2026 in Ireland
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| See also: | 2026 in Northern Ireland Other events of 2026 List of years in Ireland | ||||
Events during the year 2026 in Ireland.
Events
January
- 1 January – Pension auto-enrolment commenced for employees between the ages of 23 and 60, earning over €20,000, and not already in a pension scheme.[1]
- 5 January – The taoiseach, Micheál Martin, met Chinese president Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square, Beijing.[2] The taoiseach then received a personal tour of the Forbidden City, which was closed to visitors that day.[3]
- 7 January
- The president, Catherine Connolly, referenced the United Nations Secretary-General as she urged "full respect for international law, including the United Nations Charter" while noting that discussion of the United States attack on Caracas, during which President Maduro and his wife were seized and transported to Manhattan, "often overlook[s]" the "appalling" death toll (100+) the country experienced that night.[4]
- Responding to Donald Trump's remarks about the US assuming control of Greenland, the taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said the European Union was "rock-solid behind Denmark" and described the island as "part of Denmark", while the minister for foreign affairs, Helen McEntee, said Greenland was "not for sale... not for taking".[5]
- 9 January – The Department of Foreign Affairs announced that 12,904 passports issued in late December and early January would be reissued, because a technical error caused them not to be fully compliant with international travel standards.[6]
- 13 January – The accreditation ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin this morning for the new Iranian ambassador, Eshagh Al Habib, was postponed by the Department of Foreign Affairs because of the continuing upheaval in Iran.[7]
- 24 January – A teenage girl, later identified as Grace Lynch, was knocked down by a scrambler bike and later died in hospital from her injuries.[8]
February
- 4 February – Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed government plans for Grace's Law, a planned ban on the use of scrambler bikes in public places, following the death of Grace Lynch.[9]
- 6 February – It was announced that the buried remains of a further 22 infants have been uncovered at the site of the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, County Galway.[10]
- 11 February – Culture Minister Patrick O'Donovan announced the Basic Income for the Arts scheme that will see 2,000 eligible artists paid €325 a week by the Government to support them in their endeavours. Applications will open in May with the payment lasting three years.[11]
March
- 7 March – Former president Mary Robinson said the airstrikes against Iran were "illegal and breach international law" while attending a rally in Belfast for International Women's Day.[12]
- 12 March – £937m of Irish investment in the UK was announced ahead of a UK–Ireland summit.[13]
- 13 March – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a summit with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Cork, where he said the Iran war had increased the importance of good relations between the UK and Ireland.[14]
- 17 March – During his annual visit to Washington for St Patrick's Day, Taoiseach Micheál Martin met US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office and thanked him for "affirming the tremendous bonds" between Ireland and the US.[15]
- 25 March – Due to the 2026 Iran war which resulted in soaring fuel prices, the Government cut taxes on both diesel and petrol, with excise duty on a litre of diesel reduced by 20 cents, with a 15 cents drop for petrol until the end of May.[16]
April
- 7 April – Farmers began a blockade of major roads and oil refineries across the country in response to soaring fuel prices and wider government mismanagement.[17]
- 10 April – It was announced that the remains of a further 36 infants have been uncovered at the site of the former Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home at Tuam, County Galway.[18]
- 11 April – Fuel tankers regained access to Whitegate refinery in County Cork following a joint operation between gardaí and the defence forces to disperse protesters.[19]
- 12 April – The government announced a package worth €505m to support those "most impacted" by rising fuel costs.[20]
- 14 April
- Just prior to the vote on the motion of confidence in the government, Micheal Healy-Rae resigned as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, saying that the Taoiseach's speech was "not understanding" and that "the government have lost the people".[21]
- A motion of confidence in the government in response to the handling of the fuel crisis and blockades by farmers succeeds by a vote of 92–78, with just two TDs having changed their vote since the initial formation of the government, these being the two Healy-Rae brothers.[21]
- 15 April – The suspected leader of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, Daniel Kinahan, was arrested in Dubai. The Irish courts had issued an arrest warrant for Kinahan for alleged serious crimes. His extradition to Ireland was expected to follow.[22]
- 19 April – Aer Lingus announced that a number of flights had been cancelled from its summer schedule because of what it described as "mandatory maintenance on aircraft".[23]
- 29 April – The government announced further fuel support for workers and businesses.[24]
Arts and sciences
- 11 January – Irish actress Jessie Buckley won her first Golden Globe award at a ceremony in Beverly Hills, California for her performance in the film Hamnet.[25]
- 15 March – Jessie Buckley became the first Irishwoman to win an Oscar award for best actress at a ceremony in Hollywood, California for her role in the film Hamnet.[26]
Sport
Association football (men)
International friendly matches
- 31 March – Ireland 0–0 North Macedonia.[27]
2026 World Cup qualification
- 26 March – Czech Republic 2–2, 4–3 pso. Ireland.[30]
Nations League
- 4 October – Ireland v Israel.[34]
- 14 November – Austria v Ireland.[35]
- 17 November – Ireland v Kosovo.[36]
Association football (women)
- 7 March – Netherlands 2–1 Ireland.[38]
- 18 April – Ireland 1–0 Poland.[40]
- 5 June – Ireland v Netherlands.[41]
- 9 June – France v Ireland.[42]
Gaelic football
Hurling
- 19 July – 2026 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.
Rugby (men)
- 14 March – Ireland 43–21 Scotland. This was Ireland's 15th Triple Crown win, having defeated England, Scotland, and Wales.[47][48]
Rugby (women)
- 9 May – Ireland v Wales.
- 17 May – Ireland v Scotland.
