2001 in Ireland

Incumbents

• President: Mary McAleese
• Taoiseach: Bertie Ahern
• Tánaiste: Mary Harney
• Minister for Finance: Charlie McCreevy
• Chief Justice: Ronan Keane
• Dáil: 28th
• Seanad: 21st

  Events

• 22 March – Ireland confirmed its first case of foot-and-mouth disease.
• 7 June – Voters rejected the Treaty of Nice in a referendum.
• 9 September – The National Museum of Ireland's Museum of Country Life at Turlough, County Mayo, was officially opened.
• 14 September – Ireland held a national day of mourning following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. All sports, public functions, and entertainment were cancelled on orders of the government. Schools, businesses, and shops were closed, also on orders of the government. President Mary McAleese said the events are "an attack on the very foundations of human dignity" and left the people of Ireland "sad, shocked, sickened, grieving, disbelieving, outraged, frightened all at once."
• 14 October – The first multiple state funeral was held in honour of ten Irish Republican Army volunteers who were executed by the British for their part in the War of Independence.
• 4 November – The Police Service of Northern Ireland was established.
• 17 November – The Gaelic Athletic Association voted to abolish its controversial Rule 21 which previously prevented members of the British Army and the Police Service of Northern Ireland from playing.
• 14 December – Irish euro coins became available in An Post and bank branches. These "starter packs" contained nineteen coins worth €6.35 and could be purchased for IR£5.

  Arts and literature

• February–April – Conor McPherson's play Port Authority premièred in London and Dublin.
• 26 June – Two Old Master paintings from the Alfred Beit collection were stolen from Russborough House.
• Publication of Julian Gough's novel Juno & Juliet.
• Publication of John McGahern's last novel That They May Face the Rising Sun.
• Publication of Kate Thompson's children's novel The Beguilers.
• First season of Bachelors Walk on Network 2

  Sport

Equestrianism

Golf

• Murphy's Irish Open was won by Colin Montgomerie.

  Births

• 27 March – Gaby Lewis, cricketer.
• 8 August – Tyler Toland, footballer.

  Deaths

January to June

• 5 January – G. E. M. Anscombe, analytic philosopher.
• 21 February – Desmond Leslie, pilot, filmmaker and writer.
• 8 March – Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet.
• 1 June – Peter Corr, international soccer player and father of The Corrs members.
• 27 June – Michael Moynihan, Labour Party Senator and TD.

  July to December

• 4 July – Anne Yeats, painter and stage designer.
• 1 August – Joe Lynch, actor.
• 27 August – John Joe 'Purty' Landers, Kerry Gaelic footballer.
• 31 August – Donal O'Sullivan, Cork Gaelic footballer.
• 23 September – Kevin Boland, Fianna Fáil TD, served as Minister for Defence, Minister for Social Welfare and Minister for Local Government.
• 24 October – Eamon Kelly, actor.
• 27 October – Seán Condon, Cork hurler.
• 4 November – Denis Gallagher, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister.
• 10 December – Freddie Anderson, playwright and socialist.
• 12 December – Michael Torrens-Spence, held commissions in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, the Royal Air Force, the British Army, Ulster Special Constabulary and Ulster Defence Regiment.
• 14 December – Eoin Ryan, Fianna Fáil Seanad Éireann member.
• 23 December – Mark Clinton, Fine Gael TD, former Minister for Agriculture and MEP.