• President: Mary Robinson
• Taoiseach: Charles Haughey (FF)
• Tánaiste: John Wilson (FF)
• Minister for Finance:
  • Albert Reynolds (FF) (until 7 November 1991)
  • Charles Haughey (FF) (from 7 November 1991 until 14 November 1991)
  • Bertie Ahern (FF) (from 14 November 1991)
• Chief Justice: Thomas Finlay
• Dáil: 26th
• Seanad: 19th

• 1 January – Limerick city celebrated 300 years of the Treaty of Limerick.
• 17 January – There was controversy as the Government allowed United States military aircraft bound for the Gulf War to refuel at Shannon Airport.
• 24 January – The new Government Buildings in the renovated College of Science were officially opened.
• 7 February – The Irish Republican Army (IRA) fired mortar bombs at 10 Downing Street in London.
• 14 March – After being wrongfully jailed for 16 years, the Birmingham Six were freed.
• 15 March – The Sugar Act provided for privatisation of Cómhlucht Siúicre Éireann, Teoranta, the state-owned sugar beet processor, as Greencore.
• 16 March – Dublin was officially inaugurated as the year's European Capital of Culture.
• 22 March – The President, Mary Robinson, against pressure not to do so from the Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, visited the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin where the Dalai Lama opened a Tibetan collection in the library. She was the only head of state in Europe to meet with him during his European trip.^[1] The Dalai Lama's first visit to Ireland was in 1973.^[2]
• 10 April – An unarmed IRA volunteer was shot dead in Downpatrick by the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
• 16 May – Eyre Square Centre opened in Galway.
• 17 May – First edition of the Liffey Champion, local newspaper for North County Kildare and Lucan.
• 26 June – The wrongful convictions of the Maguire Seven were quashed.
• 6 November – Kildare TD Seán Power proposed a no-confidence motion in Taoiseach Charles Haughey's leadership.
• 7 November – the Minister for Finance, Albert Reynolds, was dismissed from the government over his intention to support the no-confidence motion.
• 13 November – Jim McDaid, the new Defence Minister, resigned following criticism from the Opposition over his attendance at an IRA funeral.
• 21 November – Three crew members of the M.V. Kilkenny were drowned as a result of a collision between the Kilkenny and the M.V. Hassel Werder in Dublin Bay.
• 6 December – Dublin Bus began its 'Nitelink' night bus service, aimed at facilitating revellers returning home from Christmas parties, as well as reducing instances of drink driving.

• 25 May – The Irish Museum of Modern Art opened at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
• November – The Dublin Writers Museum opened.
• The Corcadorca Theatre Company was established in Cork.
• Roddy Doyle's novel The Van, last of The Barrytown Trilogy, was published.
• Anne Enright's short story collection The Portable Virgin was published, and won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.

Athletics edit

• Frank O'Mara won the world indoor 3,000 metre championship for the second time.

Cycling edit

• 19 October – Sean Kelly won the Giro di Lombardia.

Gaelic football edit

• The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final finished on a score of Down 1–16 Meath 1–14.

Golf edit

• Carroll's Irish Open was won by Nick Faldo (England).

Hurling edit

• The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship final finished on a score of Tipperary 1–16 Kilkenny 0–15.

Motor racing edit

• Eddie Jordan entered his Jordan team in the World Formula One Championship, becoming the first Irish owned constructor in Formula One.

• 20 February – Sally Rooney, fiction writer.
• 28 February – Sarah Bolger, actress.
• 7 July – Eve Hewson, actress.
• 16 August – Evanna Lynch, actress.
• 14 October – Kevin Downes, hurler (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick).
• 30 October – Nick Sheridan, journalist (d. 2024).

January to June edit

• 5 January – Hubert Butler, writer and historian (born 1900)
• 29 January – Joe Stynes, Irish Republican and sportsman (born 1903).
• 19 February – Thekla Beere, civil servant (born 1902).
• 20 April – Seán Ó Faoláin, short story writer (born 1900).
• 22 May – Valentin Iremonger, poet and diplomat (born 1918).
• 25 May – John M. Feehan, author and publisher (born 1916).
• 25 May – Eddie Fullerton, Sinn Féin councillor, killed by the Ulster Defence Association (born 1935).

July to December edit

• 18 August – Patrick Joseph Kelly, Bishop of Benin City (born 1894).
• 17 October – J. G. Devlin, actor (born 1907).
• 13 November – Francis Blackwood, 10th Baron Dufferin and Claneboye (born 1916).
• 12 November – Billy Behan, soccer player and Scout (born 1911).
• 14 November – Bryden Thomson, orchestral conductor (born 1928 in Scotland).
• 15 November – George Otto Simms, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin and Archbishop of Armagh (born 1910).
• 19 November – Michael Lyons, Fine Gael TD and Senator (born 1910).
• 1 December – Pat O'Callaghan, athlete and Olympic gold-medallist (born 1905).

• 1991 in Irish television