On This Week: Irish Moments from History (8th - 14th September)
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 8th - 14th September.
This Week In Irish News
1981: The first electrically-powered car goes on sale in Ireland
The first electrically powered plug-in car went on sale in Ireland.
Selling for £5,900, the two-seater car was powered by four batteries and could be charged by plugging it into an ordinary domestic socket.
Six hours of charging would yield forty miles (64.3 kilometres), and with a top speed of 40 miles per hour (64 kmph), it was best suited for short journeys.
2004: Pet food factory workers celebrate Lotto win
Pet food factory workers in Ballyfermot celebrate a National Lottery win of almost €7 million.
The eight members of the Gear Box Syndicate turned up for work unaware of the good news.
It was when one member heard that the ticket was bought in Ballyfermot that they checked the numbers and realised they won.
Each member of the syndicate would get almost €900,000.
This Week In Irish Sports
2017: Cork beat Kilkenny in dramatic camogie final
Cork pulled off their best performance of the 2017 season to record a major victory over champions Kilkenny, winning 0-10 to 0-09.
It was Julia White, who came off the bench minutes before, who shot the winner with the clock reading 66 minutes and 16 seconds.
2023: Ireland rugby team rack up their biggest ever World Cup win
Ireland got its 2023 World Cup campaign off to a flying start with an 82 - 8 win against Romania.
The team scored 12 tries in the Stade de Bordeaux, marking their highest ever tournament points tally and margin of victory.
Johnny Sexton scored two tries and kicked seven conversions while Peter O'Mahony, Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne grabbed two tries each.
This Week In Irish Entertainment
1983: Glenroe makes its debut on RTÉ
The first episode of the rural soap Glenroe was broadcast on RTÉ Television.
Irish viewers were introduced to characters such as Miley, Biddy, and Dinny, who would become household names throughout Ireland.
The weekly series quickly climbed to the top of the Irish television ratings and ran until 2001.
This Week In Irish Culture
1993: Grand Opening for the Wexford Theatre Royal
The Wexford Theatre Royal had a grand opening after a major upgrade
The home of the Wexford Opera Festival since 1941, it was upgraded to include extra foyer space, new toilets, bars, and facilities for wheelchair users. The new theatre building was celebrated with a concert by tenor Finbar Wright.
The success of the Opera Festival would lead to the Theatre Royal being replaced by the National Opera House in 2008, which was built on the same site.
2001: Farmleigh opens up to the public
The official state guest house, Farmleigh, in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, opened up to the public.
It was opened after two years of renovations, which cost £41 million.
The 78-acre estate would continue to be home to visiting dignitaries as well as hosting tours for the public.
What was Number 1 in Ireland This Week?
1982: 'Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor
The song was written for the movie Rocky III and reached number one in multiple countries.
2003: ‘Where is the Love?’ by The Black Eyed Peas
The song topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, and the UK, where it became the biggest-selling single of 2003.
2021: ‘Bad Habits’ by Ed Sheeran
Bad Habits peaked at number one in 28 countries, and spent eleven consecutive weeks at the top of both the UK and Ireland singles charts.
Irish Celebrities Celebrating Birthdays This Week
Patrick Collison (37)
Entrepreneur who is the co-founder of Stripe.
Siobhan Fahey (67)
Singer who was a member of Bananarama and Shakespear’s Sister.
Niall Horan (32)
Singer-songwriter who was a member of One Direction.
Other Irish Trivia From This Week
2019: Irish woman sets new record at Freediving World Championships
Kildare woman Clare Walsh became the first Irish person to compete at the Freediving World Championships.
Freediving is a form of underwater diving that does not require the use of breathing apparatus. It requires athletes to hold their breath until returning to the surface.
She set an Irish record of 36 metres in the ‘constant weight’ category, which involves using fins to dive as deep as possible before returning to the surface in one breath.
ON THIS WEEK
On This Week brings you a mix of stories from the last 75 years, to celebrate Volkswagen's 75 year anniversary, featuring the big news stories, sporting highlights and major pop culture moments. Volkswagen has been part of those unforgettable moments - driving families to milestones, memories, and moments that matter.
For more information visit 75 Years In Ireland | Celebrate our Birthday | VW Ireland
