Reeling in the Years

In 1981, Ronald Reagan is sworn in as U.S. President, sparking celebrations in his ancestral Ballyporeen, Ireland. A fire at Dublin’s Stardust Club kills 44. Protests fail to stop the IRFU’s controversial rugby tour of South Africa. Ireland hosts Eurovision, with Sheeba representing and Buck’s Fizz winning. Republican prisoners, led by Bobby Sands, go on hunger strike for political status. Sands is elected MP but dies, triggering mass protests. An Aer Lingus jet is hijacked over the Third Secret of Fatima. A turbulent general election sees Garret Fitzgerald form a short-lived coalition. Prince Charles weds Lady Diana. Riots erupt over the hunger strikes, and Kieran Doherty, a newly elected TD, dies. The strike ends after ten deaths, with prisoners’ demands later met. 1981 also sees assassination attempts on Reagan and the Pope, while Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is killed.

Ireland experiences its worst winter in 50 years. A controversial Budget leads to the collapse of the Fine Gael–Labour government, triggering an election. Charles Haughey survives a leadership challenge and becomes Taoiseach. Independent TD Tony Gregory secures a £90m deal for Dublin’s inner city. Poland remains under martial law, banning ‘Solidarity,’ though Lech Walesa is freed. Ireland wins the Triple Crown after 33 years. Argentina invades the Falklands, sparking a British military response; 255 Britons and 652 Argentinians die. Belfast’s DeLorean plant shuts down, costing 1,500 jobs. The IRA bombs London, killing eight. Two brutal murders lead to Malcolm MacArthur’s arrest at the Attorney General’s home, forcing the AG’s resignation. Fianna Fáil debates Haughey’s leadership; he wins an open vote. In November, the government loses a confidence vote, prompting Ireland’s third election in 18 months. Fine Gael and Labour return to power.

Factory closures and job losses, including Ranks and Dunlops in Cork, contribute to a gloomy public mood. The new government exposes Fianna Fáil’s phone-tapping scandal, leading to resignations, though Charles Haughey remains leader. Champion racehorse Shergar is kidnapped and never found. Businessman Don Tidey is rescued after a shootout kills a soldier and Garda officer. RTÉ airs Glenroe. Eamonn Coghlan wins the 5000m at the World Athletics Championships. The US supports Contra rebels in Nicaragua and invades Grenada. A divisive abortion amendment passes. Divorce reform efforts begin. Reagan announces ‘Star Wars’ missile defence. Nuclear disarmament protests grow. Dublin defeats Galway in the All-Ireland Football Final.

Ronald and Nancy Reagan visit Ireland amid protests against US policy. The Colin McStay Appeal surpasses its £100,000 goal, funding his successful surgery in the US. British miners strike against pit closures. The New Ireland Forum report fails to impress the UK Prime Minister. Nicky Kelly is freed on humanitarian grounds, though many see it as a miscarriage of justice. Heroin devastates Dublin’s inner-city. Niall Quinn joins Arsenal. Despite a Communist boycott, the 1984 Olympics proceed, with John Treacy winning silver. MTV arrives in Ireland. PW Botha becomes South Africa’s President, but black citizens remain disenfranchised. A Dunnes Stores worker sparks an anti-apartheid strike. The Bhopal disaster kills 2,000+. Indira Gandhi is assassinated. An Irish priest is imprisoned in the Philippines but later released. The IRA bombs a Tory conference hotel. Charles Mitchel retires. Ethiopia faces famine, and a BBC report inspires Bob Geldof to act.

Statue movement reports in Asdee and Ballinspittle spark debate—miracle or illusion? Ireland wins the 1985 Triple Crown. An Air India 747 crashes into the Atlantic, killing 329 in a suspected terrorist attack. At Heysel Stadium, a riot leads to dozens of soccer fans being crushed to death. Divorce referendum is delayed. Gorbachev introduces 'glasnost' in the USSR. Despite 'Star Wars' plans, US-Soviet relations improve. Barry McGuigan wins the World Featherweight title. Live Aid raises massive funds, with Ireland the highest per capita donor. The Progressive Democrats form a new political party. French agents bomb a Greenpeace ship in New Zealand. The Anglo-Irish Agreement gives the Republic a role in Northern affairs, sparking Unionist outrage. Spike Island prison is wrecked in a riot. 20,000 teachers rally for pay increases. Dublin street traders protest against a trading clampdown.

1986 sees strong Unionist opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Tragedy strikes with the Challenger disaster and the Chernobyl explosion. In Lebanon, Belfastman Brian Keenan is kidnapped. Hurricane Charlie devastates parts of Ireland. John Stalker is removed from his RUC investigation. A Dublin refuse strike leads to army intervention. The Irish Sweepstakes ends after 56 years. Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew marry. The Self Aid telethon highlights unemployment. The Kowloon Bridge tanker runs aground off Cork. Ireland rejects divorce in a referendum. Barry McGuigan retains his world title but later loses it. Evelyn Glenholmes is re-arrested after a failed extradition attempt. Ryanair launches low-cost flights. Emigration surges, with 30,000 people leaving and U.S. visa applications up 25%.

The Fine Gael-Labour coalition collapses, with budget cuts dominating the election. Fianna Fáil returns to power as Charles Haughey becomes Taoiseach by one vote. Garret FitzGerald resigns as Fine Gael leader, replaced by Alan Dukes. In Britain, Margaret Thatcher wins a third term. 'Black Monday' shakes global markets, with a 22% drop in New York. Johnny Logan wins Eurovision again. A harsh Budget threatens jobs and closes state agencies. Scientists discover a massive ozone hole. Reagan faces the 'Irangate' scandal. Ireland qualifies for a major football tournament under Jack Charlton. IRA attacks and bombings rock Northern Ireland. Stephen Roche wins the Tour de France. AIDS awareness rises in Ireland. Irish immigration to the U.S. continues despite stricter controls.

A 70ft Gulliver washes up in Dublin for the city's Millennium celebrations. Ireland hosts Eurovision; Switzerland wins with Celine Dion. The British government decides not to prosecute RUC officers after the Stalker-Sampson inquiry. The Court of Appeal rejects the Birmingham Six’s plea, while Sinn Féin and the SDLP begin talks. The Palestinian intifada erupts, met with an Israeli crackdown. In Gibraltar, the SAS kills three unarmed IRA members, sparking claims of a 'shoot to kill' policy. Loyalist and IRA violence follow at funerals. Ireland shines at Euro 1988 but falls to Holland. Budget cuts impact health; a tax amnesty raises £500m. France frees hostages in Beirut, but Briton John McCarthy and Belfast’s Brian Keenan remain captive. Gorbachev advances reforms; the US and USSR sign a nuclear treaty. Seoul hosts the Olympics; Ben Johnson is disgraced. Martin Cahill faces scrutiny. The Iran-Iraq war ends. A bomb destroys Pan Am Flight over Lockerbie, killing 270.

In 1989, the 25th Dail is dissolved, leading to an inconclusive general election and coalition talks between Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats. Fianna Fail, under Charles Haughey, forms a coalition. Century Radio launches, and TV3 is announced. The M1 motorway crash kills 44 people. Cork wins the football final, Tipperary wins the hurling final. Gorbachev visits Shannon, initiating reforms in the Soviet Union. The ANC strengthens as apartheid weakens, though Mandela remains imprisoned. The Hillsborough disaster kills 96. Protests arise for army wives' rights. Iran orders the death of Salman Rushdie, and Ayatollah Khomeini dies. In Beijing, Chinese students protest, leading to a violent crackdown. The Guildford Four are freed, and Daniel Day-Lewis stars in My Left Foot. Ireland qualifies for the World Cup. The Berlin Wall falls, and communism collapses in Eastern Europe.