On This Week: Irish Moments from History (15th - 21st 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 15th - 21st January
This Week In Irish News
1969: Women attend Trinity's Historical Society for first time
Women attended a meeting of Trinity College Dublin’s (TCD) Historical Society for the first time.
Founded in 1770, The College Historical Society (also known as The Hist) is the oldest student society at the university and the world’s oldest student debating society.
The first female speaker at the society was Rosaleen Mills, a secondary school teacher who graduated from TCD with an MA in modern languages and women’s rights activist.
The meeting included visiting Chairperson Sheelagh Murnaghan, Ulster Liberal MP (Member of Parliament) for Queen's University Belfast.
2003: News2day makes its debut
Children and young people got a news programme dedicated to them with the launch of News2day on Network 2 (now RTÉ 2).
The programme delivers Irish and international news, sport, and entertainment in an accessible and child-friendly style.
The first series was presented by Ailbhe Conneely and Cathal Murray and has been a mainstay of Irish TV ever since.
This Week In Irish Sports
1974: Anne O’Brien becomes the first woman to play pro football outside Ireland
Anne O’Brien became the first woman to play professional football outside of Ireland when she joined French team Stade de Reims.
The 17-year-old was spotted by Reims when the team was on a tour of Ireland. Her transfer made headlines in Ireland and Britain and paved the way for other players to pursue a full-time football career.
The move was one part of a career which led to her being inducted into the FAI Hall of Fame in 2020 and being dubbed 'the greatest player we never knew about',
2020: Galway side becomes first club to win three All-Irelands in a row
Corofin became the first club to win three All-Ireland senior football titles in succession.
The side overcame Down side Kilcoo in a surreal extra-time final at Croke Park, eventually winning 1-12 to 0-07.
Kilcoo forced extra time thanks to a Paul Delvin free after 10 minutes of injury-time had been played, but Corofin came alive and hit with an unanswered 1-05 to win the Andy Merrigan Cup for the fifth time.
This Week In Irish Entertainment
2025: Kneecap nominated for six BAFTA awards for film
Irish-language rap band Kneecap were nominated for six categories at the BAFTAs, becoming the most-nominated debut feature film in the awards’ history.
On the night, it won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer.
It was also nominated for Outstanding British Film, Best Film Not in the English Language, Original Screenplay, Editing, and Casting.
The movie was critically acclaimed and focused on how the hip-hop trio came to be.
This Week In Irish Culture
1993: Michael D becomes Ireland’s first minister for the Arts
Michael D Higgins was appointed as Ireland’s first Minister for Arts, Culture, and the Gaeltacht.
Higgins described his aim as "to put culture, the arts, and the Irish language, at the centre of Irish life."
Among the list of priorities from those in the arts and Irish language sectors were the launch of a much-discussed Irish language television service on air, as well as proper funding for the arts.
2003: The Spire in Dublin is completed
The Spire on Dublin’s O’Connell Street was completed. At 120m high and located at the site of the former Nelson’s Pillar, it is one of the tallest sculptures in the world.
The stainless steel, pin-like monument was designed by architect Ian Ritchie, who won a Dublin City Council competition to find a suitable replacement for the Pillar.
What was Number 1 in Ireland This Week?
1979: 'YMCA’ by Village People
The iconic song is the band’s most popular hit, with it still being played worldwide.
1994: ‘All For Love’ by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting
Written for the movie ‘The Three Musketeers’, the power ballet was a worldwide hit, reaching number one across Europe, Australia, and North America.
2021: ‘Drivers License’ by Olivia Rodrigo
The song launched Rodrigo’s music career and is listed in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2024.
Irish Celebrities Celebrating Birthdays This Week
Leo Varadkar (47)
Former Taoiseach who served from 2017 to 2020 and from 2022 to 2024
Samantha Mumba (43)
R&B singer-songwriter who rose to fame with her debut single ‘Gotta Tell You’
Brian O'Driscoll (47)
Former Irish international rugby player who captained Ireland from 2003 to 2012
Other Irish Trivia From This Week
2000: When mobile phone mania was at its peak
Mobile phones were never more popular than during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
At the close of the millennium, mobile phone companies reported their best-ever Christmas sales with well over 100,000 units being sold.
Many of the buyers are younger, with a greater number of secondary school students now owning mobile phones. The pre-pay model has brought mobile phones to younger users.
Their popularity was so great that there was even a phone for younger children - ‘The Buddy Phone’ has fixed dial settings so the child can only call a limited amount of preset phone numbers.
