Events from the year 1986 in Ireland. Incumbents President: Patrick Hillery Taoiseach: Garret FitzGerald (FG) Tánaiste: Dick Spring (Lab) Minister for Finance: Alan Dukes (FG) (until 14 February 1986) John Bruton (FG) (from 14 February 1986) Chief Justice: Thomas Finlay Dáil: 24th Seanad: 17th Events 2 January – The national offices of the Progressive Democrats were officially opened. 4 January – Phil Lynott, the lead singer of Thin Lizzy, died aged 35. 11 February – Ireland's new football team manager, Jack Charlton, arrived in Dublin. 18 March – Irish citizenship was conferred on Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Tip O'Neill, for inspiring constitutional nationalists to launch an initiative for a new Ireland. 31 March – President Hillery and Mrs. Hillery started a four-day official visit to Austria. This was the first Irish state visit there. 4 May – Radiation from the devastated Chernobyl nuclear reactor in Ukraine reached Ireland. 6 May – The Divorce Action Group launched its campaign for the forthcoming divorce referendum. 21 May – Eighteen Old Master paintings from the Beit collection were stolen from Russborough House by Martin Cahill. 30 May – Ireland West Airport Knock, County Mayo was officially opened. June (date unknown) – Mick Flavin became a new star of country music. 2 June – Fire destroyed Loreto Convent at St. Stephen's Green in Dublin; six nuns died in the blaze. 6 June – John Stalker was removed from the 'shoot to kill' inquiry. 12 June – Two giant pandas, Ming Ming and Ping Ping, arrived at Dublin Zoo. 21 June – An anti-divorce rally took place in Dublin. 27 June – Counting began in a Divorce Referendum. Tallymen predicted a strong 'no' vote. 1 August – Monsignor James Horan, Parish Priest of Knock, County Mayo and builder of Knock Airport, died suddenly aged 75 in Lourdes. 7 August – The deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Peter Robinson MP, was arrested and charged with illegal assembly, after a loyalist mob took over a village in County Monaghan. 25–6 August – The remnants of Hurricane Charley struck Ireland. Dublin suffered its worst flooding since records began in 1880, and a new record for the greatest rainfall in one day was set when 200 millimetres of rain was measured at Kilcoole in County Wicklow. The Dodder and Dargle rivers in Dublin overflowed leading to flooding of 416 houses and 35 commercial