "not understanding" and that "the government have lost the people".
  • A motion of confidence in the government in response to the handling of the fuel crisis and blockades by farmers succeeds by a vote of 92–78, with just two TDs having changed their vote since the initial formation of the government, these being the two Healy-Rae brothers.
• 15 April – The suspected leader of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, Daniel Kinahan, was arrested in Dubai. The Irish courts had issued an arrest warrant for Kinahan for alleged serious crimes. His extradition to Ireland was expected to follow.
• 19 April – Aer Lingus announced that a number of flights had been cancelled from its summer schedule because of what it described as "mandatory maintenance on aircraft".
• 29 April – The government announced further fuel support for workers and businesses.

May

• 12 May – Lidl supermarket recalled two of its branded Irish chicken breast products amid salmonella concerns.
• 15 May – Yves Sakila, a Congolese national, died after being restrained by security guards outside a department store on Henry Street, Dublin.
• 18 May – During a meeting at Buckingham Palace, King Charles III accepted an invitation from President Catherine Connolly to make a state visit to Ireland.
• 20 May – The former teacher Enoch Burke was dismissed from Wilson's Hospital School in County Westmeath following four years of legal wrangling. Burke appeared in court by video link from Castlerea Prison and said he was "still an employee of Wilson’s Hospital School".
• 22 May – In a pair of by-elections, Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats won in Dublin Central, and Seán Kyne of Fine Gael won in Galway West, only the fourth time in 44 years that a member of a governing political party was victorious.
• 25 May – Ireland's warmest May day was recorded, with a high of 28.6 °C at Shannon Airport in County Clare.
• 26 May – Met Éireann confirmed another temperature record had been set after 30.6 °C was recorded at Shannon Airport.

June

• 5 June – Ireland prohibited the Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the finance minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering Ireland, citing behaviour against 2026 Global Sumud Flotilla activists and anti-Palestinian statements.
• 13 June – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Dublin for a visit to Ireland, where he met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
• 14 June – Mark Carney met President Catherine Connolly at Westport House before travelling to the village of Aughagower in County Mayo, from where his grandparents emigrated to Canada.
• 17 June – The Dáil voted 86–70 to remove the mandatory three-day wait for an abortion in Ireland.
• 23 June – The Government announced it would contribute €228m (£197m) towards improving rail services between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
• 24 June – The Oireachtas Committee on Drugs published a report recommending the possession of all drugs for personal use be decriminalised.
• 25 June – During the on-going 2026 European heatwaves, a highest recorded temperature of 32.1C was recorded at a weather station in Athenry, Co Galway.

July

• 1 July – A ceremony in Dublin Castle was held to mark the start of Ireland taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the next six months.
• 5 July – A man was killed in a crash at the Skerries 100 motorcycle race.
• 6 July – Following a trial at Dublin's Central Criminal Court, George Gibney, a former Irish national swimming coach, was convicted of sexually abusing four young female athletes and the attempted rape of one of the girls in the 1970s and 1980s.
• 7 July – Sinn Féin brought forward laws for a Citizens' Assembly on a United Ireland.
• 10 July – A heatwave was officially declared in Ireland after temperatures of 25°C were recorded for five days in a row at Oak Park, County Carlow.
• 20 July – The Government agreed proposals, to take effect in August, to ban electric scooter use by anyone under 18. Riders will be legally obliged to wear hi-visibility jackets and helmets. Legislation will follow to require licensing and registration of e-scooters and to ban their sale to minors. The taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said that a complete ban on such scooters remains possible.
• 22 July –
  • Experts excavating the site of the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway, announced the discovery of a further 22 set of infant remains, bringing to 99 the total found so far.
  • Gardaí intercepted a car at Carrickmacross, County Monaghan containing a bomb that they suspected was destined for use by dissident republicans in Northern Ireland.
• 24 July – A 25-year-old woman was remanded pending a bail hearing by Trim District Court in connection with the discovery of a bomb in a car in County Monaghan. She was granted bail four days later.
• 25 July – A man was charged in connection with the discovery of a bomb in a car in County Monaghan.
• 29 July – Musician Glen Hansard was killed in a motorcycle crash in Dublin.

August

• 7 August – The UK's Intellectual Property Office ruled that Galway-based Supermac's could register its name in the UK without creating confusion with brands sold by McDonald's.
• 9 August
  • Suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan, one of the world's most wanted men, arrived in Ireland after being extradited from Dubai.
  • Nine people were injured in a two-car collision on the M50 in Dublin that involved a car travelling northbound on the southbound carriageway. Eight male teenagers were in the car, which collided with another car being driven by a man in his early 20s. Two were in a critical condition.
• 10 August – Fiosrú – the Office of the Police Ombudsman began investigating the previous day's crash on the M50 after one of the vehicles involved had been reported stolen prior to the collision.
• 12 August – A partial eclipse of the sun (magnitude 0.945) darkened the sky across Ireland. In Dublin, the event lasted one hour and 52 minutes. It began at 6.12 pm; the maximum was at 7.10 pm when 94.5% of the sun's disc was covered by the moon, the sun was in the west at 275° at an altitude of 14.7° above the horizon; and it ended at 8.05 pm.
• 16 August – Five teenage males were killed and a further four people injured, two of them seriously, following a two-vehicle collision on the M9 motorway in County Kildare, involving a stolen BMW driving on the wrong side of the carriageway.
• 17 August – Taoiseach Micheál Martin condemned the previous day's crash as being the result of "an irresponsible and dangerous act". Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan condemned it as "outrageously dangerous criminal behaviour" the "reckless" driving which caused the crash, while confirming legislation was being prepared to strengthen Garda protections regarding pursuit. The Garda Representative Association had said no member of An Garda Síochána had received pursuit training.

Arts and sciences

• 11 January – Irish actress Jessie Buckley won her first Golden Globe award at a ceremony in Beverly Hills, California for her performance in the film Hamnet.

• 15 March – Jessie Buckley became the first Irishwoman to win an Oscar award for best actress at a ceremony in Hollywood, California for her role in the film Hamnet.

Sport

Association football (men)

International friendly matches

• 31 March – Ireland 0–0 North Macedonia.

• 16 May – Grenada 0–5 Ireland.

• 28 May – Ireland 1–0 Qatar.

• 5 June – Canada 1–1 Ireland.

2026 World Cup qualification

Play-off semi-final

• 26 March – Czech Republic 2–2, 4–3 pso. Ireland.

Nations League

Group B3

• 24 September – Kosovo v Ireland.

• 27 September – Israel v Ireland.

• 1 October – Ireland v Austria.

• 4 October – Ireland v Israel.

• 14 November – Austria v Ireland.

• 17 November – Ireland v Kosovo.

Association football (women)

2027 World Cup Qualification

• 3 March – Ireland 1–2 France.

• 7 March – Netherlands 2–1 Ireland.

• 14 April – Poland 2–3 Ireland.

• 18 April – Ireland 1–0 Poland.

• 5 June – Ireland 3–2 Netherlands.

• 9 June – France 1–0 Ireland.

Camogie

All-Ireland camogie final:

• 9 August – Cork beat Galway and lifted the O'Duffy Cup in Croke Park, Dublin.
  Result: Galway 0–19 to 2–14 Cork.

Gaelic football

2026 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship:

• 26 July – Mayo beat Kerry and lifted the Sam Maguire Cup in Croke Park, Dublin. Score: Kerry 1–17 to 1–20 Mayo.

Hurling

2026 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

• 19 July – Limerick beat Galway and lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup in Croke Park, Dublin. Score: Galway 1–18 to 1–29 Limerick.

Rugby (men)

Six Nations Championship

• 5 February – France 36–14 Ireland.

• 14 February – Ireland 20–13 Italy.

• 21 February – England 21–42 Ireland.

• 6 March – Ireland 27–17 Wales.

• 14 March – Ireland 43–21 Scotland. This was Ireland's 15th Triple Crown win, having defeated England, Scotland, and Wales.

Rugby (women)

Six Nations Championship

• 11 April – England 33–12 Ireland.

• 18 April – Ireland 57–20 Italy.

• 25 April – France 26–7 Ireland.

• 9 May – Ireland 33–12 Wales.

• 17 May – Ireland 54–5 Scotland.

Annual events

See also: Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland

(H) = public holiday

January

• 1 January – New Year's Day. (H)

• 6 January – Nollaig na mBan.

February

• 1 February – Imbolc.

• 2 February – Saint Brigid's holiday. (H)

• 19 February–March 1 – Dublin International Film Festival

March

• 17 March – Saint Patrick's Day. (H)

• 20 March – Spring equinox.

April

• 6 April – Easter Monday. (H)

May

• 1 May – Bealtaine.

• 4 May – May holiday. (H)

June

• June – Pride Month.

• 1 June – June holiday. (H)

• 16 June – Bloomsday.

• 21 June – Summer solstice.

August

• 1 August – Lúnasa.

• 3 August – August holiday. (H)

September

• 23 September – Autumn equinox.

October

• 25 October – October holiday. (H)

• 31 October – Hallowe'en.

November

• 1 November – Samhain.

December

• 21 December – Winter solstice.

• 25 December – Christmas Day. (H)

• 26 December – Saint Stephen's Day, also Lá an Dreoilín. (H)

Deaths

January

Brian Crowley

Ronnie Delany

Dolores Keane

Rory O'Hanlon

Seán Barrett

Moya Brennan

Desmond Morris

Tomi Reichental

Bobby Tambling

David Andrews

• 3 January – Pa O'Dwyer, 40, strongman.
• 4 January – Mary White, 81, politician, senator (2002–2016).
• 13 January – Seán Ó Sé, 89, singer, educator and raconteur.
• 23 January – Brian Crowley, 61, politician, senator (1993–1994) and MEP (1994–2019).
• 28 January – Brian O'Shea, 81, politician, senator (1987–1989), TD (1989–2011) and Minister of State (1993–1994 and 1994–1997).
• 30 January
  • Geraldine Barniville, 83, squash and tennis player.
  • John Heneghan, 79, Gaelic footballer (Ballymahon, Naomh Mhuire, Longford senior team, Leinster).
• 31 January – Joe Mulholland, 85, managing director of RTÉ Television.

February

• 6 February – Damien Byrne, 71, footballer (Drogheda, Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick's Athletic).
• 11 February – Eddie Harty, 88, Olympic equestrian (1960) and National Hunt jockey.
• 16 February – Jim Lane, 87, Irish republican and socialist.

March

• 11 March – Ronnie Delany, 91, runner, Olympic champion (1956).
• 12 March – Kevin Kiely, 64, politician, councillor (1985–1991 and 2004–2014) and Mayor of Limerick (2009–2010).
• 16 March – Dolores Keane, 72, folk singer (De Dannan).
• 20 March – Ben Keaton, 69, actor (Emmerdale, Casualty, Father Ted).
• 22 March – Michael Lyster, 71, broadcaster (The Sunday Game).
• 30 March – Christopher Haskins, 88, businessman and life peer, member of the House of Lords (1998–2020).
• 31 March – Rory O'Hanlon, 92, politician, TD (1977–2011), Minister for Health (1987–1991) and Ceann Comhairle (2007–2011).

April

• 3 April – Dennis Campbell Kennedy, 89, journalist and historian (Irish Times). Born in Northern Ireland.
• 6 April
  • Seán Barrett, 81, politician, TD (1981–2002 and 2002–2020), Minister for Defence (1995–1997) and Ceann Comhairle (2011–2016).
  • Gabriel Rosenstock, 76, writer and poet.
• 7 April
  • Seán Ó Laoire, 79, architect and urban designer.
  • Michael Patrick, 35, actor (My Left Nut). Born in Northern Ireland.
• 11 April – Murt Duggan, 84, hurler (Gortnahoe–Glengoole, Ballingarry) and selector (Tipperary senior team).
• 13 April
  • Moya Brennan, 73, folk singer (Clannad).
  • Patrick Campbell-Lyons, 82, composer and musician (Nirvana).
• 19 April – Desmond Morris, 98, zoologist, ethologist and surrealist painter. Born in England.
• 26 April – Liam Browne, 89, racehorse trainer. (death announced on this date)
• 27 April – Donal Counihan, 84, politician, councillor (1979–1991 and 1999–2009) and Lord Mayor of Cork (2007–2008).
• 28 April – Mick O'Brien, 83, Gaelic footballer (Walterstown, Meath senior team).
• 29 April – Gordon Snell, 93, children's authour and scriptwriter. Born in British Malaya.
• 30 April – Gary Lydon, 61, actor (The Banshees of Inisherin, The Clinic, War Horse).

May

• 1 May – Stephen Greene, 81, hurler (Mount Sion, Waterford senior team, Munster).
• 4 May – Brendan O'Brien, 82, journalist (Today Tonight, Prime Time).
• 5 May – Chris Phelan, 70, rugby league player (Parramatta Eels, Oldham, Queensland).
• 21 May
  • Liam Ferguson, 85, hurler (St Vincent's, Dublin senior team).
  • Liz Howard, 78, camogie player (Tipperary senior team), administrator and president of the Camogie Association (2006–2009).
• 24 May – Frank McGuigan, 70, Gaelic footballer (Ardboe O'Donovan Rossa, Tyrone senior team). Born in Northern Ireland.
• 28 May – Jim Treacy, 82, hurler (Bennettsbridge, Kilkenny senior team, Leinster).
• 31 May
  • Tomi Reichental, 90, Holocaust survivor. Born in Czechoslovakia.
  • Henry McMahon, 84, Irish musician (Big Tom and The Mainliners).

June

• 3 June
  • Fergus Slattery, 77, rugby union player (British & Irish Lions, Barbarians, national team).
  • Bobby Tambling, 84, footballer (Cork Celtic, Waterford, League of Ireland XI) and manager (Cork City). Born in England.
• 4 June – Nell Hynes, 109, centenarian, oldest person in Ireland (since 2025).
• 5 June
  • Denis Coughlan, 80, Gaelic footballer and hurler (Glen Rovers, St Nicholas', Cork senior teams, Munster).
  • Marion Fossett, 71, circus ringmistress and singer.
• 7 June – Ernie Caffrey, 89, politician, senator (1997–2002).
• 9 June – Ciarán Ó Lionáird, 38, athlete.
• 11 June – Gerry O'Reilly, 61, athlete.
• 14 June – Lorcan O'Herlihy, 66, architect.
• 17 June – James Breen, 81, politician, TD (2002–2007).
• 22 June – Paul Clancy, 49, Gaelic footballer (Moycullen, Galway senior team) and manager (Garrycastle).
• 26 June – Philip Doyle, 61, rugby union coach (women's national team).
• 28 June – Eddie Bevans, 41, hurler (Shinrone, Offaly senior team).
• 30 June – David Andrews, 91, politician, TD (1965–2002) and Minister for Foreign Affairs (1992–1993 and 1997–2000).

July

• 3 July – Martin Naughton, 87, businessman, engineer and philanthropist.
• 4 July – Slaine Kelly, 43, actress (The Tudors, Comedown, Psychosis).
• 16 July – Brenda Fricker, 81, actress (My Left Foot, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, A Time to Kill), Oscar winner (1990).
• 20 July – Stephen Gollogly, 41, Gaelic footballer (Carrickmacross Emmets, Monaghan senior team).
• 23 July – Patricia Donlon, 83, librarian and academic.
• 29 July – Glen Hansard, 56, musician (The Frames), songwriter ("Falling Slowly"), and actor (Once), Oscar winner (2008).

August

• 2 August – Michael Fingleton, 88, banker and CEO of Irish Nationwide Building Society (1971–2009).
• 4 August
  • Michael Conaghan, 81, politician, TD (2011–2016) and Lord Mayor of Dublin (2004–2005).
  • Liam O'Neill, 70, Gaelic games administrator, President of the Gaelic Athletic Association (2012–2015).
• 5 August
  • Vincent Browne, 78, sculptor.
  • Hugh O'Flaherty, 88, barrister and judge.
• 6 August – Bernard Barton, 75, judge.
• 10 August – James McHugh, 62, Gaelic footballer (Cill Chartha, Donegal senior team, Ulster).
• 12 August – Pádraig Horan, 76, hurler (St Rynagh's, Offaly senior team, Leinster.
• 18 August – Ollie Waldron, 83, rugby union player (national team).
• 23 August – Jimmy Lynam, 100, hurler (Glen Rovers, St Nicholas', Cork senior team, Leinster.