Events during the year 2024 in Ireland.
Incumbents
President: Michael D. Higgins Taoiseach: Leo Varadkar (FG) (until 9 April 2024) Simon Harris (FG) (from 9 April 2024) Tánaiste: Micheál Martin (FF) Minister for Finance: Michael McGrath (FF) (until 26 June 2024) Jack Chambers (FF) (from 26 June 2024) Chief Justice: Donal O'Donnell Dáil: 33rd (until 8 November 2024) 34th (from 18 December 2024) Seanad: 26th
Events Continuing events Irish anti-immigration protests (2022–present)
January 1 January – It was revealed that 184 people were killed on Irish roads in 2023, the highest number of fatalities in almost a decade. 4 January – A second man died in hospital following a shooting at a Dublin restaurant on Christmas Eve. 5 January – Focus Ireland and the Simon Community described newly released record figures for homelessness (from November 2023) as "shocking", with 9,409 adults and 4,105 children now homeless. 9 January 14 migrants were found hidden in a refrigerated trailer at Rosslare Europort in County Wexford. A coroner's inquest held in London found that Sinéad O'Connor died from natural causes. 10 January – Gardaí began an investigation into human trafficking after ten Kurdish people from Iran and Iraq, three people from Vietnam, and one from Turkey were discovered in a refrigerated container that arrived at Rosslare Europort. 12 January – 17-year-old fifth year student Seán O'Sullivan from Coláiste Chiaráin, County Limerick won the 60th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition with his project 'VerifyMe: A new approach to authors attribution in the post-ChatGPT era'. 14 January – Minister of State Jack Chambers came out as gay. 17 January – A convent in Lanesborough, County Longford which had been designated as accommodation for Ukrainian refugees was set on fire. 18 January – A man died following an explosion at a homeless hostel in Dublin city centre. 19 January – The European Court of Human Rights announced that Ireland launched legal action against the United Kingdom on 17 January over the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 that gives amnesty to British soldiers and members of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. 22 January Senator David Norris retired from the Seanad after 36 years service. In his final speech, he deplored the slaughter in Gaza: "What is happening to the people of Gaza is appalling and cannot be allowed to continue." The Supreme Court decided unanimously that an unmarried father whose partner died is entitled to a widower's pension. The Minister for Social Protection originally refused him the pension; now, the Government must change social welfare law to comply with the court's decision that the department was guilty of unconstitutional discrimination. There are roughly 170,000 cohabiting couples in the State. 24 January – A private members bill brought by the Social Democrats that would have seen Ireland join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice was defeated in the Dáil. 26 January It was reported that President Michael D. Higgins had been awarded the United Nations Agricola Medal. It was later presented by the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Qu Dongyu, in a ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin on 7 June. Higgins was selected by the FAO "in recognition of [his] contribution and commitment to the welfare of all peoples, [his] extraordinary support for FAO's fundamental goal of attaining universal food security, and the pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals."Multiple sources:
Homelessness figures for December were released, showing a slight drop in numbers to 13,318 people, including more than 3,900 children, accessing homelessness services in December. This was the first drop recorded in months, but it is not expected to be sustained.
February 1 February A murder investigation began after a post-mortem examination found that remains which were discovered in east Cork were those of a 47-year-old man who went missing in September 2023. The new Deposit Return Scheme became active. Henceforth, when empty and undamaged plastic, aluminium or steel containers are returned to participating shops and supermarkets, a small deposit, added to the original cost of purchase, is refunded. 13 February Prompted by anonymous correspondence, a Garda search of the Santry Demesne began in relation to the disappearance of Jón Jónsson, an Icelandic visitor, five years previously. The search continued for several days. A 37-year-old woman was charged with the murder of her six-year-old son who was found unresponsive in a car in County Waterford. 16 February – Gardaí seized 546kg of crystal methamphetamine worth €32.8million at Cork Port. The quantity seized was by far the largest ever captured in Ireland. The haul, destined for Australia, was believed to belong to the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel. Two suspects were arrested and firearms were seized. 23 February – Record homelessness figures were released by the Department of Housing, showing that in January, 13,531 people were making use of emergency accommodation, including over 4,000 children. The figures did not include more than 1,000 asylum seekers. 29 February – President Michael D. Higgins was taken to hospital as a precaution, after complaining of feeling unwell.
March 2 March – A man in his 40s was hospitalised with serious injuries after masked men armed with machetes and slash hooks stormed an Under-14 boxing event in Castlerea, County Roscommon. 8 March – Constitutional referendums on family matters took place on International Women's Day. Voters rejected both Government proposals to change the constitution, with 67.7% voting No in the Family referendum, while 73.9% voted No in the Care referendum. 20 March – Leo Varadkar announced his resignation as Taoiseach and Leader of Fine Gael, citing political and personal reasons. 22 March Josepha Madigan announced her resignation as Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion and that she would not contest the next general election. Four men were arrested and a firearm seized following a Garda operation in Dublin, during which a man who was reported kidnapped in Belfast was found safe and well. Two men in their 50s were arrested in connection with the Garda investigation into the tragedy in which ten people died in Creeslough, County Donegal. 24 March – Simon Harris was confirmed as the new leader of Fine Gael, paving the way for the 37-year-old to become Ireland's youngest Taoiseach. 26 March – Investigations were launched into a fire at a house in Swinford, County Mayo which claimed the lives of an elderly couple.
April 2 April – Simon Coveney announced he would step down as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when Dáil Éireann reconvenes after Easter. 3 April – A man in his 30s died in hospital following a serious assault in Clondalkin, Dublin over the Easter weekend. 8 April – Leo Varadkar tendered his resignation as Taoiseach to President Michael D. Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. 9 April – Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, aged 37, became Ireland's youngest Taoiseach after a Dáil vote of 88–69 and being appointed by the President. 10 April – A large fire destroyed industrial units in Dublin known as the 'home of car culture in Ireland'. The buildings were home to Deane Motors, Drift Games and JC Autocare. 18 April – An inquest into the Stardust fire returned a verdict of unlawful killing. 23 April In a statement to the Dáil, Taoiseach Simon Harris delivered a formal state apology to the victims of the Stardust fire and their families. The tánaiste and minister for foreign affairs Micheál Martin accused Israel of vindictive punishment of the civilian population of Gaza during a visit to the Rafah Border Crossing in Palestine. He condemned Israeli petty confiscations of emergency humanitarian aid from war victims and described Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza as "barbarity". During a meeting with Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry he discussed Irish and European plans to recognise the State of Palestine. 28 April – Taoiseach Simon Harris said that other countries' migration policies "cannot be allowed to undermine" that of Ireland after it emerged that 80% of recent migrant arrivals in Ireland were people who crossed from the UK. 30 April – Cabinet approved legislation drawn up by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee that would re-designate the UK as a "safe country" to which asylum seekers can be returned.
May 2 May – The Irish Times Group announced that it had acquired the death notice website, RIP.ie. The website was launched in 2005 and received 60 million page views per month when sold.Multiple sources:
6 May – Gardaí launched an investigation after a man was shot dead in the Drimnagh area of Dublin shortly after midnight. 7 May – A 26-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his two sisters and brother in Tallaght, Dublin in September 2022. 13 May – The New York–Dublin Portal connecting the two cities via video screens was temporarily turned off, following reports that participants were behaving inappropriately. 19 May – Dublin City Council announced that the New York–Dublin Portal would reopen, but with hours limited between 11am and 9pm instead of 24 hours. 22 May – The three leaders of the Coalition Government – Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, and Minister Eamon Ryan – announced that Ireland, Norway, and Spain would recognise the State of Palestine on 28 May. In response, the Israeli foreign ministry said it would reprimand the three countries' ambassadors to Israel and show them video of female hostages being held by Hamas. Israel also recalled its own ambassadors to the three countries, having argued that such recognition would encourage Hamas terrorism. 28 May – The government officially recognised the State of Palestine. The Palestinian flag was raised outside Leinster House, the seat of government. 31 May Former Circuit Court judge Gerard O'Brien was sent to prison for four years for sexually assaulting six boys and for the attempted rape of one of them. Gardaí in Dublin began wearing body cameras for the first time. It was planned to extend the practice to the whole country eventually.
June 7 June – A series of elections was held: the European Parliament election, local elections, and a Limerick mayoral election. 13 June – A former scout leader, Noel Sheehan of Glenville, County Cork, was sentenced to 4½ years in prison, with the final six months suspended, for the sexual assault and psychological damage of young scouts during the late 1980s. 18 June – Eamon Ryan announced his resignation as leader of the Green Party and said he would not stand in the next general election. Catherine Martin resigned as deputy party leader. 19 June – The date of the Green Party leadership election was set for 8 July. 20 June A 22-year-old soldier who beat a woman unconscious in a random street attack, and boasted about it on social media, walked free from court after Judge Tom O'Donnell gave him a fully suspended sentence which the victim described as "not justice". Aer Lingus confirmed it would cancel between 10 and 20 percent of its flights over the first five days of planned industrial action by pilots, affecting up to 40,000 passengers. 21 June The Defence Forces began internal proceedings in relation to the case of a soldier who beat a woman unconscious in an attack, which Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin "condemns unequivocally". The Irish Airline Pilots Association announced an official eight-hour strike on 29 June, in addition to its indefinite work-to-rule.