# 1978 in Ireland

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive
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
### January

* 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.

### March

* 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.

### May

* 27 May – Brittany Ferries inaugurated a regular Cork–Roscoff service.

### June

* 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 156.101 mph on the Carrigrohane Straight in Cork, driving a seven-litre Jaguar XJ6.

### August

* 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.

### September

* 1 September – Dublin Institute of Technology was created on an ad hoc basis by the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee.

### November

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

## Sport
### Athletics

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

### Golf

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

### Horse racing

* Shergar won the Epsom Derby (by a record ten lengths), and the Irish Derby.

## Births

* 11 January – Adrian O'Connor, backstroke swimmer.
* 12 January – David Worrell, association footballer.
* 19 January – Simon Webb, association footballer.
* 28 January – Sheamus, pro wrestler.
* 30 January – John Doyle, Kildare Gaelic footballer.
* 21 February – Damien English, Fine Gael Teachta Dála (TD) for Meath West.
* 23 February – Jason Byrne, association footballer.
* 7 March – John Miskella, Cork Gaelic footballer.
* 9 March – Derek O'Connor, association footballer.
* 16 March – Jemma Redmond, biochemist, pioneer of 3D bioprinting (died 2016).
* 2 April – John Hoyne, Kilkenny hurler.
* 4 April – Alan Mahon, association footballer.
* 5 April – Stephen Murphy, association footballer.
* 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.
* 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), disc jockey and broadcast presenter.
* 27 July – Brian Barry-Murphy, association footballer.
* July – Diarmuid O'Sullivan, Cork hurler.
* 8 August – Alan Maybury, association footballer.
* 21 August – Alan Lee, association footballer.
* 28 August – Barry Ryan, association footballer.
* 27 September – John Paul Phelan, Fine Gael party Senator.
* 1 October – Barry Conlon, association footballer.
* 2 October – Eddie Brennan, Kilkenny hurler.
* 5 October – Shane Ryan, Gaelic footballer.
* 9 October – Nicky Byrne, entertainer, singer with Westlife, and television 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 Teachta Dála (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).