1978 in Ireland

Events from the year 1978 in Ireland.

Incumbents

 * President: Patrick Hillery
 * Taoiseach: Jack Lynch (FF)
 * Tánaiste: George Colley (FF)
 * Minister for Finance: George Colley (FF)
 * Chief Justice: Tom O'Higgins
 * Dáil: 21st
 * Seanad: 14th

Events

 * 18 January – The European Court of Human Rights found Britain guilty of inhuman and degrading treatment of republican internees in Northern Ireland.
 * 19 January – The Fianna Fáil government dismissed the Garda Commissioner Edmund Garvey. No explanation was given.
 * 21 January – Johnny Giles resigned as manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team.
 * 23 March – The state funeral of former President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh took place in Sneem, County Kerry.
 * 31 March – Six thousand people marched through Dublin to Wood Quay to protest against the building of civic offices above an ancient Viking settlement.
 * 27 May – Brittany Ferries inaugurated a regular Cork–Roscoff service.
 * 1 June – David Cook of the Alliance Party became the first non-Unionist Lord Mayor of Belfast.
 * 21 June – Rosemary Smith established an Irish land speed record of 156.101mph on the Carrigrohane Straight in Cork, driving a seven-litre Jaguar XJ6.
 * 10 August – A new £10 note bearing an image of the writer Jonathan Swift was introduced.
 * 19 August – Over 5,000 people took part in a rally against a proposed nuclear power station in Carnsore Point, County Wexford.
 * 1 September – Dublin Institute of Technology was created on an ad hoc basis by the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee.
 * 2 November – Ireland's second national television channel, RTÉ 2, opened with a live broadcast from the Cork Opera House.
 * November – Cork Regional Hospital officially opened in Cork.
 * Undated – The first Supermac's fast food restaurant opened.

Arts and literature

 * Iris Murdoch is awarded the Booker Prize for her novel The Sea, The Sea.
 * Peter Sheridan is awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.
 * Seán Ó Ríordáin's posthumous poetry collection Tar éis mo Bháis is published.
 * First broadcast of craft TV series Hands.

Athletics

 * 25 March – John Treacy wins the world cross-country championship in Glasgow.

Golf

 * Carroll's Irish Open is won by Ken Brown (Scotland).

Horse racing

 * Shergar wins The Derby (by a record ten lengths) and Irish Derby.

Births

 * 11 January – Adrian O'Connor, backstroke swimmer.
 * 12 January – David Worrell, soccer player.
 * 19 January – Simon Webb, soccer player.
 * 30 January – John Doyle, Kildare Gaelic footballer.
 * 21 February – Damien English, Fine Gael TD for Meath West.
 * 23 February – Jason Byrne, soccer player.
 * 7 March – John Miskella, Cork Gaelic footballer.
 * 9 March – Derek O'Connor, soccer player.
 * 16 March – Jemma Redmond, biochemist, pioneer of 3D bioprinting (died 2016).
 * 2 April – John Hoyne, Kilkenny hurler.
 * 4 April – Alan Mahon, soccer player.
 * 5 April – Stephen Murphy, soccer player.
 * 19 April – Geordan Murphy, International rugby player.
 * 23 April – Nicholas Murphy, Cork Gaelic footballer.
 * 24 April – Jimmy Coogan, Kilkenny hurler.
 * 29 April – David O'Loughlin, cyclist.
 * 4 May – Stanerra, racehorse.
 * 5 May – Paul Byrne, broadcast journalist.
 * 10 June – Karl Scully, tenor.
 * 21 June – Wayne Sherlock, Cork hurler.
 * 25 June – Kieran Kelly, jump jockey (killed in racing accident 2003).
 * 4 July – Derek Lyng, Kilkenny hurler.
 * 18 July
 * Shane Horgan, International rugby player.
 * Annie Mac(Manus), DJ and broadcast presenter.
 * 27 July – Brian Barry-Murphy, soccer player.
 * July – Diarmuid O'Sullivan, Cork hurler.
 * 8 August – Alan Maybury, soccer player.
 * 21 August – Alan Lee, soccer player.
 * 28 August – Barry Ryan, soccer player.
 * 27 September – John Paul Phelan, Fine Gael Senator.
 * 1 October – Barry Conlon, soccer player.
 * 2 October – Eddie Brennan, Kilkenny hurler.
 * 5 October – Shane Ryan, Gaelic footballer.
 * 9 October – Nicky Byrne, entertainer, singer with Westlife & TV host.
 * 17 October – Jerry Flannery, international rugby player.
 * 25 October – Chris Keane, rugby player.
 * 31 October – Ella McSweeney, radio and television producer
 * 9 November – Martin Comerford, Kilkenny hurler.
 * 15 December – Edele and Keavy Lynch, members of B*Witched.
 * 22 December – Eugene Cloonan, Galway hurler.


 * Full date unknown
 * Caoimhe Butterly, human rights activist.
 * Julie Feeney, singer songwriter.
 * Mike FitzGerald, Limerick hurler.
 * Richie Mullally, Kilkenny hurler.
 * Mike O'Brien, Limerick hurler.

Deaths

 * 23 January – Cormac Breslin, Fianna Fáil TD and Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann (born 1902).
 * 4 March – Emmet Dalton, Republican activist, soldier and film producer (born 1898 in the United States).
 * 6 March – Micheál MacLiammóir, actor and dramatist (born 1899 in London).
 * 21 March – Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, Attorney-general, Chief Justice of Ireland and fifth President of Ireland (born 1911).
 * 7 July – Mary Swanzy, painter (born 1882; died in London).
 * 28 August – Robert Shaw, actor and novelist (born 1927 in England).
 * 12 September – Wilfred Hutton, cricketer (born 1901).
 * October – Moss (Maurice) Twomey, chief of staff of the Irish Republican Army (born 1897).
 * 5 November – Denis O'Dea, actor (born 1905).
 * 13 December – Jack Doyle, boxer, actor and singer (born 1913; died in London).
 * Full date unknown – Gabriel Hayes, sculptor, designer of Irish coins (born 1909).