See also: 1979 in Ireland, other events of 1980, 1981 in Ireland and the list of 'years in Ireland'.

Events

• January 9 - Charles Haughey addresses the nation by television on the matter of its worsening finances
• March 25 - CIÉs first bus lane comes into operation on Parliament Street in Dublin.
• April 19 - Johnny Logan wins the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland with the song 'What's Another Year.'
• May 1 - The Derrynaflan Chalice is discovered in a bog.
• September 1 - China's first Ambassador to Ireland, Madame Gong Pusheng , arrives in Dublin.
• October 6 - Justice Mella Carroll is the first woman to reach the position of High Court Judge.
• October 27 - Over 2,000 people take part in the first RTÉ Radio 2 Dublin City Marathon.
• November 11 - National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin admitts its first students to the college, a total of 200 students.
• December 19 - Former Taoiseach Jack Lynch is conferred with the freedom of his native city, Cork.

Arts and literature

Sports

Births

Deaths

• June 25 - James Hamilton Delargy , folklorist.
• July 2 - Tom Barry, Irish Revolutionary.
• September 5 - Eric Cross , scientist.
• November 7 - Frank Duff , founder of the Legion of Mary.
• December 16 - Roddy Connolly , former Labour Party politician.
• November 22 - Norah McGuinness, artist.
• December 24 - Arland Ussher , writer.
• December 30 - Patrick Hennessy , painter.