2010 - The Year That Was

Events That Shaped 2010

IMF/EU Rescue

No event shaped Ireland more during 2010, and none will probably have more influence on the country in the coming years. An €85 billion rescue plan to ensure the country can pay its bills over the next four years was agreed in November, mostly in the forms of loans from the IMF and the EU. The rate of interest to be charged has been criticised as high, and the money is contingent on a controversial four-year austerity plan drawn up by the government being implemented. The deal was met with a sense of national shame, and much hand-wringing over loss of sovereignty. Opinion polls show the public accept the deal was necessary, but the troika of bankers, developers and politicians which got Ireland into the mess will not be forgiven for a long time.

Iceland Volcano

Eyjafjallajokull - the volcano with the unpronounceable name erupted on April 14th causing unimaginable disruption to air travel all over Europe, the worst since World War II. The grounding of flights affected Ireland more than most - reminding the Irish of how dependent the country is on air transport. Ferries reported a boom, but people and goods were left stranded for long periods. The volcanic ash cost the three Irish airlines at least $100m, but it's not known how many people cancelled plans to visit the country as a result of the uncertainty it caused.

Gerry Ryan's Death

There was complete shock across Ireland on April 30th when one of the country's most popular broadcasters was found dead in his Dublin apartment. Gerry Ryan hosted a morning chat show on RTE 2fm for 22 years, attracting the station's top audience. He had also fronted numerous television programmes in a career spanning three decades. His death left a gaping hole in the daily routines of hundreds of thousands of listeners. It later emerged during an inquest in December, that cocaine use was a likely factor in the 53-year-old's death.

Snow Freeze

2010 will be remembered as the year of two Big Freezes in Ireland. The year started under a blanket of white snow, and it's finishing in much the same way. The traditional enthusiasm which greets the arrival of snow soon wore thin on both occasions as driving conditions became hazardous, and supplies of salt and grit were put under severe pressure. The two prolonged periods of heavy snowfall were unusual. Forget about dreaming of a White Christmas - most Irish people would now give anything for a quick thaw.

Civil Partnership Legislation

In a year dominated by negative headlines, one issue united all the political parties and represented some good news for thousands of Irish citizens. The Civil Partnership Bill, giving same-sex couples legal recognition for the first time, was passed in the Dail in early July, with only a handful of politicians speaking out against it. In an unusual display of unity, all political parties in Ireland supported the legislation. The first civil partnership ceremonies will take place early in 2011. Gay rights campaigners say they will continue to push for full marriage rights.

People Who's Star Has Risen

Grahame McDowell

Dr Constantin Gurdgiev

An economist at Trinity College Dublin, who has been a fervent opponent of the government's economic strategy. He was relatively unknown at the start of the year, but now that everyone in Ireland seems to know the intricacies of subordinated bonds, and debt-equity swaps, he's become a hero to many. He was vehemently opposed to the IMF/EU bailout, arguing that one cannot solve a debt crisis by taking on more debt. A real thorn in the Irish government's side, and a now much sought after commentator in the Irish media.

Mary Byrne

Started 2010 working as a checkout lady in Tesco supermarket in Ballyfermot, Dublin. Finished the year as one of the most popular singers in Ireland, after being selected for the finals of X Factor, the UK's hugely popular talent contest run by Simon Cowell. Mary Byrne captured the hearts of people in the UK and Ireland with her powerful Shirley Bassey-style vocals, and her down-to-earth personality. The 51-year-old single mum finished fifth in the competition, narrowly missing out on place in the final after the show's judges controversially chose a younger singer ahead of her. But she is now reported to have signed a record deal with Sony, and has left her days at the supermarket counter behind her.

People Who's Star Has Fallen

Brian Cowen

It's been a disastrous year for the Taoiseach, who has seen his satisfaction rating plummet to single figures - the lowest of any leader in history. His reputation as a safe pair of economic hands is in ruins after the intervention of the IMF, and even members of his own party have been critical of his poor communication skills. He scored a spectacular political own goal in September when he gave a morning interview on Irish radio in which he appeared to be hung-over. He denied the claims, although reporters had seen him singing and joking in a hotel bar until 3am the night before. The incident galvanised the public perception of him as a heavy drinker, and despite some robust media performances in recent weeks, his days look increasingly numbered.

Iris Robinson

In the first week of January, it emerged that Iris Robinson, the 60-year-old wife of Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson, had an affair with a 19-year-old toy-boy. She had known the young man, Kirk McCambley, since he was 9-years-old. He was the son of her close friend, Billy McCambley who died in March 2008. A BBC Spotlight investigation found that she had received $80,000 from two property developers, and used the money to help her young lover with a new business venture - a cafe on the outskirts of Belfast. None of the political donations had been declared to the Northern Irish Assembly as required by law. The scandal rocked the staunchly conservative DUP, but Peter Robinson, following a tearful TV statement survived as First Minister. Mrs Robinson has left Northern Irish politics, and has spent most of 2010 receiving counselling.

George Lee

The former RTE economics correspondent was one of the most respected and well-liked people in the country, when he took leave from his highly-paid job in 2009 and stood for election in Dublin South for Fine Gael. He won the by-election by a huge margin and was seen as a certainty for a cabinet position in the next government. It came as a major shock then in February 2010 when he announced that he was resigning from the Dail. He claimed he was not given enough input into Fine Gael's economic policies. While many saw it as a principled stand, others were critical of the fact that he couldn't stick it out a bit longer in politics. He returned to work in RTE in May 2010, but he no longer enjoys the star profile he once had, and presents a weekend business show on radio.

Three Irish YouTube Hits Of 2010

Cleary And Harding Hand-Dance

Irish dancing duo Suzanne Cleary and Peter Harding became one of the year's biggest internet sensations with their unique hand-dancing routine to the song We No Speak Americano. The pair have previously toured with Riverdance, but now perform their own unique modern take on Irish dancing around the world. Their hand-dancing video has been watched almost four and a half million times on YouTube. McDonalds were lovin' it too. They hired the pair to perform a new hand-dance for a latté commercial currently airing coast-to-coast in the US.

The Rubber Bandits

The most unlikely internet sensation of the year. The Rubberbandits are a hip hop comedy duo from Limerick City who conceal their identity on stage and TV by covering their faces with plastic shopping bags. Having performed at this year's Electric Picnic, they landed a weekly slot on RTE's Republic of Telly comedy show. Their song "Horse Outside", first broadcast on TV at the start of December, got more than half a million hits on YouTube within seven days and became the top rated clip in Ireland. The song, a controversial parody of drug-taking socially irresponsible Limerick hooligans, generated huge controversy. International media began to cover it, and the song was released as a single. A Facebook campaign followed to make it Christmas Number One in Ireland. It entered the charts at Number Two this week, and may yet gain the top spot for Christmas. Although the humour probably doesn't translate too well outside of Ireland, the clip has gone global with over 2.7 million hits to date.

Crystal Swing

The original video for their hit song She Drinks Tequila has since been removed from YouTube despite over a million hits, but several other versions are still available to watch online. The showband-inspired family group is made up of mother Mary Murray-Burke and her teenage children Dervla and Derek. They shot to notoriety when their twee and cheesy video was posted by several well-known bloggers in Ireland including Fr Ted creators Graham Linehan and drag artist Panti. But their major breakthrough came in March, when US chat show host and former American Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres tweeted a link to their video, and subsequently played the clip on her St Patrick's Day show. Not only that, in April she flew the family to Hollywood to appear live on her NBC program. The Cork family are having the last laugh.

What To Watch For In 2011

Political Transformation

The opinion polls suggest the Irish political landscape is about to be transformed with a dramatic collapse for the Fianna Fail party, and a surge in support for left wing parties and Sinn Fein. Just how dramatic the change will be remains to be seen, but there is certainly huge appetite in Ireland right for a new political movement. Even if no new party emerges on the scene, the upcoming election will see the issue of political reform take centre stage in a way it never has before. Watch out for possible changes to the voting system, to the numbers of TDs and even the abolition of the Seanad.

Seamus Coleman

Two years ago, the full-back was playing soccer at Sligo Rovers in the Eircom league, when he was spotted by Everton scouts. Signed for just £60,000, the 22-year-old has not established himself in the Premier League side's first team squad and is a regular on the right side of midfield. He was named the Football Association of Ireland's Under 21 player-of-the-year in August, and was called up to the senior squad for the first time in October. He will surely get his first international cap at senior level for Ireland in 2011, and is set for a great career.

Killing Bono

This movie comedy from British film-maker Nick Hamm is one to look forward to. The true story of two brothers, who were schoolmates of Bono's in Dublin, who also set up a band at the same time as U2 was formed. The trailer released this week looks hilarious. The film features rising stars Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) and Irish actor Robert Sheehan, and is based on the memoir 'Killing Bono: I was Bono's Doppelganger' by Neil McCormack. It follows McCormick's attempts to emulate U2's success in a series of bands over ten years as Bono and his friends rise to global stardom.