On This Week: Irish Moments from History (1st - 7th January)
Welcome to On This Week, where we delve into the standout stories from the years gone by, featuring standout news stories, major sporting events, and pop culture highlights that helped shape Irish life.
Here's your dose of Irish nostalgia from 1st - 7th January
This Week In Irish News
1965: The first-ever Young Scientist Exhibition took place
The first ever Young Scientist Exhibition took place at the Mansion House in Dublin.
The event attracted 230 entries, and the very next year, it was moved to the RDS, where it has taken place ever since.
The winner was John Monaghan from Kildare, whose project looked at the process of digestion in the human stomach.
1973: Ireland becomes a member of the EU
On 1st January 1973, Ireland officially joined the European Economic Community (EEC), the EU as it was known then.
83% of Irish people voted in favour of membership, which has transformed Ireland from a poor, agriculturally dependent country to a high-tech economy.
While there were concerns about the loss of sovereignty and the loss of indigenous industries from joining the single market, EU membership helped transform Ireland in significant social and economic ways.
This Week In Irish Sports
2010: Hurling helmets made compulsory
The wearing of helmets with faceguards became compulsory for hurlers at all levels on 1st January.
The rules were extended to senior players, having already been in place for all underage levels, including minor and under-21 grades.
The rule change was intended to reduce injuries in both training and matches.
2022: GAA hosts first ever senior match indoors
History was made with the first-ever GAA Senior inter-county fixture being played indoors.
The NUI Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome was the venue for Sligo’s encounter with Leitrim in the Connacht FBD League.
The venue included an all-weather surface protected from the elements, and the inflated structure’s height of 26 metres meant plenty of room for high kicks.
300 spectators were able to see the match, which ended with Sligo coming out on top 1-21 to 1-17, bringing them through to the semi-final
This Week In Irish Entertainment
1990: U2 ring in the New Year to millions across Europe
U2 rang in the new year and the beginning of the 90s to a radio audience estimated at around 500 million people.
The U2 New Year concert at the Point Depot in Dublin was broadcast live by 2FM and BBC Radio.
With 4,500 places at the venue, it was one of the band’s smallest shows in years, but it made up for it by being broadcast live in seventeen European countries.
2025: Colin Farrell wins Golden Globe for third time
Colin Farrell won his third Golden Globe for his titular role in The Penguin.
Farrell won the Best Performance by an Actor in Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television category. He previously won it for his performances in The Banshees of Inisherin and In Bruges.
Accepting the award at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, he said that "it takes a village" to create a show, telling the audience how he would spend three hours in the make-up chair every day to prepare for his role.
This Week In Irish Culture
1980s: Dublin, Cork, and Galway celebrate major milestones in their history
Three major cities in the Republic of Ireland celebrated major milestones, each by holding a year of events.
In 1984, Galway celebrated its 500th anniversary as a city. It began with thousands of people turning out along the Salthill seafront for a fireworks display.
In 1985, Cork celebrated its 800th anniversary. The first ceremony was held outside Cork City Hall, where a memorial sculpted by Cork stonecutter Ken Thompson was unveiled as a reminder of its history.
And in 1988, Dublin marked 1,000 years as a city with midnight celebrations, officially launched by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alderman Carmencita Hederman.
At the top of the Civic Offices on Wood Quay, amateur radio enthusiasts worked through the night to promote Dublin’s birthday worldwide, to mark the original Viking settlement.
What was Number 1 in Ireland This Week?
1976: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
One of the band’s most iconic songs, Bohemian Rhapsody is regarded as one of the greatest songs of all time.
1988: Fairytale of New York by The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl
The iconic Christmas hit spent five weeks as a number one, three weeks at the end of 1987 and for the first two weeks in 1988.
2014: Happy by Pharrell Williams
A staple of music playlists around the world, Pharrell Williams’ feel-good track was the most-played song in 2014 with over 2.8 million airplays.
Irish Celebrities Celebrating Birthdays This Week
Robert Sheehan (38)
Actor best known for his roles in Love/Hate, Misfits, and The Umbrella Academy
Miriam O’Callaghan (66)
TV and radio presenter who presents Sunday with Miriam on RTÉ Radio 1.
Paul Howard (55)
Author who is best known for the Ross O’Carroll-Kelly series.
Other Irish Trivia From This Week
1980: Ireland’s disco dancing champion shows her skills
Ireland's disco dancing champion Amanda Gibson, appeared on The Late Late Show to showcase her skills.
Host Gay Byrne introduced her as "the most outstanding exponent of disco dancing in Ireland at the moment."
Gibson, who hails from Palmerstown in Dublin, became champion aged 19. Representing Ireland, she went on to enter the World Disco Dancing Championships in London and came third out of 32 countries.
