1994 in Ireland

Incumbents

• President: Mary Robinson
• Taoiseach:
• * Albert Reynolds
• * John Bruton
• Tánaiste:
• * Dick Spring
• * Bertie Ahern
• * Dick Spring
• Minister for Finance:
• * Bertie Ahern
• * Ruairi Quinn
• Chief Justice:
• * Thomas Finlay
• * Liam Hamilton
• Dáil: 27th
• Seanad: 20th

  Events

• 14 April – the Central Bank issues a new £5 note featuring Catherine McAuley.
• 30 April – Ireland wins the Eurovision Song Contest for the third year in a row with the song Rock 'n' Roll Kids composed by Brendan Graham and performed by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. The interval sees the first performance of the stepdance show Riverdance featuring dancers Jean Butler and Michael Flatley, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and Celtic choral group Anúna with a score by Bill Whelan.
• 26 May – Jack Charlton, manager of Republic of Ireland national football team since 1986, is awarded the freedom of Dublin City.
• 6 June – Irish D-Day Normandy landings veterans join Allied leaders at a 50th commemorative ceremony on Omaha Beach.
• 18 June – the Republic of Ireland's football World Cup campaign begins with a 1–0 win over Italy, one of the favourites to win the tournament. Ray Houghton, the Aston Villa winger, scores the winning goal.
• 24 June – the Republic of Ireland's chances of progressing to the last 16 of the World Cup are left hanging in the balance when they lose 2–1 to Mexico, with John Aldridge scoring the consolation goal.
• 28 June – the Republic of Ireland qualify for the next stage of the World Cup with a goalless draw against Norway.
• 4 July – the Republic of Ireland are knocked out of the World Cup by the Netherlands when they lose 2–0 in Orlando.
• 26 July – the Minister for Education, Niamh Bhreathnach, pledges the introduction of free third-level education for everyone over the next three years.
• 31 August – the Provisional Irish Republican Army announces a complete cessation of military operations.
• 1 September – Transition Year is introduced mainstream, to secondary schools.
• 6 September – Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, John Hume and Gerry Adams hold an historic meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin. All three pledge their commitment to the democratic idea.
• 30 September – Taoiseach Albert Reynolds and members of the government wait at Shannon Airport to greet President Boris Yeltsin. He fails to leave the aircraft to meet them and created a diplomatic incident.
• 13 October – Loyalist paramilitary groups announce a ceasefire six weeks after the IRA.
• 2 October – Ulster Television screens a Counterpoint program 'Suffer the Little Children' presented by Chris Moore beginning the exposure of Catholic Church sex abuse cases, initially those of Brendan Smyth involving children.
• 28 October – the inaugural session of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation takes place in St. Patricks Hall, Dublin Castle.
• 16 November – the Fianna Fáil-Labour coalition collapses.
• 17 November – Albert Reynolds tenders his resignation as Taoiseach. However, the Dáil is not dissolved.
• 19 November – Bertie Ahern is elected leader of Fianna Fáil.
• 15 December – John Bruton, leader of Fine Gael, becomes Taoiseach of the so-called "Rainbow" government in coalition with Labour and the Democratic Left parties

  Arts and literature

• 22 October – Boyzone's debut album, Said and Done, is released in Ireland.
• Maeve Binchy's novel The Glass Lake is published.
• Emma Donoghue's first novel Stir Fry is published.
• Paddy Breathnach's film Ailsa is released.
• Colum McCann's short-story collection Fishing the Sloe-Black River is published.

  Sport

Athletics

• Eamonn Coghlan becomes the first person in the world over 40 years of age to run a sub-four minute mile.
• 10 December Catherina McKiernan wins Senior Women's gold in the 1994 European Cross Country Championships, the inaugural event of the series

  Gaelic football

• Down GAA beat Dublin GAA 1–12 to 0–13 in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final at Croke Park on 18 September. It is Down's fifth All-Ireland senior title, and their second in four years.

  Golf

• Murphy's Irish Open is won by Bernhard Langer.

  Hurling

• Offaly GAA beat Limerick GAA 3–16 to 2–13 to win the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final at Croke Park for the first time since 1985.

  Soccer

• In the World Cup Finals in the United States, the Republic of Ireland makes the last 16 before losing 2–0 to the Netherlands, but on the way picks up its first World Cup finals win inside 90 minutes, a 1–0 victory over Italy.

  Births

• 24 January – Sean Kavanagh, footballer.
• 12 April – Saoirse Ronan, screen actress.

  Deaths

January to June

• 1 January – Raymond Crotty, economist.
• 1 January – Andy McEvoy, soccer player.
• 19 February – Micho Russell, tin whistle player and collector of traditional music and folklore.
• 23 February – Jackie Power, Limerick hurler and Gaelic footballer.
• 6 March – Flann Campbell, educationalist and historian.
• 12 May – Alfred Lane Beit, British politician, art collector and philanthropist, honorary Irish citizen.
• 13 May – Duncan Hamilton, motor racing driver.
• 21 May – Martin Doherty, member of Provisional Irish Republican Army, shot and killed
• 27 May – M. J. Molloy, playwright.
• 17 June – Terence de Vere White, lawyer, novelist and biographer.
• 27 June – William Conolly-Carew, 6th Baron Carew.

  July to December

• 18 July – Davoren Hanna, poet.
• 19 July – Éilis Dillon, author.
• 5 August – Gerry O'Sullivan, Labour Party TD, Minister of State and Lord Mayor of Cork.
• 18 August – Martin Cahill, Dublin criminal, shot and killed.
• 23 September – James Brophy, cricketer.
• 6 December – Máire de Paor, archaeologist.
• 20 December – Stephen Coughlan, Labour Party TD and Mayor of Limerick.