| 1991 in Ireland Return to Years in Irish History |
|
 Aftermath of mortar bomb attack on Downing Street |
January: On January 1st, Limerick City celebrated three hundred years of the Treaty of Limerick. On the 6th, the Irish government and the EC Commission met in Dublin to launch the Irish EC Presidency. The government controversially allowed US warplanes to refuel at Shannon airport. The new government buildings in the renovated College of Science were officially opened. February: On the 7th, the IRA fired mortar bombs at Downing Street. |
| March: The Birmingham Six were freed after sixteen years of wrongful imprisonment. On March 16th, Dublin was inaugurated Europe's City of Culture. On the 25th, the UUP, DUP, SDLP and APNI agreed to political talks. April: Censuses of both the Republic and Northern Ireland was held on the 21st. The NI census included a question on the Irish language, and the question on ethnic group was replaced by a voluntary question on religion. Unlike in 1981, there was no protest by Republicans. Later analysis showed the likely size of the Catholic population was 41.5%. The Brooke/Mayhew preliminary talks began on 30th April. |
 Dublin, European City of Culture |
 Annie Maguire on her release in 1985 |
May:
The leaders of the main Unionist parties refused to accept the deadline
imposed in the political talks and travelled to London to meet John
Major, the British Prime Minister. June: A Census of Agriculture was carried out in the Republic. On the 17th, the Brookes/Mayhew talks officially opened. On the 26th, the Maguire Seven were found innocent of all charges against them. |
|
July: The Child Care Act made the Health Service Executive responsible for the health, safety and welfare of pre-school children attending childcare services. The Brookes/Mayhew talks ended. In the same month, the Combined Loyalist Military Command announced the end of their ceasefire, which had begun in April. On the 23rd, a merger between the Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Irish Rangers was announced. August: The Northern Ireland Emergency Provision Act came into force. Loyalist violence increased after the end of the CLMC, including an attack on a bus carrying the families of Republican prisoners. |
 Sandy Row in 1991 |
 Sean Kelly wins the Giro di Lombardia |
September: A US delegation led by the Democrat Tom Foley visited Northern Ireland.
Peter Brooke, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, was reported as saying that Articles 2 and 3 in the Irish constitution were 'not helpful' in finding a peace agreement. October: Sean Kelly won the cycling race 'Giro di Lombardia'. Channel 4 broadcast The Committee, which claimed that an inner circle of RUC and UDR members were collaborating in killing Catholics. The Dangerous Dogs Act came into force in Northern Ireland. |
| November: The Dublin Writers' Museum was opened. Kildare
TD Seán Power proposed a no-confidence motion in Charles Haughey's
leadership. On the 7th, the Minister for Finance, Albert Reynolds, was
sacked from government over his intention to support the no-confidence
motion.
On November 13th, the new Defence Minister, Jim McDaid, resigned after the opposition accused him of connections with IRA member James Pius Clarke, who had been facing extradition from Dublin. Two Loyalist prisoners were killed by an explosion at Crumlin Road Prison. Republicans had smuggled bomb materials into prison and manufactured the explosive. December: On the 19th, Initiative '92 was launched. Its aim was to find 'ways out of the violent deadlock' in NI. |
 Jim McDaid, TD |
| Notable births in Ireland |
|||||
 Sarah Bolger February 28th |
 Evanna Lynch August 16th |
||||
| Notable Deaths in Ireland |
||||||
| Name | Date of death | Age |
Details | |||
| Hubert Butler | January 5th | 90 | Writer and historian | |||
| Joe Stynes | January 29th | 88 | Irish Republican and sportsman | |||
| Thekla Beere | February 19th | (88) | Civil servant who chaired the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 1970 |
|||
| Sean O'Faolain | April 20th | 91 | Short story writer | |||
| Valentin Iremonger | May 22nd | (72) | Diplomat and poet | |||
| John M. Feehan | May 25th | 74 | Author and publisher | |||
| Eddie Fullerton | May 25th | (55) | Sinn Féin councillor killed by UDA | |||
| Patrick Joseph Kelly | August 18th | 96 | Bishop of Benin City | |||
| J. G Devlin | October 17th | 84 | Actor | |||
| Billy Behan | November 12th | 80 | Soccer player and scout | |||
| Francis Blackwood | November 13th | 75 | 10th Baron Dufferin and Claneboye | |||
| George Otto Simm | November 15th | 81 | Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dubin and Armagh | |||
| Michael Lyons | November 19th | 81 | Fine Gael TD and Senator | |||
| Pat O'Callaghan | December 1st | 85 | Athlete and Olympic gold medallist | |||
Return to top