irish calendar

The Irish calendar does not observe the astronomical seasons (beginning, in the Northern Hemisphere, on the equinoxes and solstices), or the meteorological seasons (beginning on March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1), but rather follows the seasons of the ancient Celts (see below) which are pre-Christian in origin. This is particularly evident in the Irish naming of many of the months: some names, like May (Bealtaine), August (Lughnasadh/Lnasa) and November (Samhain, sometimes also in the form of M na Samhna) were the names of pagan Celtic festivals. In addition, the names for September and October (Men Fmhair and Deireadh Fmhair respectively) translate directly as "middle of autumn" and "end of autumn". Christianity has also left its mark on the Irish months: December is M na Nollag, or just Nollaig, the latter word also meaning Christmastide.

Seasons

Winter (end)

January - Eanir

January 1 - New Year's Day, one of the public holidays in the Republic of Ireland.

1871 - disestablishment of Church of Ireland takes effect
1926 - 2RN (original radio station of present RT) set up
1973 - Ireland becomes a member of the EU.
1975 - Ireland assumes first Presidency of the Council of the European Union (see July 1)
1984 - Galway City begins year long celebration of 500th anniversity (quincentennial) of mayoral status with Festival Eucharist in St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church
1990 - Ireland assumes fourth Presidency of Council of the European Union
2002 - Euro replaces punt as Irish currency
2004 - Ireland assumes sixth Presidency of the Council of the European Union

January 2 - St. Munchin, Patron of the Diocese of Limerick
January 3 - 1946: execution of William Joyce, Lord Haw-Haw
January 5 - Twelfth Night

1839 - The Night of the Big Wind
1976 - death of John A. Costello former Taoiseach

January 6 - Little Christmas (Nollaig Bheag) and/or Women's Christmas (Nollaig na mBan)

and/or Twelfth Day (the traditional end of the Christmas season), and for Irish Roman Catholics, a Holy Day of Obligation

January 7 - 1922: Anglo-Irish Treaty ratified by Dil ireann
January 8 - 1979: Whiddy Island disaster in Bantry Bay
January 13 - 1941: death of James Joyce
January 14 - 1965: Sean Lemass, Taoiseach, visits Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill
January 16 - 1922: Michael Collins accepts surrender of Dublin Castle from the Viceroy, Lord Fitzalan
January 17 - 1860: birth of Douglas Hyde
January 20 -1968: death of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty
January 21 - 1919: Meeting of the First Dil in the Mansion House, Dublin

Irish War of Independence begins with ambush in Co. Tipperary

January 22 - 1971: Ireland signs Treaty of Accession to EEC in Brussels
January 27 - 1967: Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association founded
January 28 - 1939: death of William Butler Yeats
January 30 - 1808 work begins on Nelson's Pillar, Dublin.

1972 - Bloody Sunday in Derry

January 31 - St. Aidan, Patron of the Diocese of Ferns

Spring

(February, March and April)

February - Feabhra

February 1 - Imbolc, Feast of St Brigid (Secondary Patron of Ireland) and L Feabhra, the first day of Spring
February 2 - Candlemas
February 3 - feast of Saint Blaise

1882: birth of James Joyce

February 6 - Feast of St. Mel, patron of the Diocese of Ardagh

1971 - first British soldier kiiled in Belfast

February 13 - 1893: Gladstone introduces second Home Rule bill
February 14 - St. Valentine's Day (relics of St. Valentine held inWhitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin.

1468 - 8th earl of Desmond beheaded in Drogheda
1981 - Stardust Ballroom fire in Artane, Dublin kills 48.

February 15 - 1971: Decimal Day- Ireland abandons sd.
February 18 - 1948: John A. Costello becomes Taoiseach

1982 - first of two General Elections in Republic this year (see 24 Nov.)

February 19 - 1366: Statutes of Kilkenny promulgated
February 24 - 1582: Bull of Pope Gregory XIII, for reform of calendar, issued at Rome

March - Mrta

March 1 - 1981: Bobby Sands begins hunger strike in Maze Prison
March 3 - Charter of Trinity College, Dublin granted.
March 5 - Feast of St. Kieran, patron of the Diocese of Ossory
March 6 - 1152: Synod of Kells convenes.
March 7 - 1848: first unveiling of the Irish tricolour (in Waterford).
March 8 - 1966: Nelson's Pillar destroyed in explosion
March 9 - 1932: Eamon de Valera elected President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State
March 10 - 1894: Ireland wins Rugby Triple Crown for first time
March 13 - 1979: Ireland joins new European Monetary System (EMS)
March 17 - Saint Patrick's Day (public holiday), and for Irish Roman Catholics, a Holy Day of Obligation

1799 and 1940 - Palm Sunday and St.Patrick's Day fall on same date - "the palm and the shamrock worn together".

March 18 - 1899: Ireland wins Rugby Triple Crown for 2nd time
March 21 - 1978 death of Cearbhall Dlaigh former President of Ireland
March 23 - 1971: Brian Faulkner elected PM of Northern Ireland
March 24 - Feast of St. Macartan, patron of the Diocese of Clogher

1909: death of John Millington Synge
1972: Brian Faulkner resigns as PM of Northern Ireland
William Whitelaw appointed as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

March 25 - One of the four Irish Quarter days
March 29

1859: first issue of The Irish Times
2004: Smoking ban in all work places introduced in Ireland

March 30 - 1979: Ireland announces ending of one-for-one parity with sterling.

The last days of March and the first three days of April are known as The Old Cows Days/The Days of the Brindled Cow or, in the Irish language, 'Laethanta na mB Riabhaigh.'

April - Aibren

April 1 - April Fool's Day - L na nAmadin

1943 - creation of the Office of Chief Herald of Ireland to replace Ulster King of Arms approved by Government of Ireland

April - 1914: Cumann na mBan founded
April 4 - 1774: death of Oliver Goldsmith
April 8 - Gladstone introduces first Home Rule bill.
April 10 - 1966: Commemoration of 50th anniversary of Easter Rising begins

1998, Good Friday Agreement, signed in Belfast.

April 11 - 1951: Dr Noel Browne, resigns as Minister for Health over "mother-and-child" controversy
April 13 - 1742: world premiere of Handels Messiah in Dublin

1829 - Catholic Emancipation achieved
1906: birth of Samuel Beckett, Good Friday

April 16 - 1871: birth of John Millington Synge
April 17 - 1783: British Renunciation Act recognises Irish legislative independence
April 18 - Feast of St Laserian, patron of Leighlin Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.

1949 - The Republic of Ireland Act comes into force.

April 19 - 1875: Charles Stewart Parnell elected MP for Meath
April 20 - 1912: death of Bram Stoker

1954 - Michael Manning becomes the last person to be executed in Ireland
1981 - Bobby Sands elected Sinn Fin MP, while on hunger strike

April 21 - 1916: Roger Casement lands at Banna Strand
April 23 - 1014: Battle of Clontarf and death of Brian Boru, High King of Ireland on Good Friday
April 24 - 1916: Start of the Easter Rising.
April 28 - 1958: Aer Lingus service to North America inaugurated
April 29 - 1916: Easter Rising ends with surrender
April 30 - 1994: First performance of Riverdance at Eurovision Song Contest

Summer

(May, June and July)

May - Bealtaine

The first Monday in May is a public holiday.

May 1 - Beltane and L Bealtaine, the first day of Summer

1316 - Edward Bruce crowned King of Ireland near Dundalk
2004 - Ireland, holder of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, hosts a Day of Welcomes for the ten accession states.

May 2 - 1872: St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, becomes the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland

1984 - Report of the New Ireland Forum published
1969 - James Chichester-Clark becomes Prime Minister of Northern Ireland

May 3 - Feast of St Conleth, patron of Kildare Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

1785: first meeting of the Royal Irish Academy
1933 - Oath of Allegiance (Ireland) to King abolished in Irish Free State

May 5 - 1949: Ireland one of ten founder members of Council of Europe with HQ is Strasbourg

1981 - death of Bobby Sands MP while on hunger strike

May 6 - 1074: death of Dnn, first bishop of Dublin

1970: Charles J. Haughey and Neil Blaney dismissed from Government of Ireland

May 7 - 1915: Lusitania sunk off Old Head of Kinsale

1931 - An ige (Irish Youth Hostel Association) founded

May 11 - 1967: Ireland applies to join EEC

1971 - death of Sean Lemass, former Taoiseach

May 13 - 653 (Pentecost Sunday): Monastery founded on Iona by Saint Columcille
May 14 - Feast of Saint Mochuda (Carthage), patron of Lismore Diocese of Waterford and Lismore

1660 - Following Restoration of monarchy in England, Charles II proclaimed King of Ireland in Dublin.

May 15 - 1847: death of Daniel O'Connell at Genoa
May 16 - Feast of Saint Brendan, patron of the Diocese of Clonfert

1926 - Fianna Fil party founded

May 19 - 1870: Home Rule movement founded by Isaac Butt in Dublin.
May 21 - 1799: Bill of Union (later the Act of Union) introduced in Irish House of Commons
May 24 - 1487: Lambert Simnel crowned "Edward VI of England" in Dublin.
May 25 - 1914: Third Home Rule bill passed by British Parliament
May 26 - 1972: Special Criminal Court established in RoI
May 30 - 1941: Enactment of Second Amendment of the Constitution Act.

1983 - first meeting in Dublin Castle of the New Ireland Forum

May 31 - 1941: Luftwaffe bombs Dublin

June - Meitheamh

The first Monday in June is a public holiday.

June 3 - Feast of St. Kevin (Abbot of Glendalough) and patron of the Archdiocese of Dublin,
June 4 - 1798: death of Lord Edward Fitzgerald
June 6 - Feast of St. Jarlath patron of the Archdiocese of Tuam
June 7 - 1921: first meeting of House of Commons of Northern Ireland

1979 - Ireland participates in the first direct elections to the European Parliament

June 8 - First Home Rule bill defeated
June 9 - Feast of Saint Columcille (Secondary Patron of Ireland)

1549 - Book of Common Prayer ordered to be used in Ireland

June 10 - 1642: first rgularly constituted presbytery meets in Carrickfergus.
June 13 - 1713: Jonathan Swift installed as Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

1865: birth of William Butler Yeats

June 14 - 1939: Offences Against the State Act passed
June 16 - Bloomsday
June 16 - 1922: Elections held for Third Dil
June 18 - 1541: Henry VIII declared King of Ireland by Irish Parliament.
June 20 - 1763: birth of Wolfe Tone

1990 - IR1 punt coin replaces one-punt note

June 22 - 1866: creation of first Irish Cardinal, Archbishop Paul Cullen of Dublin.
June 23 - St. John's Eve / Bonfire Night
June 24 - One of the four Irish Quarter days

1828 - Daniel O'Connell elected MP in Clare by-election

June 25 - 1731: Royal Dublin Society founded.

1891 - Charles Stewart Parnell marries Kitty O'Shea
1938 - Douglas Hyde inaugurated as President of Ireland
1945 - Sen T. O'Kelly inaugurated as President of Ireland
1952 - Sen T. O'Kelly inaugurated for second term as President of Ireland.
1959 - Eamon de Valera inaugurated as President of Ireland.
1966 - Eamon de Valera inaugurated for second term as President of Ireland.
1970 - Roman Catholic bishops announce end of ban on RC attendance at Trinity College, Dublin
1973 - Erskine Childers inaugurated as President of Ireland.

June 26 - 1963: John F. Kennedy begins state visit to Ireland
June 29 - 1315: Edward Bruce inaugurated as High King of Ireland

July - Iil

July 1 - 1937: Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hireann), enacted by plebiscite.

1979 - Ireland assumes second Presidency of the Council of the European Union
1984 - Ireland assumes third Presidency of the Council of the European Union
1996 - Ireland assumes fifth Presidency of the Council of the European Union (see Jan. 1)