on relocation of the Crawford College of Art and Design. Dublin City Council's Civic Offices, designed in brutalist style by Sam Stephenson. Thomas Flanagan's novel The Year of the French was published. John McGahern's novel The Pornographer was published. Kate Cruise O'Brien was awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature for her short stories A Gift Horse. Sport Athletics John Treacy won the world cross-country championship for the second time. Golf Carroll's Irish Open was won by Mark James (England). Births 14 January – Richard Sadlier, soccer player. 16 January – Conor Cusack, Cork hurler. 18 January – Leo Varadkar, Fine Gael TD and medical doctor. 21 January – Brian O'Driscoll, captain of the Irish rugby union national team and captain of British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 2005. 25 January – Ben O'Connor, Cork hurler. 25 January – Jerry O'Connor, Cork hurler. 2 March – Damien Duff, footballer. 14 March – Gary Duggan, playwright. 20 March – Amy Huberman, actress and writer. 6 April – Michael Kavanagh, Kilkenny hurler. 13 April – Tony Lundon, dancer and singer. 13 April – Síle Seoige, television presenter. 4 May – Georgina Ahern, daughter of Bertie Ahern. 9 May – Barry Quinn, soccer player. 14 May – Ruby Walsh, National Hunt jockey. 15 May – Mary Goode, hockey player. 18 May – Justin Sheriff, hockey player. 30 May – Colm Foley, soccer player. 31 May – Kieran O'Connor, Cork Gaelic footballer (died 2020). 13 June – Alan Quinn, soccer player. 16 June – Declan O'Brien, soccer player. 5 July – Shane Filan, lead singer with Westlife. 31 July – Damien Lynch, soccer player. 16 August – Brian Ormond, singer, contestant from Popstars, You're a Star and Pop Idol (series 2) and television host. 28 August – Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, fiddle player. 1 September James O'Connor, soccer player. Neil Ronan, Cork hurler. 3 September – Kieran O'Reilly, Actor. 16 September – Barry Geraghty, jockey. 21 September – Richard Dunne, soccer player. 9 October – Chris O'Dowd, comedian and actor. 17 October – Leigh Arnold, actress. 20 October – Paul O'Connell, international rugby player. 20 October – Brian Begley, Limerick hurler. 1 November – Henry Shefflin, Kilkenny hurling player. 9 November – Thos Foley, slalom skier. 12 November – Cian O'Connor, equestrian. 22 November – Chris Doran, singer. 24 November – Kirsteen O'Sullivan, television presenter. 25 November – David Freeman, soccer player.