On This Week: Irish Moments from History (1st – 7th September)
Welcome to On This Week, where we delve into the standout stories from the years gone by, featuring standout news stories, major sporting events, and pop culture highlights that helped shape Irish life.
Here’s your dose of Irish nostalgia from 1st – 7th September
This Week In Irish News
1999: Telecom Éireann becomes Eircom
Telecom Éireann was founded in 1983
After being around since 1983, Telecom Éireann was rebranded as Eircom.
The company felt a rebrand was necessary as it shifted from a telephone company to a communications firm that incorporated new media.
It would later be rebranded to Eir in 2015.
2004: Electric Picnic makes its debut
The original event expected to bring in 15,000 people
The first Electric Picnic took place in Stradbally Hall in Co. Laois. Envisioned as a boutique music festival, it was aiming for a turnout of 15,000 people.
The lineup featured Groove Armada, Super Furry Animals, and David Kitt, as well as comedians such as Tommy Tiernan and Jason Byrne.
The initial event was a one-day festival, but it would later expand to the whole weekend.
This Week In Irish Sports
1995: Clare end 81 year wait for glory
Previous to this year, the last time Clare won the All Ireland Hurling final was in 1914
Clare won the All-Ireland Hurling Final against Offaly, bringing the Liam McCarthy cup to Ennis for the first time since 1914.
It was a tight game which saw the sides level until the dying moments. Clare captain Anthony Daly scored a point from a 65, and with the time almost up, Jamesie O’Connor put over a short free to ensure victory.
The final score was Clare 1-13 Offaly 2-08.
2019: Vera Pauw announced as head coach for Ireland women’s team
Pauw would guide the Irish women’s football team to the 2023 World Cup
Vera Pauw was announced as the head coach of the Republic Of Ireland’s women’s football team.
She had previously managed the Netherlands, Scotland, Russia, and South Africa.
After narrowly missing the Women’s Euro 2022, she would guide the Irish team to its first-ever major tournament, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
This Week In Irish Entertainment
2023: Barbenheimer takes over Irish cinema
Cillian Murphy won the Oscar for Best Actor
Both Barbie and Oppenheimer broke movie records in Ireland as Barbenheimer took hold.
Oppenheimer, which starred Cillian Murphy, overtook the Oscar-nominated An CailÃn Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) as the highest-grossing film in the Irish Film Institute’s 31-year history.
Meanwhile, Barbie became the highest-grossing film in Irish box office history.
Both movies were released simultaneously, which led to Barbenheimer. Both films received multiple Oscar nominations, with Oppenheimer taking home seven awards, including Best Actor for Cillian Murphy.
This Week In Irish Culture
2008: The West End comes to the West of Ireland
The Royal Theatre has a capacity of 2,200 seats
The Royal Theatre and Events Centre reopened in Castlebar following a €12 million revamp.
The Royal Theatre has a capacity of 2,200 seats or 4,500 standing, with the intent of bringing the biggest shows to the west of Ireland.
The official opening began with a performance of Riverdance, which ran in the venue for a week.
What was Number 1 in Ireland This Week?
1984: ‘Careless Whisper’ by George Michael
George Michael
Careless Whisper is one of the best-selling songs of all time and has been covered by several artists since its release.
1993: ‘Mr Vain’ by Culture Beat
The song, from German group Culture Beat, reached number one in at least 19 countries.
2024: ‘Taste’ by Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter
The third single released from the album Short n’ Sweet, Taste has over one billion streams on Spotify.
Irish Celebrities Celebrating Birthdays This Week
Ray D’Arcy (61)
Presenter of the Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1.
Rozanna Purcell (35)
Irish model and former Miss Universe Ireland.
Simon Delaney (55)
TV presenter and actor who presents Sunday Afternoon on Lyric FM.
Other Irish Trivia From This Week
1976: Gorillas at Dublin Zoo get colour TV
The gorillas watched football, Sesame Street, and puppet shows
A colour television was installed for the entertainment of the gorillas at Dublin Zoo.
What kind of shows do they watch? According to zookeeper Michael Clark, it’s mainly horse racing, car racing, football, Sesame Street and puppet shows.
Looking Ahead
Each Monday, On This Week will bring you a mix of stories from the last 75 years, to celebrate Volkswagen’s 75 year anniversary, featuring the big news stories, sporting highlights and major pop culture moments. Volkswagen has been part of those unforgettable moments – driving families to milestones, memories, and moments that matter. Join us every week as we look back at the moments of yesteryear.
For more information visit 75 Years In Ireland | Celebrate our Birthday | VW Ireland