Events from the year 1987 in Ireland. Incumbents President: Patrick Hillery Taoiseach: Garret FitzGerald (FG) (until 10 March 1987) Charles Haughey (FF) (from 10 March 1987) Tánaiste: Dick Spring (Lab) (until 20 January 1987) Peter Barry (FG) (from 20 January 1987 until 10 March 1987) Brian Lenihan (FF) (from 10 March 1987) Minister for Finance: John Bruton (FG) (until 10 March 1987) Ray MacSharry (FF) (from 10 March 1987) Chief Justice: Thomas Finlay Dáil: 24th (until 20 January 1987) 25th (from 10 March 1987) Seanad: 17th (until 3 April 1987) 18th (from 25 April 1987) Events 1 January – The halfpenny coin was withdrawn from circulation. 20 January – Labour Party ministers resigned from the government because of disagreement over budget proposals. 19 February – A general election returned a Fianna Fáil minority government with Charles Haughey as Taoiseach. 11 March – Former Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald resigned the leadership of the Fine Gael party and was succeeded by Alan Dukes. 22 March – The Irish National Lottery was launched. 28 March – The National Lottery launched its first scratch cards. 8 May – Loughgall ambush: the British Special Air Service killed eight Provisional Irish Republican Army members and a civilian in Loughgall, County Tyrone. 9 May – Johnny Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland with his own composition Hold Me Now, making him the only person to win the competition twice as a performer. 26 May – A referendum was held on the Single European Act. Nearly 70% voted in favour of the Tenth amendment to the Constitution. 26 July – Stephen Roche won the Tour de France. 8 November – Remembrance Day bombing: Eleven people were killed by an IRA bomb during a Remembrance Day service in Enniskillen. 10 November – The funeral took place of broadcaster Eamonn Andrews. 29 November – Beaumont Hospital opened in Dublin. 5 December – Downpatrick and Ardglass Railway began public operation, the first Irish gauge heritage railway in Ireland. Undated – Cooley Distillery began producing Irish whiskey. Arts and literature U2 released The Joshua Tree album to international acclaim. Maeve Binchy's novel Firefly Summer was published. Roddy Doyle published his first novel, The Commitments, the first volume of The Barrytown Trilogy, about a group of unemployed young people on the north side of Dublin who start a soul band. Kíla, the folk/world music group, was formed in the Irish language secondary