2006 in Northern Ireland

none 2006 Events during the year 2006 in Northern Ireland. Incumbents First Minister - Suspended Deputy First Minister - Suspended Secretary of State - Peter Hain Events 30 January – Postal workers entered a 20-day wildcat strike disrupting most of Belfast's delivery service. 25 February – Rioting took place in Dublin as Republican protesters organised counter protests to a "Love Ulster" (Unionist) parade in the city, which subsequently became violent. 17 March – New Oncology Centre was opened at Belfast City Hospital. 15 May – The members of the Northern Ireland Assembly were recalled 3½ years after the assembly was suspended, with a view to electing an executive, and having the suspension lifted. 22 May – Belfast City airport was renamed George Best Belfast City Airport on what would have been George Best's 60th birthday.Airport History http://www.belfastcityairport.com/About-Us/Airport-Development-and-Planning/facts-and-figures.aspx George Best Belfast City Airport 2012-04-04 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20111012191943/http://belfastcityairport.com/About-Us/Airport-Development-and-Planning/facts-and-figures.aspx 2011-10-12 1 July – President Mary McAleese and leading representatives of all political parties in Ireland, north and south, marked the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme at the National War Memorial, Islandbridge. 18 July – Nomadic 1911 returned to Belfast, where she was built.https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/5192052.stm Nomadic reaches Odyssey complex BBC 2006-07-16 2009-10-09 11 October – Multi-party political talks on Northern Ireland were held in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, ending on 13 October and resulting in the St Andrews Agreement. 18 October – Northern Ireland overtook the Republic of Ireland in the FIFA rankings for the first time.BBC article on Northern Ireland's Ranking 24 November – Loyalist Michael Stone, attempted to bomb the Northern Ireland Assembly on the first day of the 'transitional assembly' following the St Andrews Agreement and when nominations for first and Deputy first minister were due to be made. Stormont attack devices defused (BBC news) Ahern welcomes further 'clarity' from Paisley (RTÉ news) Arts and literature August – Seamus Heaney suffered a stroke from which he recovered, but it required him to cancel all public engagements for several months.Today Programme, BBC Radio 4, 16 January 2007. 21 October – Renovated and extended Grand Opera House in Belfast was opened. 3 November – Queen's University Belfast revealed a severe funding crisis and doubts over the long-term future of the Belfast Festival at Queen's.Matthew McCreary Festival future looks bright with £1m deal The Belfast Telegraph 3 2008-02-08 Seamus Heaney's poetry collection District and Circle was published and won the T. S. Eliot Prize. Sport Athletics 18 February–19 February – Irish Indoor Athletics Championships, Odyssey Arena, Belfast. Northern Ireland competed in the Commonwealth Games claiming two silver medals Football European Championship QualifiersHighs and lows on the road to Euro UEFA Euro2008 - Northern Ireland http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/teams/team=63/index.html 2008-01-27 https://web.archive.org/web/20071230052738/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/teams/team%3D63/index.html 2007-12-30 dead 2 September – Northern Ireland 0–3 Iceland 6 September – Northern Ireland 3–2 Spain 7 October – Denmark 0–0 Northern Ireland 11 October – Northern Ireland 1–0 Latvia Other International Matches Northern Ireland 1–0 Estonia (1 March) Finland 1–2 Northern Ireland (16 August) Uruguay 1–0 Northern Ireland (21 May) (in United States) Romania 2–0 Northern Ireland (26 May) (in United States) Setanta Cup Winners: Drogheda United Irish League Winners: Linfield F.C. Irish Cup Winners: Linfield 2–1 Glentoran FAI Carlsberg Cup Winners: Derry City 4–3 St Patrick's Athletic (after extra time) December – George Best Memorial Trust launches a fund-raising drive to raise £200,000 in subscriptions to pay for a life-size bronze sculpture of George Best.Victoria O'Hara Best memorial plan rescued by fan The Belfast Telegraph 3 2008-01-29 Gaelic games Christy Ring Cup Winners: Antrim (Antrim 5–13 : 1–07 Carlow) Nicky Rackard Cup Winners: Derry (Derry 5–15 : 1–11 Donegal) Golf Europe win the 2006 Ryder Cup, held in Kildare Golf and Country Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare from 22 to 24 September. British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship was held at Royal County Down Golf Club, (winner: Belen Mozo). Ice Hockey Belfast Giants won the Elite Ice Hockey League championship. Motorcycling 13 May – North West 200 2006 motor cycle road racing took place. Robert Dunlop won one of the races, the 15th North West 200 win in his career. 4 July – Joey Dunlop posthumously awarded an honorary Doctorate of the University (DUniv) from the University of Ulster in Coleraine. 9 September – Darran Lindsay, killed while practising for the Killalane road races, near Dublin. Rugby Union RBS Six Nations Championship Ireland 26–16 Italy France 43–31 Ireland Ireland 31–5 Wales Ireland 15–9 Scotland England 24–28 Ireland Ireland claimed the triple crown Deaths 5 January – Merlyn Rees 85, third Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. 7 January – Alf McMichael, footballer (born 1927). 8 January – Tony Banks, Baron Stratford, former Labour Party MP and Minister for Sport (born 1943) 4 April – Denis Donaldson, volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army, member of Sinn Féin, exposed in 2005 as an informer (born 1950). 11 April – Siobhán O'Hanlon, Sinn Féin official (born 1963). 30 April – Billy McComb, magician and comedian (born 1922). 22 May – Richard McIlkenny, one of the Birmingham Six. 21 June – Denis Faul, monsignor, Northern Ireland civil rights activist, chaplain to prisoners in Maze Prison during 1981 Irish Hunger Strike (born 1932). 17 August – Ken Goodall, international rugby player (born 1947). 20 August – Bryan Budd, Parachute Regiment Corporal killed on active service in Afghanistan and posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (born 1977). 5 September – Anne Gregg travel writer and TV presenter (born 1940). 9 September – Darran Lindsay, motorcycle road racer, killed while practising (born 1971). 14 November – John Hallam, actor (born 1941). See also 2006 in England 2006 in Scotland 2006 in Wales References Category:2006 in Europe Category:2006 by country