Events from the year 1997 in Ireland. Incumbents President: Mary Robinson (until 12 September 1997) Mary McAleese (from 11 November 1997) Taoiseach: John Bruton (FG) (until 26 June 1997) Bertie Ahern (FF) (from 26 June 1997) Tánaiste: Dick Spring (Lab) (until 26 June 1997) Mary Harney (PD) (from 26 June 1997) Minister for Finance: Ruairi Quinn (Lab) (until 26 June 1997) Charlie McCreevy (FF) (from 26 June 1997) Chief Justice: Liam Hamilton Dáil: 27th (until 15 May 1997) 28th (from 26 June 1997) Seanad: 20th (until 10 July 1997) 21st (from 17 September 1997) Events 8 January – Russia sought to widen its ban on the importation of Irish beef due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy. 27 February – The new law providing for divorce came into effect. 6 March – Michael Lowry resigned as a member of the Fine Gael party. 7 March – President Mary Robinson met Pope John Paul II in the Vatican. 17 March – The new national independent radio station, Radio Ireland, went on the air. 8 April – Author Frank McCourt was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his book Angela's Ashes. 6 June – In the general election, Fianna Fáil won a plurality of seats and formed a coalition government with the Progressive Democrats. Bertie Ahern replaced John Bruton as Taoiseach, and Mary Harney of the Progressive Democrats became Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. 12 June – President Mary Robinson was appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 16 June – National University of Ireland, Maynooth came into existence with the commencement of the Universities Act, 1997. 25 June – Film makers arrived for two months of shooting at Curracloe, County Wexford to re-create the D-Day Normandy invasion scenes for Steven Spielberg's film Saving Private Ryan. 3 July – Taoiseach Bertie Ahern met United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair for the first time. 6–11 July – Nationalist riots in Northern Ireland: There was violence in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland after an Orange Order parade was allowed down the Garvaghy Road by the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Portadown as part of the Drumcree conflict. 9 July – Counsel for Charles Haughey admitted that the former Taoiseach accepted £1.3 million from businessman Ben Dunne. 20 July – The Irish Republican Army instituted a second ceasefire. 31 August – The British Ambassador to Ireland, Veronica Sutherland, led tributes to Diana, Princess of Wales, killed