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← 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1980 in Ireland → 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	1980 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1980 List of years in Ireland

Events from the year1980 in Ireland.

• President:Patrick Hillery
• Taoiseach:Charles Haughey (FF)
• Tánaiste:George Colley (FF)
• Minister for Finance:
  • Michael O'Kennedy (FF) (until 16 December 1980)
  • Gene Fitzgerald (FF) (from 16 December 1980)
• Chief Justice:Tom O'Higgins
• Dáil:21st
• Seanad:14th

• January – Jorge Bergoglio, the futurePope Francis, arrived in Ireland for three months to learn English atMilltown College inMilltown, Dublin.^[1]
• 9 January –TaoiseachCharles Haughey addressed the nation on television on the matter of worsening public finances.
• 31 January – A new £20 note was introduced bearing an image of the poetW. B. Yeats.

• 13 February – The firstautomated teller machine (ATM) in Ireland was launched, theBank of Ireland Pass machine.^[2]
• 17 February – The eighth century Derrynaflan Hoard, including theDerrynaflan Chalice, was discovered in a bog in Lurgoe,County Tipperary.^[3]

• 24 March – The first dedicated bus lane inDublin was opened by theCIÉ bus company onParliament Street. The 250 metrecontraflow lane allowed buses and emergency service vehicles to travel in the opposite direction to other traffic.^[4]

• 19 April –Johnny Logan won theEurovision Song Contest for Ireland with the song "What's Another Year".

• 1 August – Eighteen people died in theButtevant Rail Disaster.
• 8 August – Ten people died in theCentral Hotel fire inBundoran, County Donegal.
• 15 August – The first section of theWicklow Way – fromMarlay Park toLuggala – was opened byJim Tunney TD, Minister of State for Education.^[5]
• August –Urney Chocolates factory in Tallaght, once the largest chocolate factory in Europe, closes.^[6]

• 1 September – China's firstAmbassador to Ireland, MadameGong Pusheng, arrived in Dublin.^[7]

• 6 October – JusticeMella Carroll was the first woman to reach the position of High Court Judge.
• 27 October – Over 2,000 people took part in the firstDublin Marathon.

• 1 November – TheHealth (Family Planning) Act 1979 came into operation, permitting the provision ofcontraceptives by prescription.
• 2 November – The first edition of theSunday Tribune newspaper went on sale.
• 11 November – TheNational Institute for Higher Education, Dublin admitted its first 200 students to the college.

• 8 December – Taoiseach Charles Haughey met with the British prime ministerMargaret Thatcher atDublin Castle. It was the first visit by a British prime minister sinceIrish Independence.
• 19 December – Former TaoiseachJack Lynch was conferred with the freedom of his native city,Cork.

• 23 September –Field Day Theatre Company presented its first production, the première ofBrian Friel'sTranslations at theGuildhall, Derry.
• Eavan Boland's poetryIn Her Own Image was published in the United Kingdom.^[8]
• Dermot Bolger's poetryThe Habit of Flesh was published.
• Shaun Davey's orchestralsuite foruilleann pipesThe Brendan Voyage was composed.
• Seamus Heaney'sSelected Poems 1965–1975 was published in the UK.
• Ron Hutchinson'sThe Irish Play was first performed, in London.
• Thomas Kinsella'sPoems 1956–1973 was published in the UK.^[8]
• Paul Muldoon's poetryWhy Brownlee Left was published in the UK.^[8]
• Tom Paulin'sThe Strange Museum, including "Pot Burial" and "Where Art Is a Midwife", was published in the UK.^[9]
• Bernard Farrell was awarded theRooney Prize for Irish Literature.^[10]
• TheIrish Film Board was established as a funding body.
• W. A. McCutcheon's official surveyThe Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland was published.

• Carroll's Irish Open was won byMark James (England).

• 11 January –Liam O'Brien, actor.
• 14 January –Clive Clarke, association footballer.
• 19 January –Kevin McHugh, association footballer.
• 31 January –Gary Doherty, association footballer.
• 1 February –Justin Kehoe, golfer.
• 6 February –Bernard Dunne, boxer.
• 28 February –Denise Gough, actress.
• 3 March –Toiréasa Ferris,Sinn Féin politician.
• 14 March –Colin Healy, association footballer.
• 15 March –Caitríona Perry, RTÉ news reporter.
• 3 April –Mairead Ronan, television presenter.
• 9 April –Jennifer Zamparelli, comedian and television presenter.
• 12 April –Brian McFadden, singer and songwriter.
• 13 April –Jason Maguire, jockey.
• 17 April –Richie Baker, association footballer.
• 29 April –Kian Egan, singer withWestlife.
• 21 May –Darragh Ryan, association footballer.
• 28 May –Mark Feehily, singer withWestlife.
• 3 June –Ciarán Walsh, visual artist.
• 5 June –Stephen Lucey,Limerick hurler.
• 6 June –Colin Moran, Gaelic footballer.
• 16 June –Richie Foran, association footballer.
• 19 June
  • Jean Carroll, Irish cricketer
  • Derek Geary, association footballer.
• 3 July –Donal O'Grady,Limerick hurler
• 8 July –Robbie Keane, association footballer.
• 23 July –Graham Canty,Cork Gaelic footballer.
• 13 August –Paul Crowley, association footballer.
• 22 August –Alan Reilly, association footballer.
• 12 September –Richie Partridge, association footballer.
• 15 September –Dean Delany, association footballer.
• 28 September –Danny O'Connor, association footballer.
• 3 October –Danny O'Donoghue, musician.
• 8 October –Tony Buckley, rugby player.
• 27 October –Peter Murphy, association footballer.
• 29 October –Derek Kavanagh,Cork Gaelic footballer.
• 14 November –James Ryall,Kilkenny hurler.
• 17 December –Conor Armstrong, cricketer.
• 22 December –Noel Hickey,Kilkenny hurler.

Full date unknown

• Brian Geary,Limerick hurler.
• Mark O'Riordan,Limerick hurler.

• 26 January –John Doherty, fiddle player (born 1900).
• 14 March –Gustavus Kelly, cricketer (born 1901).
• 2 May –Cecile O'Rahilly, scholar of theCeltic languages and writer (born 1894).
• 14 May –Christine Longford, playwright (born 1900 in England).
• 11 June –William J.E. Jessop, professor, representedDublin University in theSeanad from 1951 to 1973.
• 25 June –James Hamilton Delargy, folklorist.
• 2 July –Tom Barry,guerrilla leader in theIrish Republican Army during theIrish War of Independence (born 1897).
• 5 July –A. J. Potter, composer (born 1918).
• 13 July –Joseph Brennan,Fianna Fáil partyTeachta Dála (TD), Cabinet Minister andCeann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann (born 1912).
• 24 August –Frederick Maurice Watson Harvey, soldier, recipient of theVictoria Cross for gallantry in 1917 atGuyencourt, France (born 1888).
• 5 September – Eric Cross, scientist.
• 21 September –Mick Gill,Galway andDublin hurler (born 1899).
• 7 November –Frank Duff, founder of theLegion of Mary (born 1889).
• 9 November –Patrick Campbell, 3rd Baron Glenavy, journalist and author (born 1931).
• 10 November –John Moyney, soldier, recipient of theVictoria Cross for gallantry in 1917 north ofBroembeek,Belgium (born 1895).
• 22 November –Norah McGuinness, artist (born 1901).
• 25 November –Joseph Sweeney, member of1st Dáil representingWest Donegal,(Pro Treaty) (born 1897).
• 16 December –Roddy Connolly,Labour Party TD,Seanad member, son ofJames Connolly (born 1901).
• 24 December –Arland Ussher, academic, essayist and translator (born 1899).
• 30 December –Patrick Hennessy, painter (born 1915).

Full date unknown

• Bill Delaney,Laois Gaelic footballer.
• Jimmy McCambridge, association footballer (born 1905).

• 1980 in Irish television

• 1980 in Ireland
• 1980s in Ireland
• Years of the 20th century in Ireland
• 1980 in Europe
• 1980 by country

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