2024 was another year of war in Europe and the Middle East, with wildfires and floods reflecting what was the world's warmest year on record. It was also a year of elections across the globe. Here, we take a look at some of the images that defined the past 12 months in Ireland and around the world.
Flying the flag for Ireland
Team Ireland flagbearers Mona McSharry and Fintan McCarthy during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games at Stade de France in Paris. It was Ireland's most successful ever Olympic games, with the team bringing home four gold and three bronze medals. (Pic: Getty Images)
Stardust victims remembered
Lisa Lawlor, whose parents Francis and Maureen died in the Stardust disaster, lays a wreath at an event in the Gardens of Remembrance to commemorate the 48 people who died in the 1981 blaze. Inquests into the deaths found all 48 had been unlawfully killed. (Pic: RollingNews.ie)
History made at Stormont
Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neil becomes the first nationalist first minister in Northern Ireland. The historic development came after the Democratic Unionist Party ended its boycott over post-Brexit trade rules allowing for a return to power-sharing. (Pic: RollingNews.ie)
Attempted assassination
Donald Trump survives an attempted assassination attempt during a presidential election campaign rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania in July. After returning to the campaign trail with an injury to his ear, Mr Trump said he would "never quit... never bend ... never break". (Getty Images)
Cillian's Oscar moment
Cillian Murphy accepts the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "Oppenheimer" onstage during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. He became the first Irish-born actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor. (Getty Images)
A bridge too far
The cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. The accident in March temporarily closed the Port of Baltimore, one of the largest and busiest on the east coast of the US. (Getty Images)
Mourning Liam Payne
Memorabilia are left by fans as they gathered in Munich, Germany during a tribute event for Liam Payne. The former One Direction singer fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires in October. (Getty Images)
Assad regime collapses
An aerial view shows a Syrian man waving the independence-era Syrian flag at Damascus' central Umayyad Square in December. As the 61 years of Baath Party rule in Syria came to an end, the country's president Bashar al-Assad fled with his family to Russia where they were granted asylum. (Getty Images)
Dublin's New York connection
The Portal installation off Dublin's O'Connell Street provided a live video link between Dublin and New York's Flatiron district. The live link to New York has now switched over to the city of Philadelphia. (Pic: RollingNews.ie)
France's feminist hero
French woman Gisèle Pelicot emerged as a feminist hero at home and abroad for waiving her right to a closed trial where her former husband was accused of drugging her for nearly ten years and inviting strangers to rape her at their home. In December, a court ruled Dominique Pelicot and his 50 co-defendants were guilty of rape. (Getty Images)
Catastrophic floods
A man walks through a debris-covered street after flash floods hit the Sedaví area of Valencia, Spain in October. Over 200 residents lost their lives as a result of the flooding which followed exceptional and historic levels of rainfall in the region. (Getty Images)
Gaza on the brink
A Palestinian child sits with his toy in the rubble of Gaza's Nuseirat Refugee Camp which was destroyed by Israeli strikes. Amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, efforts to secure a ceasefire have so far failed to produce an agreement to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas that has developed since the 7 October 2023 attacks. (Getty Images)
Transfer of power
US President Joe Biden shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in November following his victory in the presidential election. Mr Biden said there would be a peaceful transition of power and urged Americans to "bring down the temperature" following Donald Trump's re-election. (Getty Images)
Kremlin critic
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (R), who was one of the leading voices opposing President Vladamir Putin, died suddenly this year in an Arctic prison colony where he was serving a 19-year-term. The 47-year-old's supporters claimed he was murdered, a charge rejected by the Kremlin. (Getty Images)
A year of elections
More than 3.7 billion people across the world had the opportunity to vote in democratic elections this year, according to the UN. In India, voters queued up to cast their ballots during a six-week election that began in April (Getty Images)
State funeral for John Bruton
Former taoiseach John Bruton died in February at the age of 76 following a long illness. He was remembered at his funeral in Co Meath as a man of hope, ideas and faith. (Pic: PA)
War in Ukraine
More than two years into the Ukraine war and the battle for territory in the east of the country continues. Russia has introduced North Korean soldiers to the frontlines while Ukraine maintains its efforts to secure greater military assistance from the West. Our picture shows Ukrainian troops on a combat mission in the Serebryan Forest in Kreminna. (Getty Images)
The world's warmest year on record
Wildfires posed a constant danger this year, with North and South America the worst affected. Our picture from a village south of Athens in Greece in September shows the devastating impact of such events. According to the EU scientist's union, 2024 is shaping up to be the world's warmest year since records began.
Oasis reunion was 'dynamic'
Manchester's Liam and Noel Gallagher announced they were 'getting the band back together' after years of acrimony between the two. However, the rush for tickets for shows in Ireland and the UK ended in disappointment and anger for many as they were subject to 'dynamic pricing' which hiked ticket costs and resulted in long queues and technical issues with Ticketmaster's website.
Immigration flashpoints
Protesters clashed with gardaí in Coolock in north Dublin in July amid demonstrations over the use of the former Crown Paints factory for accommodation for those seeking International Protection. It was one of several flashpoints across the country, where local communities protested over Department of Integration plans to locate asylum seekers in their areas. (Pic: PA)
Ceasefire in Lebanon
In November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a ceasefire with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, had been approved by the Israeli security cabinet. Lebanon says the 13 months of conflict claimed over 3,000 lives, including over 180 children. Our picture shows people near Martyrs Square in Beirut watching Mr Netanyahu make the announcement in a televised address in November. (Getty Images)
New Dáil elected but no government - yet
The General Election in November saw 60 first-time TDs elected to the new Dáil. While we have the result, we remain without an outcome as government formation talks are set to continue into the new year with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael once again likely to lead the next administration. One of the most closely watched counts was Dublin Central, where Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch (pictured) almost denied the Labour Party the final seat. (Getty Images)
A final ovation for Dickie Rock
Singing star Dickie Rock died in December this year. He was an icon from the showband era who represented Ireland at the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest with the song, 'Come Back to Stay'. (Pic: RollingNews.ie)
Man arrested over CEO shooting
The fatal shooting of the Chief Executive of a US health insurance company, UnitedHealth, outside a hotel in New York city captured the world's attention. A suspect, Luigi Mangione, was arrested the following week and has since appeared in court where he pleaded not guilty to state murder charges that brand him a terrorist (Getty Images)
