Events from the year 2006 in Ireland.

Incumbents

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Mary McAleese Mary Patricia McAleese ( ; ; ; born 27 June 1951) is an Irish activist lawyer, academic, author, and former politician who served as the president of Ireland from November 1997 to November 2011. McAleese was first elected as president in 1997, ...

Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

Bertie Ahern Bartholomew Patrick "Bertie" Ahern (born 12 September 1951) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1997 to 2008, and as Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1994 to 2008. A Teachta Dála (TD) from 1977 to 2011, he served ...

( FF) *

Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the second-ranking member of the government of Ireland and the holder of its second-most senior office. It is the equivalent of the deputy prime minister in other parliamentary systems. The Tánaiste is appointed by the P ...

: **

Mary Harney Mary Harney (born 11 March 1953) is an Irish former politician and the former Chancellor of the University of Limerick. She was leader of the Progressive Democrats party between 1993 and 2006 and again from 2007 to 2008, resuming the role afte ...

( PD) (until 13 September 2006) ** Michael McDowell ( PD) (from 13 September 2006) * Minister for Finance:

Brian Cowen Brian Bernard Cowen (born 10 January 1960) is an Irish former politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 2008 to 2011. Cowen served as a TD for the constituency of Laois–Offaly from 1984 to 2011 and served in several ...

( FF) * Chief Justice: John L. Murray * Dáil:

29th 29 (twenty-nine) is the natural number following 28 and preceding 30. It is a prime number. 29 is the number of days February has on a leap year. Mathematics 29 is the tenth prime number. Integer properties 29 is the fifth primorial prime, ...

* Seanad: 22nd

Events

* January – A gay town councillor in

Gorey Gorey () is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland. It is bypassed by the main N11 road (Ireland), M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the Gorey railway station, railway network along the same route. Local newspape ...

, County Wexford,

Malcolm Byrne Malcolm Byrne (born 25 April 1974) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wicklow–Wexford constituency since the 2024 general election. He previously served as a Senator for the Cultural and Educat ...

, was the object of a vicious hate campaign which

outed Outing is the act of disclosing an LGBTQ person's sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent. It is often done for political reasons, either to instrumentalize homophobia, biphobia, and/or transphobia in order to discredit politi ...

him in a local newspaper. * 9 January –

Steve Staunton Stephen Staunton (born 19 January 1969) is an Irish football manager, scout and former professional footballer. He played as a defender with two separate spells each with Premier League sides Aston Villa and Liverpool. He also played in the F ...

was appointed the new manager of the Ireland football team, to be mentored by

Bobby Robson Sir Robert William Robson (18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009) was an English football player and coach. His career included periods playing for and later managing the England national team and being a UEFA Cup-winning manager at Ipswich Town. ...

as International Football Consultantant. * 17 January – The

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...

Football Association of Ireland The Football Association of Ireland (FAI; ) is the governing body for association football in the Republic of Ireland. Organisation The FAI has an executive committee of five members under the president, who receive expenses, as well as a p ...

and

Irish Rugby Football Union The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) () is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland (both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where a ...

announced that a deal had been reached which would allow association football and rugby to be played in

Croke Park Croke Park (, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic At ...

in Dublin. Dublin riots traffic cone

* 25 February –

Rioting A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...

occurred in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

as Republican protestors condemned the right for a "

Love Ulster Love Ulster was a campaign conducted in Northern Ireland in 2005–08. Acting on the behalf of unionist victims of the Troubles, it was organised by the County Armagh Protestant group Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR), led by Willie F ...

" ( Unionist) parade in the city. * 11 March – The last competitive

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

international took place at the oldest rugby venue in the world,

Lansdowne Road Lansdowne Road Stadium (, ) was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) that was primarily used for rugby union and association football matches. The stadium was demolished in 2007 to make way for the Aviva Stadium on ...

, after 128 years of use, before the ground was redeveloped. * 17 March – Over 400,000 people took to the streets of Dublin to celebrate

Saint Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chris ...

as part of the world's largest Saint Patrick's Day Festival. * 16 April – Up to 120,000 people lined the streets of Dublin to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1916

Easter Rising The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...

. * 23 April – The 2006 census took place in Ireland. * 26 April –

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

of the United Kingdom met President

and

on a visit to Dublin. * 21 May – Armed Gardaí forcibly removed 30

Afghan refugees Afghan refugees are citizens of Afghanistan who were forced to flee from their country as a result the continuous wars that the country has suffered since the Afghan-Soviet war, the Afghan civil war, the Afghanistan war (2001–2021) or either p ...

who had sought sanctuary in Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin after a one-week hunger-strike * 24 May –

Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. His eleven-year tenure as prime min ...

formally addressed

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( ; , ) is the lower house and principal chamber of the Oireachtas, which also includes the president of Ireland and a senate called Seanad Éireann.Article 15.1.2° of the Constitution of Ireland reads: "The Oireachtas shall co ...

. * 16 June – The

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements o ...

of the former

Charles Haughey Charles James Haughey (; 16 September 1925 – 13 June 2006) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who led four governments as Taoiseach: December 1979 to June 1981, March to December 1982, March 1987 to June 1989, and June 1989 to February 1992 ...

took place in Dublin. * 18 June – The Government announced plans to spend €3.8 billion on scientific research over seven years to grow world-class research capabilities. * 1 July – President

and leading representatives of all political parties in Ireland,

north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

south South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

, marked the 90th anniversary of the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

at the

Irish National War Memorial Gardens The Irish National War Memorial Gardens () is an Irish war memorial in Islandbridge, Dublin, dedicated "to the memory of the 49,400 Irish soldiers who gave their lives in the Great War, 1914–1918",Dúchas The Heritage Service, Visitors Guide ...

, Dublin. * 7 July –

Dublin Airport Dublin Airport () is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south of the town of Swords. In 2024, over 34 ...

was evacuated for the second time in a week when an abandoned suspect package was found. * 19 July – The warmest temperature since 1976, 32.3 °C (90.14 °F), was recorded at

Elphin Elphin may refer to: Places Canada * Elphin, Ontario, a hamlet in Lanark Highlands, Lanark County Ireland * Elphin, County Roscommon, a small town * Diocese of Elphin, a diocese * Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin Scotland * Elphin, Highland, ...

County Roscommon County Roscommon () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the province of Connacht and the Northern and Western Region. It is the List of Irish counties by area, 11th largest Irish county by area and Li ...

. Ireland was one of many countries affected by the

2006 European heat wave The 2006 European heat wave was a period of exceptionally hot weather that arrived at the end of June 2006 in certain European countries. The United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic ...

. July 2006 was the warmest, on average, since records began in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. * 19 July – Preliminary 2006 census findings indicated that the population was 4,234,925 million, an increase of 8.6% since 2002 and at its highest since the 1861 census. The total population for the island now stands at just under 6 million (estimates). * 7 September –

resigned as leader of the

Progressive Democrats The Progressive Democrats (, literally "The Democratic Party"), commonly referred to as the PDs, were a conservative liberal political party in Ireland. The party's history spanned 24 years, from its formation in 1985 to its dissolution in 20 ...

. She led the party since October 1993. * 11 September – Michael McDowell became leader of the

by consensus. * 18 October – Northern Ireland overtook the Republic of Ireland in the FIFA rankings for the first time. * 14 December – The ''

Zappone v. Revenue Commissioners ''Zappone & Gilligan v. Revenue Commissioners & Ors'' 006IEHC 404 (also known as the KAL Case) was a High Court case which was one of the first major events in the debate on the recognition of same-sex marriage in Ireland. The plaintiffs Ann Lo ...

'' legal case was decided in the High Court: a

same-sex marriage in British Columbia Same-sex marriage has been legal in British Columbia since July 8, 2003, after a series of court rulings in ''Barbeau v. British Columbia'' which ultimately landed in favour of same-sex couples seeking marriage licences. This made British Columb ...

was not recognised as a same-sex marriage in Ireland. IMGPortTuNorthEnt 4572w

* 20 December –

Dublin Port Tunnel The Dublin Tunnel ( Irish: ''Tollán Bhaile Átha Cliath''), originally and still commonly known as the Port Tunnel, is a road traffic tunnel in Dublin, Ireland, that forms part of the M50 motorway. The twin tunnels form a two-lane dual car ...

officially opened, for

heavy goods vehicle A large goods vehicle (LGV), or heavy goods vehicle (HGV), in the European Union (EU) is any lorry with a gross combination mass (GCM) of over . Sub-category N2 is used for vehicles between 3,500 kg and and N3 for all goods vehicles over ...

s only.Port Tunnel to open on 20 December
RTÉ News

RTÉ News General traffic was admitted the following 28 January.

Arts and literature

*5 January – ''

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas ''The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'' is a 2006 historical fiction novel by Irish novelist John Boyne. The plot concerns a German boy named Bruno whose father is the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp and Bruno's friendship with a Je ...

'', a young people's novel by

John Boyne John Boyne (born 30 April 1971) is an Irish author, novelist, and writer. He is the author of sixteen novels for adults, six novels for younger readers, two novellas, and one collection of short stories. Boyne's historical novel '' The Boy in ...

, was published. *2 March – '' Ireland: Awakening'', a

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to oth ...

Edward Rutherfurd Francis Edward Wintle (born 1948), known by his pen name Edward Rutherfurd, is an English novelist. He is best known as a writer of epic historical novels that span long periods of history but are set in particular places. His debut novel, '' S ...

, was published. *June – Ciaran Creagh's play ''Last Call'', based loosely on the hanging of murderer Michael Manning in

1954 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...

as witnessed by the playwright's father, was staged in

Mountjoy Prison Mountjoy Prison (), founded as Mountjoy Gaol and nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security men's prison located in Phibsborough in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current prison Governor is Ray Murtagh. History Mountjoy was designed by Cap ...

, Dublin, where it is set. *13 June –

Colm Tóibín Colm Tóibín ( , ; born 30 May 1955) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, journalist, critic, playwright and poet. His first novel, ''The South (novel), The South'', was published in 1990. ''The Blackwater Lightship'' was short ...

's novel '' The Master'' (2004) won the

International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...

. He was the first Irish writer to win. His short story collection '' Mothers and Sons'' was published this year. *26 July – 150th anniversary of the birth of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

. *Autumn – Irish language teen drama series ''

Aifric ''Aifric'' () is an Irish-language TV series aimed at young adults, co-created and written by Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin and co-created and directed by Paul Mercier. The show has won multiple IFTA awards for "Best Children's/Youth Program". The fir ...

'' debuted on

TG4 TG4 (; , ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television channel. It launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on-demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond. TG4 was initially known as (TnaG), before bein ...

television. *

John Banville William John Banville (born 8 December 1945) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, Literary adaptation, adapter of dramas and screenwriter. Though he has been described as "the heir to Marcel Proust, Proust, via Vladimir Nabokov, Nabokov", ...

published his first

crime novel Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a profession ...

under the pen name Benjamin Black, ''Christine Falls''. * Brian O'Loughlin's sculpture ''Passage'' was installed at Pass of Kilbride on the

M6 motorway The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It is located entirely within England, running for just over from the Midlands to the border with Scotland. It begins at Junction 19 of the M1 motorway, M1 and the western end of t ...

County Westmeath County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...

Music

Sport

Association football

; European Championship Qualifiers :

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

0–3

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

(2 September) :

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

1–0

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

(2 September) :Northern Ireland 3–2

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

(6 September) :

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

0–0 Northern Ireland (7 October) :

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

5–2 Republic of Ireland (7 October) :Northern Ireland 1–0

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

(11 October) : Republic of Ireland 1–1

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

(11 October) : Republic of Ireland 5–0

San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...

(15 November) *

Setanta Cup The Setanta Sports Cup was a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland. Inaugurated in 2005, it was a cross-border competition between clubs in the League of Ireland from the Republic of Ir ...

**Winners:

Drogheda United Drogheda United Football Club is a professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches at Sullivan & Lambe Park. The current club is the ...

League of Ireland The League of Ireland is a national association football Sports league, league consisting of professional clubs in the Republic of Ireland and Derry, Derry City in Northern Ireland. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland. It was ...

**Winners: Shelbourne *

FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Sports Direct FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as D ...

**Winners: Derry City

Athletics

*Ireland's

Derval O'Rourke Derval O'Rourke (born 28 May 1981) is an Irish former sprint hurdles athlete. She competed internationally in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles, and is the Irish national record holder in the former. She participated in two In ...

won the women's 60m hurdles at the

2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships The 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was held in Moscow from March 10 to March 12, 2006 in the Olympic Stadium (Moscow arena), Olimpiyski Sport are ...

, setting a new national record in the event, and becoming the first Irish woman to win an international senior sprint medal at this level.

Gaelic games

;

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2006 The 2006 Bank of Ireland All-Ireland Senior Football Championship began on Sunday 7 May 2006. The 2006 championship used the same "Qualifier" system that was used in 2005. Tyrone were the defending champions, but were knocked out relatively ...

Sam Maguire Cup The Sam Maguire Cup (), often referred to as Sam or The Sam, is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to the team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the main competition in the sport of Gaelic fo ...

Winners: Kerry ( Kerry 4–15 : 3–5 Mayo) :*

Tommy Murphy Cup The Tommy Murphy Cup was a Gaelic football competition, featuring senior county teams eliminated from the early stages of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and also Kilkenny county football team, Kilkenny when not fielding a team in t ...

Winners:

Louth Louth may refer to: Australia *Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia * Louth, New South Wales, a town * Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia ** Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality Canada * Louth, Ontario Ireland * Cou ...

(

3–14 : 1–11 Leitrim) ;

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2006 The 2006 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 120th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter county, inter-county hurling tournament, since its establishment in 1887 All-I ...

Liam MacCarthy Cup The Liam MacCarthy Cup () is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to the team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. Based on the design of a medieval drinking vessel, the trophy was first awarded i ...

Winners:

Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...

(

1–16 : 1–13

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

) :*

Christy Ring Cup The Christy Ring Cup () is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The cup forms the third-tier of Hurling for senior county teams (the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship is the first-tier trophy). It is ...

Winners: Antrim ( Antrim 5–13 : 1-07

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a population of 27,351, the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland, ...

) :*

Nicky Rackard Cup The Nicky Rackard Cup (; often referred to as the Rackard Cup) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The cup forms the fourth-tier of Hurling for senior county teams (the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champi ...

Winners:

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

(

5–15 : 1–11 Donegal)

Golf

*Europe won the

2006 Ryder Cup The 36th Ryder Cup Matches were held 22–24 September 2006 in Ireland at the Palmer Course of the K Club in Straffan, County Kildare, west of Dublin. It was the first time the event was played in Ireland. Europe won by 18 to 9 points, equall ...

, held in Kildare Golf and Country Club,

Straffan Straffan () is a village in County Kildare, Ireland. It is situated on the banks of the River Liffey, 25 km upstream of the Irish capital Dublin. As of the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, the village had a population of 1,158, an over ...

Co. Kildare County Kildare () is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, which had a populat ...

from 22 to 24 September. * Nissan Irish Open was won by

Thomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn (born 18 February 1971) is a Danish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won fifteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1997 he also b ...

(Denmark).

Mountaineering

* Ian McKeever climbed 26 peaks of the island of Ireland in 98 hours.

Olympic Games

*Ireland sent four athletes to the

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, Italy.

Rugby union

* RBS Six Nations Championship **

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

26–16

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

43–31 Ireland **Ireland 31–5

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

**Ireland 15–9

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

24–28 Ireland Ireland claimed the triple crown for the second time in 3 years. *

2005–06 Heineken Cup The 2005–06 Heineken Cup was the eleventh edition of the European Heineken Cup rugby union club tournament. 24 teams from 7 countries took part, with the opening game played on Friday October 21, 2005. Munster won the tournament, beating Biarritz ...

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

and

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

both progressed from the group stages. They played each other in the semi-finals, with Munster claiming victory. Munster then won the championship, defeating

Biarritz Biarritz ( , , , ; also spelled ; ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. It is a luxu ...

23 – 19

Deaths

;January to March :*1 January – Hugh McLaughlin, publisher and inventor (born 1918). :*12 January –

Brendan Cauldwell Brendan Cauldwell (25 October 1922 – 12 January 2006) was an Irish radio, film and television actor. Early life and education Cauldwell was born in Fairview, Dublin. He was educated at O'Connell's Irish Christian Brothers School and went on ...

, actor (born 1922). :*15 January –

Mella Carroll Mella Elizabeth Laurie Carroll, SC (6 March 1934 – 15 January 2006) was an Irish judge who served as a Judge of the High Court from 1980 to 2005. She was the first woman to serve as a High Court judge in Ireland. Early life and educat ...

, former judge of the High Court (born 1934). :*27 January – Dr. Peter Kavanagh, writer, scholar and publisher (born 1916). :*31 January –

Ruairí Brugha Ruairí Brugha (; 15 October 1917 – 31 January 2006) was an Irish politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Ireland from 1977 to 1979, Senator for the Industrial and Commercial Panel from 1969 to 1973 and 1977 to 1 ...

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...

TD,

Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...

, member of the Seanad (born 1917). :*5 February – Dermot FitzGerald, businessman and philanthropist (born 1935). :*23 February – Frank Filgas, cricketer (born 1926). :*25 March –

Bob Carlos Clarke Robert Carlos Clarke (24 June 1950 – 25 March 2006) was a British-Irish photographer who made Erotic photography, erotic images of women as well as documentary, portrait, and commercial photography. Carlos Clarke produced six books during ...

, photographer (born 1950). :*28 March –

Proinsias Ó Maonaigh Proinsias Ó Maonaigh () or Francie Mooney (28 April 1922 – 28 March 2006) was a fiddler from Gweedore (Gaoth Dobhair), County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. He is known for his distinguished fiddle playing and his unique and vast contr ...

, fiddle player (born 1922). :*30 March –

John McGahern John McGahern (12 November 1934 – 30 March 2006) was an Irish writer and novelist. Known for the detailed dissection of Irish life found in works such as '' The Barracks'', '' The Dark'' and '' Amongst Women'', he was hailed by ''The Ob ...

, writer (born 1934). ;April to June *4 April –

Denis Donaldson Denis Martin Donaldson (1950 – 4 April 2006) was a member of the IRA and Sinn Féin. He was killed following his exposure in December 2005 as an informer in the employ of MI5 and the Special Branch of the Police Service of Northern Ireland ...

, former member of

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...

who was exposed in 2005 as an

MI5 MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), officially the Security Service, is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Gov ...

spy (born 1950). *4 April –

John de Courcy Ireland John Evan de Courcy Ireland (19 October 1911 – 4 April 2006) was an Irish maritime historian, political activist and teacher. His early life was marked by dissatisfaction with the British education system and a fascination with the sea. Afte ...

, maritime historian and political activist (born 1911). *25 April – John Kerr, singer (b. c1925). *11 May – Michael O'Leary, former

and Labour Party leader (born 1936). *13 May – Desmond Surfleet, cricketer (born 1912). *16 May –

Clare Boylan Clare Boylan (21 April 1948 – 16 May 2006) was an Irish author, journalist and critic for newspapers, magazines and many international broadcast media. Life and career Born in Dublin, Ireland, on 21 April 1948, to Patrick and Evelyn Boyl ...

, author, journalist and critic (born 1948). *18 May –

Michael O'Riordan Michael O'Riordan (; 12 November 1917 – 18 May 2006) was the founder of the Communist Party of Ireland (3rd) and also fought with the Connolly Column in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. Early life O'Riordan was bo ...

, veteran of the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

and founder of the

Communist Party of Ireland The Communist Party of Ireland (CPI) is a Marxist–Leninist party, founded in 1970 and active in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland following a merger of the Irish Workers' Party and the Communist Party of Northern Ireland. It ra ...

(born 1917). *26 May –

Kevin O'Flanagan Kevin Patrick O'Flanagan (10 June 1919 – 26 May 2006) was an Irish sportsman, physician and sports administrator. An outstanding all-rounder, he represented his country at both soccer and rugby union. He was also a noted Sprint (running), spri ...

, physician, rugby and soccer player and Olympic official (born 1919). *19 May –

Shay Gibbons Shay Gibbons (19 May 1929 – 9 June 2006) was a Republic of Ireland international footballer who played for several League of Ireland clubs in the 1950s, most notably St Patrick's Athletic. He was League of Ireland Top Scorer on three occas ...

, former international soccer player (born 1929). *10 June – Bobby Miller, Gaelic footballer and manager (born 1950). *13 June –

, former

and leader of

(born 1925). *18 June –

Luke Belton Luke Belton (9 August 1918 – 18 June 2006) was an Irish Fine Gael politician. A publican from Rathcline, County Longford, he unsuccessfully contested the 1961 general election and was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael Teachta D ...

, former

Fine Gael Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann. The party had a member ...

TD (born 1918). *20 June – Michael Herbert, former

TD and MEP (born 1925). *21 June –

Denis Faul Denis O'Beirne Faul (14 August 1932 – 21 June 2006), was an Irish Roman Catholic priest best known, in the course of the Northern Ireland Troubles, for publicising security-force abuses and, controversially among Irish republicans, for h ...

, monsignor, Northern Ireland civil rights activist, chaplain to prisoners in

Maze Prison HM Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as the Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to September 2000. On 15 ...

during

1981 Irish Hunger Strike The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during the Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976 when the British government withdrew Special Categ ...

(born 1932). *30 June – Dave P. Tyndall, Jr., businessman (born 1917). ;July to September *5 July – Lewis Glucksman, businessman, philanthropist, patron of the

Lewis Glucksman Gallery The Glucksman, formerly known as the Lewis Glucksman Gallery (), is an art museum in University College Cork, Ireland. Opened to the public by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese on 14 October 2004, the Glucksman was named 'Best Public B ...

UCC The initialism UCC may stand for: Law * Uniform civil code of India, referring to proposed Civil code in the legal system of India, which would apply equally to all irrespective of their religion * Uniform Commercial Code, a 1952 uniform act to ...

(born 1925). *7 July –

Mícheál Ó Domhnaill Mícheál Ó Domhnaill (; 7 October 1951 – 7 July 2006) was an Irish singer, guitarist, composer, and producer who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century. He is remembered for his innovat ...

, folk and traditional musician (born 1952). *8 July – Michael Barrett, former

TD (born 1927). *12 July –

Noel Sheridan Cecil Noel Sheridan (12 December 1936 – 12 July 2006) was an Irish painter, performance artist, installation artist and actor. He was a member of Aosdána, an elite Irish association of artists. Early life Sheridan was born in Dublin in 1936. ...

, 70, actor, artist, Director

National College of Art and Design The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is Ireland's oldest art institution, offering the largest range of art and design degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the country. Originating as a drawing school in 1746, many of t ...

(1979–2003). *12 July – Joe Langan, 63, former Mayo

Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...

er. *23 July –

Vere Wynne-Jones Vere Wynne-Jones (29 June 1950 – 23 July 2006) was one of Ireland's best-known broadcasters, as a journalist and commentator on both RTÉ radio and television and also on Dublin radio station Q 102. Wynne-Jones was originally a teacher, then ...

, 56,

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

broadcaster. *28 July – Billy Walsh, soccer player and manager (born 1921). *14 August – John Godley, 3rd Baron Kilbracken, author and journalist (born 1920). *17 August –

Ken Goodall Ken Goodall is a rugby player (23 February 1947 – 17 August 2006) an Irish rugby union and rugby league player. He was an Irish international and British Lions player and vice principal at Faughan Valley High School, which is now part of ...

, international rugby player (born 1947). *14 September –

Seán Ó Tuama Seán Ó Tuama (1926 – 14 October 2006) was an Irish poet, playwright and academic. Life Raised in the southern city of Cork and educated at the North Monastery (North Mon) school and University College Cork, Ó Tuama first came to promi ...

, 80, writer and academic. *18 September – Seán Clancy, veteran of the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...

(born 1901). *20 September – Tommy Traynor, soccer player (born 1933). *September –

Mick Haughney Mick Haughney was a Gaelic footballer from County Laois. Nicknamed "Cutchie", Haughney was a native of the Carlow border town of Graiguecullen. He played at corner forward when Laois won Leinster titles in 1936, 1937 and 1938, but captained ...

Laois County Laois ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...

Gaelic footballer. ;October to December *2 October – Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, former Ceann Comhairle and

TD and Cabinet Minister (born 1918). *5 October –

Jarlath Carey Daniel Jarlath Carey (2 June 1932 – 4 October 2006)''Scotland and Northern Ireland, Death Index, 1989–2018'' was a Northern Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Dundrum and was a member of the Down senior inte ...

, 74, former Down

er. *10 October –

Ham Lambert Noel Hamilton "Ham" Lambert (5 June 1910 – 10 October 2006) was an Irish cricketer and rugby union player. By profession a veterinary surgeon, he was noted for being the first in Ireland to own a practice devoted to the care of companion anim ...

, cricketer and rugby player (born 1910). *16 October – Niall Andrews,

TD and MEP (born 1937). *18 October – Liam Bennett, 55, former

Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...

hurler. *9 November –

Sam Stephenson Sam Stephenson (15 December 1933 – 9 November 2006) was an Irish architect who studied at the Bolton Street School of Architecture, which is now known as Technological University Dublin. Many of his buildings generated considerable c ...

, architect (born 1933). *16 November –

Frank Durkan Frank Durkan (13 August 1930 – 16 November 2006) was an Irish-American attorney best known for having represented numerous members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), including avowed IRA gun-runner George Harrison, who stood trial ...

, lawyer in the United States (born 1930). *18 November – Roger Bolton, trade unionist in UK (born 1947). *4 December – Andy O'Brien, Fine Gael senator from County Cavan. (born 1915). *16 December – Tony O'Shaughnessy, former

hurler. ;Full date unknown *

Seán Ó Coisdealbha Seán Ó Coistealbha (1930–2006) was an Irish poet and dramatist. Ó Coistealbha was born in Inverin, Connemara Connemara ( ; ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The ...

, poet, playwright and actor (born 1930). * Jimmy Phelan,

hurler (born 1918).

References

External links

2006
at '' Reeling in the Years'' {{Year in Europe, 2006

Incumbents

Events

Arts and literature

Music

Sport

Association football

Athletics

Gaelic games

Golf

Mountaineering

Olympic Games

Rugby union

Deaths

See also

References

External links