1988

A 70ft giant is washed up in Dublin Bay. Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver' visits Dublin for the city's Millennium celebrations. Eurovision: Pat Kenny and Michelle Rocca host a cliffhanger. Switzerland win by one point with an unknown singer called Celine Dion. After the Stalker-Sampson 'shoot to kill' inquiry, the British government announces that no RUC officers will be prosecuted. London: the Court of Appeal rejects a plea by the Birmingham Six. Controversial talks begin between Sinn Fein and the SDLP. John Hume defends his actions. On the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian uprising is called 'intifada'. The Israelis crack down - hard. Gibraltar: 7 March 1988: An SAS unit kills three unarmed IRA members. There are more claims of a 'shoot to kill' policy, although the IRA admits its members were on 'active service'. Ten days later, a loyalist gunman attacks the IRA funeral. Three people die, fifty people are injured. As one of those victims is buried, two British soldiers drive into the cortege. The men are beaten, then stripped and shot by the IRA. Jack Charlton leads Ireland to Germany in the 1988 European Championships. Ireland beat England and draw with the Soviet Union. Holland destroy the Irish dream and go on to win the Championship. Budget cuts hit the health services. 170,000 people avail of a tax amnesty. The government gets £500 million. Ireland's soccer heroes come home to a remarkable reception. France secures the release of its hostages in Beirut. Briton John McCarthy is still held. Belfast's Brian Keenan spends his 900th day in captivity. President Gorbachev continues his reforms. The Soviet Union and the USA sign a historic treaty reducing the numbers of nuclear weapons. The 1988 Olympics open in Seoul, South Korea. Ben Johnson is the fastest man in the world . Johnson fails a drugs test and returns home in disgrace. In the US presidential race, George Bush chooses Dan Quayle as his running mate. The Bush-Quayle ticket wins the day. Ronald Reagan bows out after an eight-year Presidency. Dublin criminal Martin Cahill comes under scrutiny. RTÉ's Brendan O'Brien meets 'The General' . After eight years and one million deaths, the Iran-Iraq war ends. Lockerbie: A bomb explodes on board Pan Am Flight. 270 people die. Playlist: Morrissey- Everyday Is Like Sunday Celine Dion - Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi The Adventurers: Broken Land Sinead O'Connor- Mandinka Belinda Carlisle: Heaven Is A Place On Earth The Pogues: Fiesta Bobby McFerrin: Don't Worry, Be Happy Enya: Orinoco Flow Whitney Houston: One Moment In Time The Primitives: Crash U2: Desire Aslan: This Is