1977 in Ireland

Incumbents

• President: Patrick Hillery
• Taoiseach:
• * Liam Cosgrave
• * Jack Lynch
• Tánaiste:
• * Brendan Corish
• * George Colley
• Minister for Finance:
• * Richie Ryan
• * George Colley
• Chief Justice: Tom O'Higgins
• Dáil:
• * 20th
• * 21st
• Seanad:
• * 13th
• * 14th

  Events

• 29 January – Seven Irish Republican Army bombs exploded in the West End of London, but there were no fatalities or serious injuries.
• 4 February – British police discovered an IRA bomb factory in Liverpool.
• 10 February – The three IRA terrorists involved in the 1975 Balcombe Street Siege in London were sentenced to life imprisonment on six charges of murder.
• 21 February – A crater on the planet Mercury was named after the Irish poet W.B. Yeats.
• 18 March – Six-year-old Mary Boyle from Kincasslagh vanished from her grandparents' farm near Ballyshannon in County Donegal.
• 9 May – Ireland's first McDonald's restaurant opened on Grafton Street in Dublin.
• 29 May – A massive peace rally took place in Belfast organized by Betty Williams, Mairéad Corrigan and Ciarán McKeown.
• 15 June – Fianna Fáil won the 1977 general election with over 50% of the votes and a 20-seat majority
• 5 July – The 21st Dáil elected Jack Lynch as Taoiseach.
• 14 July – The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland was recognised as a college of the National University of Ireland.
• 10 August – Elizabeth II visited Northern Ireland as part of her Silver Jubilee celebrations under tight security.
• 10 September – Irish horses were prevented from entering the United States because of an outbreak of venereal disease in Irish, British and French horses.
• 18 September – In Ennis, County Clare, the Christian Brothers celebrated their 150th anniversary.
• 3 October – Dunsink Observatory near Finglas was badly damaged by fire. Rubble removed to the nearby municipal dump included valuable Apollo 11 moon rock fragments donated to Ireland by the American government.
• 22 October – A new £1 note was circulated; the bill was green and depicted Queen Meave.
• 18 November – The National Council for Educational Awards was given degree awarding status.

  Arts and literature

• August – The Boomtown Rats' debut single "Lookin' After No. 1", written by Bob Geldof, was released in the United Kingdom.
• The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature was awarded to Desmond Hogan.
• Publication of Leland Bardwell's first novel Girl on a Bicycle in Dublin, set in 1940s Ireland.
• Publication of Paul Muldoon's poetry collection Mules.
• Publication of Niall Ó Dónaill's Irish-English dictionary Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla.

  Sport

• Carroll's Irish Open was won by Hubert Green.
• The Republic of Ireland national football team failed to qualify for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.
• In September, Cork Hurlers completed the 'three in a row' by beating Wexford in the All-Ireland senior hurling final.
• Dublin footballers beat Armagh in the highest ever scoring All-Ireland senior football final.

  Births

• January – Mickey O'Connell, Cork hurler.
• 4 January – Dan Shanahan, hurler and coach.
• 6 January – David Flynn, composer and musician.
• 6 January – Genevieve O'Reilly, actress.
• 7 January – Tomm Moore, twice Oscar nominated animator and film maker.
• 7 February – Francis Barrett, boxer.
• 15 February – Damien Faulkner, motor racing driver.
• 16 February – Ian Clarke, software developer.
• 3 March – Ronan Keating, singer.
• 7 March – Ronan O'Gara, International rugby player.
• 16 March – Donal Óg Cusack, Cork hurling goalkeeper.
• 31 March – Finghin Collins, pianist.
• 1 April – Pádraic Joyce, Galway Gaelic footballer.
• 14 April – Stephen Grant, soccer player.
• 14 April – Trevor Malloy, soccer player.
• 7 May – Lisa Kelly, singer.
• 8 May – Joe Doyle, bass player.
• 12 May – Barry Foley, Limerick hurler.
• 16 May – Robbie Ryan, soccer player.
• 22 May – Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Cork hurling and Gaelic football player
• 1 June – Thomas Byrne, Fianna Fáil TD for Meath East.
• 1 June – Jamie Costin, race walker.
• 15 June – P. J. Ryan, Kilkenny hurler.
• 20 June – Hazel Kaneswaran, singer.
• 21 June
• * Barry Archer, cricketer.
• * Michael Gomez, boxer.
• 2 July – Laura Woods, radio and television presenter.
• 6 July – Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin Senator.
• 27 July – Jonathan Rhys Meyers, actor.
• 9 August – Caroline Morahan, actress and television presenter.
• 17 August – Colin Hawkins, soccer player.
• 18 August – Elaine Crowley, journalist, newsreader and television presenter.
• 21 August – Anthony Lynch, Cork Gaelic footballer.
• 25 August – Dessie Baker, soccer player.
• 29 August – Aidan Lynch, soccer player.
• 31 August – Ian Harte, international soccer player.
• 7 September
• * Marcus Horan, international rugby player.
• * Timmy McCarthy, Cork hurling player.
• 15 September – Gavin Smith, motor racing driver.
• 15 November – Joe Deane, Cork hurling player.
• 3 December – Kerri Ann, pop singer.
• 11 December – Emma Ledden, television presenter.
• 13 December – Peter Stringer, rugby union player for Munster and Ireland.
• 27 December – Sinead Keenan, actress.

Deaths

• 5 January – Patrick Cogan, Independent TD.
• 17 April – William Conway, Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh.
• 24 April – Geoffrey Bing, lawyer and Labour politician in UK.
• 14 June – Joe Keppel, comic performer.
• 14 July – Fiona Plunkett, Republican.
• 17 July – Micky Cross, hurler .
• 1 August – Bill Loughery, cricketer.
• 21 December – Seán Keating, painter.
• 23 December – Raymond McGrath, architect and interior designer.
• 26 December – Jimmy Walsh, Kilkenny hurler.