Ireland since 1960
1960s
Debut of Seán Ó Riada's traditional music ensemble, Ceoltóirí Chualann (10 Sep 1961)
Launch of Telefís Éireann (31 Dec 1961)
US President John F. Kennedy arrives for four-day state visit (26 Jun 1963)
The Beatles perform in Dublin (7 Nov 1963)
Pope Paul VI approves use of vernacular languages in Catholic liturgy (4 Dec 1963)
Introduction of free second-level education announced (10 Sep 1966)
Resignation of Taoiseach Seán Lemass (10 Nov 1966)
Ireland's first shopping centre opened in Dublin (1 Dec 1966)
Nobel Prize for Literature awarded to Samuel Beckett (10 Dec 1969)
1970s
Thirteen unarmed civilians shot dead in Derry by British troops (30 Jan 1972)
Along with the United Kingdom and Denmark, Ireland joins the European Economic Community (1 Jan 1973)
Limited access to contraception legalised (17 Jul 1979)
Pope John Paul II arrives for three-day visit (29 Sep 1979)
1980s
National Concert Hall opens (9 Sep 1981)
Corporal punishment banned in primary and secondary schools (1 Feb 1982)
Ireland wins rugby union Triple Crown (20 Feb 1982)
Constitutional amendment to prevent abortion approved in referendum (7 Sep 1983)
Live Aid concert organised by Bob Geldof (13 Jul 1985)
U2’s Joshua Tree album tops US charts (25 Apr 1987)
First National Lottery draw (16 Apr 1988)
Jim Sheridan's My Left Foot premiered in Dublin (24 Feb 1989)
1990s
Republic of Ireland football team qualifies for quarter-finals of World Cup (25 Jun 1990)
Mary Robinson inaugurated as first female President (3 Sep 1990)
Bishop Eamon Casey of Galway resigns following sexual relationship with Annie Murphy (4 May 1992)
Male homosexual acts decriminalised (7 Jul 1993)
Michael O’Leary appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ryanair (1 Jan 1994)
Riverdance premiered during interval of Eurovision Song Contest (30 Apr 1994)
Constitutional amendment to permit divorce approved in referendum (24 Nov 1995)
Nobel Prize for Literature awarded to Seamus Heaney (11 Dec 1995)
Death in prison of convicted child sex abuser Father Brendan Smyth (22 Aug 1997)
Multilateral agreement to end violence in Northern Ireland signed in Belfast (10 Apr 1998)
2000s
Euro replaces pound as legal tender (10 Feb 2002)
Smoking of tobacco banned in workplaces (29 Mar 2004)
Green Party enters coalition government with Fianna Fáil (13 Jun 2007)
Government bails out six banks threatened with imminent collapse (30 Sep 2008) Fianna Fáilwith Fianna Fáil
2010s
UK's Queen Elizabeth II arrives for four-day state visit (17 May 2011)
Constitutional amendment to permit same-sex marriage approved in referendum (22 May 2015)
Constitutional amendment to allow Oireachtas to legislate for abortion approved in referendum (25 May 2018)
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