Reeling in the Years Season 3 - 1970's: Episode Guide & Ratings

In the 1970s, Dublin thrives with a vibrant nightclub scene. Apollo 13's moon mission is marred by a catastrophic explosion, but the astronauts return safely. Pele leads Brazil to victory in the 1970 World Cup. Ireland's Catholic bishops lift a ban on attending Trinity College, Dublin. Eamon and Sinead de Valera celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, and Dublin opens the Dandelion Market. Dana wins Ireland's first Eurovision with "All Kinds Of Everything." The Biafran war ends with rebels surrendering to Nigeria. The U.S. continues withdrawing troops from Vietnam. At Kent State, National Guardsmen kill four protestors. Anti-apartheid protests occur during the South African rugby tour in Dublin. Ireland’s political scene is rocked by the Arms Crisis, leading to the dismissal of Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney.

Ireland's top businessman, Tony O'Reilly, predicts more foreign investment but warns against multinational dominance. Irish art students demand curriculum reforms, while RTE prepares for its first live colour TV production during the Eurovision Song Contest. Fianna Fail faces internal strife as Kevin Boland challenges leadership over the Arms Crisis and calls for action on Northern Ireland, ultimately defeated by Patrick Hillery. In Vietnam, South Vietnam disrupts the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and the US continues withdrawing troops. The Irish Women's Liberation Movement protests the contraception ban. Cigarette ads are banned on TV, while the drinks trade flourishes. Internment without trial is introduced in Northern Ireland, causing widespread violence and refugee displacement. China joins the UN despite US opposition, and President Nixon plans a visit. Kilkenny loses to Tipperary in hurling, while Offaly beats Galway in football. Ireland adopts a new decimal currency.

In Ireland, after the government agrees to join the European Economic Community, a referendum campaign ensues. Labour and left-wing groups oppose, but Fianna Fail and Fine Gael support, leading to a 'Yes' vote by a large margin. In the U.S., George McGovern challenges Nixon for the presidency, while the Watergate break-in gains little attention. Unemployment hits the West of Ireland, causing many to seek work abroad, dividing families. Bloody Sunday occurs in Derry, where British soldiers kill 13 civil rights marchers, provoking outrage. The IRA carries out bombings in Belfast, and Muhammad Ali fights in Dublin. The 1972 Olympics are marked by tragedy as Palestinian militants kill 11 Israeli athletes in Munich. As U.S. troops withdraw from Vietnam, Nixon visits China, and Ireland makes constitutional changes. Northern Ireland is placed under direct rule, and the Provisional IRA intensifies violence, including the bombing campaign on 'Bloody Friday.'

In the 1973 Irish general election, the Fine Gael-Labour coalition wins, marking the first change of government in 16 years. A report on women’s equality recommends major reforms, and while the Civil Service lifts the marriage bar, women in manufacturing earn only 43% of men’s pay. Ballymun still lacks adequate facilities despite housing 17,000 people, including 6,000 children. The Irish production of Jesus Christ Superstar begins rehearsals with Luke Kelly, Colm Wilkinson, and Tony Kenny. In global events, the Vietnam War ends, Juan Perón is re-elected in Argentina, and the IRA frees members in a helicopter escape. A military coup in Chile ousts President Allende. During the Yom Kippur War, Egypt and Syria attack Israel, escalating tensions. The Watergate scandal and Nixon’s legal battles unfold, while Erskine Childers is elected President of Ireland. In sports, Limerick wins the All-Ireland hurling final and Cork claims the football title. Thin Lizzy scores a UK hit.

After the sudden death of Erskine Childers, Cearbhall ó Dálaigh becomes the fifth President of Ireland. 1974 sees a major bus strike in Dublin. Dubliners find different ways of getting around. The Army is brought in to provide transport. Normal service resumes after nine weeks. At the World Cup Final in Munich, West Germany beat Holland 2-1. U.S. President Richard Nixon fights the 'Watergate' scandal. He is implicated in political 'dirty tricks' , including attempts to 'bug' opponents and covering up a break-in. The President also loses legal battles in the U.S. Congress and Supreme Court . Faced with impeachment, Richard Nixon resigns. Richard Nixon becomes the first U.S. President to resign office. EUROVISION SONG CONTEST Brighton, 6 April - Once Abba take the stage, the rest is history... The musical 'Joseph And His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' is the biggest stage hit in Dublin this year. The cast includes a young comedian and singer Brendan Grace. At the Gulf Oil terminal on Whiddy Island a tanker spills crude oil into Bantry Bay. Locals are angry at the lack of measures to prevent the oil spill. DUBLIN 17 May Loyalists explode three car bombs without warning as the streets are busy with people on a Friday evening. The death toll rises to thirty-three after another car bomb explodes in Monaghan. In the history of Ireland's Troubles, it is the highest-ever number of people killed on one day. No-one is ever arrested for the the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. CYPRUS 20 July Turkish armed forces invade the island. The attack follows a military coup by Greek officers. Turkey claims it is acting to protect its population on the island. The war divides the state of Cyprus in two. Having begun his career in showbands during the Sixties, Rory Gallagher is now one of Ireland's most successful international musicians. 1974 sees another sellout concert tour by the Corkman. Nell McCafferty brings a new style of campaigning journalism to coverage of legal and women's issues, and a group of women sets up Ireland's first-ever refuge for battered wives. In 1974, the Irish State still uses the legal concept of 'illegitimacy'. It denies equal rights to children born outside marriage. Campaigners demand changes in the law. Kilkenny and Limerick meet in the All-Ireland hurling final. Kilkenny win by 3-19 to 1-13 . Dublin beat Galway 0-14 to 1-6 in the football. The glory days begin for Dublin football. Millionaire heiress Patty Hearst is kidnapped in California by extremists from the self-styled 'Symbionese Liberation Army' (SLA). The SLA demands that food aid be distributed to the poor of San Francisco. In a taped recording Hearst says that she wishes to stay with the revolutionary group. Ten weeks after her kidnapping, Hearst is seen taking part in an SLA bank raid. She is later arrested and renounces all links to the SLA. An armed gang steals nineteen paintings from Russborough House worth a total of £8 million. The gang demands the return of Irish republican prisoners from England as well as £500,000 in ransom money. The authorities hit back by offering a £100,000 reward for information. Ten days after the robbery, Gardai recover the paintings . a wealthy Englishwoman, Rose Dugdale, is charged and convicted. She is also convicted of involvement in an earlier IRA operation, A hijacked helicopter attack on an RUC station. Rose Dugdale receives a total of 18 years in prison. GUILDFORD, SURREY 5 October. The IRA plants 'no warning' bombs in two pubs. Five people die. On 21 November, the IRA blows up two pubs in Birmingham. Twenty-one people die. The bombings provoke public outrage in Britain. Four people are later convicted of the Guildford bombings. They will spend 15 years in jail before being proven innocent. The 'Birmingham Six' will serve 16 years for a mass murder they did not commit. The real bombers of Guildford and Birmingham are never brought to justice. After the signing of the Sunningdale Agreement in...

Dutch industrialist Tiede Herrema is kidnapped from his Limerick home. His IRA captors threaten to to kill him unless the government releases three republican prisoners from jail. A siege begins at a council house in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare. Dr Herrema communicates secretly with Gardai during the siege. The armed stand-off continues for another seventeen days. Marion Coyle and Eddie Gallagher surrender. SAIGON: Two years after signing a treaty that guaranteed they would not invade the South, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces seize power in Saigon. The U.S. Embassy is the last hope for many trying to flee the city. Only Westerners and well-connected locals are airlifted to safety. Fourteen years after the first U.S. military intervention, the Vietnam war ends. It is five years since the scandal of the Arms Crisis and 1975 sees the end of Charles Haughey's time in the political wilderness. The former Cabinet minister returns to frontbench politics, becoming Opposition spokesman on Health. Britain's Conservatives get a new leader: Margaret Thatcher is the first woman to lead a British political party. She beats four male rivals in the contest to succeed Ted Heath. 29 August: Eamon de Valera dies. His life had spanned the history of the Irish State He had been a leader of the 1916 Rising, Taoiseach for 21 years and President for 14. BALCOMBE STREET London. An IRA gang holds two people hostage in a flat. The four gunmen demand safe passage to Ireland. British authorities refuse to negotiate. A six-day siege ends peacefully. In Northern Ireland, 'internment without trial' ends after four years. The last detainees are freed from the Maze Prison at Long Kesh. Following its success in winning the European Prize for Folk Art, Siamsa Tire opens its second 'teach siamsa' centre this year. On 31 July, as The Miami Showband return to the South after a gig in Co. Down, they are victims of a sectarian ambush by the UVF. Fran O'Toole their lead singer is among three Miami Showband members to die. An unarmed Garda officer is shot dead following a bank raid in Killester, Co. Dublin. Michael Reynolds is the 16th Garda to die in the line of duty. Mike Murphy points his 'Candid Camera' at an unsuspecting public. ENGLISH GRAND NATIONAL 5 April. L'Escargot is the first Irish horse in 17 years to win the Aintree Grand National. Kilkenny and Galway line out for the All-Ireland hurling final. Kilkenny win by 2-22 to 2-10. In the football final, Kerry beat Dublin 2-12 to 0-11. Ireland loses investment and jobs in a worldwide recession. Inflation hits 20% as the international oil crisis worsens. Irish housewives continue last year's protests against rising prices. Farmers also campaign to protect their incomes. Dole queues lengthen amid continuing industrial unrest. Ireland now has the highest unemployment rate in the EEC. Playlist: The Sweet - Fox On The Run Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody The Swarbriggs - That's What Friends Are For 10cc - I'm Not In Love Dana - Please Tell Him That I Said Hello David Essex - Hold Me Close Fran O' Toole - Can't You Understand KC And The Sunshine Band - That's The Way (I Like It) Abba - SOS

Lady Hazel Lavery's face disappears from the £5 note. A new design features poet and philosopher John Scotus Erigena. Riots turn into open revolt in the black township of Soweto. Hundreds of people die. As violent protests spread across South Africa, security forces are told to restore order 'at all costs'. RHODESIA: Prime Minister Ian Smith accepts a two-year plan to end white minority rule. Rhodesia's black leaders prepare for power. Red Hurley sings 'When' for Ireland in the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest. Brotherhood of Man win for the U.K. with 'Save Your Kisses For Me'. Cabinet Minister Paddy Donegan provokes a constitutional crisis. He reportedly calls President Cearbhall O Dalaigh ' a thundering disgrace' after the President delays signing tough new anti-crime laws. Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh resigns as President. A Fianna Fail candidate is elected unopposed. Patrick Hillery becomes Ireland's sixth President. Princess Grace buys her ancestral home in Co. Mayo. It is a two-room cottage on 35 acres of land. The move angers some local farmers who wanted the land for themselves. In Britain, Harold Wilson resigns as Prime Minister. He has led the Labour Party for 13 years. James Callaghan wins the contest to succeed Harold Wilson. The new Prime Minister makes economic reform a priority. Ireland struggles in deep recession. Finance Minister Richie Ryan takes drastic measures. He introduces the toughest Budget since the Second World War. Abba dominate the pop charts in 1976. 'Money, Money, Money' is one of four Top Ten hits this year. A nationwide bank strike brings widespread disruption. Although the strike ends after ten weeks, many businesses run short of cash. Eamon Coghlan is Ireland's brightest athletics star. At the Montreal Olympics, the Dubliner leads the 1500m final. The final ends in disappointment for Eamon Coghlan, as he finishes in fourth place. A young Romanian gymnast wins three gold medals at the Games. Nadia Comaneci is 14 years old. She is the first gymnast ever to be awarded a perfect score of 10.00. American President Gerald Ford goes for re-election. He defeats challenger Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination. Jimmy Carter is the Democratic candidate. On 2 November, Jimmy Carter is elected U.S. President. KINGSMILLS, Bessbrook, Co. Armagh: Following the killing of six Catholics by loyalist paramilitaries, ten Protestant workmen are shot dead in a border ambush, widely believed to be the work of the IRA. On 9 July, a new British Ambassador to Ireland is appointed. 12 days later, Christopher Ewart-Biggs and a senior civil servant are killed when their car is blown up by an IRA landmine. As Anne Maguire is out walking with her four young children, an IRA getaway car crashes into the family. Three of the Maguire children are killed. The deaths become a focus for public grief and anger. A new mass movement grows out of the Maguire tragedy. The 'Peace People' make the simplest of demands - an end to violence. Although the peace movement thrives for only a few months, it provides a rare glimpse of unity and hope. ALL-IRELAND HURLING FINAL: Cork v Wexford. Cork are two goals down after eight minutes. The Rebels fight back to win 2-21 to 4-11. FOOTBALL FINAL: 'Heffo's Army' returns to Croke Park in 1976. Dublin meet Kerry in the football final for the second year running. Although Kerry won the last time, the Jacks are back this year. Dublin win by 3-8 to 0-10. Playlist: Hot Chocolate - You Sexy Thing The Eagles - Take It To The Limit Red Hurley - When Brotherhood Of Man - Save Your Kisses For Me Billy Ocean - Love Really Hurts Without You Abba - Money, Money, Money The Bellamy Brothers - Let Your Love Flow Sutherland Brothers/ Quiver - Arms of Mary Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town

The 'Brendan Voyage' ends in Newfoundland after a 4,000-mile journey across the Atlantic, retracing the path of sixth-century Irish monks. Queen Elizabeth celebrates 25 years on the British throne and visits Northern Ireland, where protests occur. Punk rock surges in popularity, with the Sex Pistols releasing 'God Save The Queen.' Ireland's 'Hot Press' magazine launches, targeting the youth market. In Dublin, a 12-hour armed siege at a store ends with a surrender. Fine Gael addresses rising crime with tougher laws. An industrial dispute at Shannonbridge ESB causes power cuts for a week. Dublin wins the All-Ireland Football Final and Cork claims the Hurling title. The Ferenka plant in Limerick shuts down, costing 1,400 jobs. A deadly jet collision in Tenerife kills 574 people. Fianna Fail wins a landslide victory in the general election, and the Boomtown Rats score their first Top Ten hit. Steve Biko dies in police custody, and a loyalist strike in Northern Ireland fails.

In 1978, Ireland's offshore exploration continues with £100m spent on oil search and Kinsale gas becoming commercially available. The US brokers a peace deal between Israel and Egypt, but Lebanon remains a conflict hotspot, leading to Irish peacekeepers being deployed. Protests erupt over plans to build offices at Dublin's Viking settlement, but the construction proceeds. The year sees the death of Pope Paul VI, followed by Pope John Paul I, and the election of Pope John Paul II. The IRA commits the horrific La Mon Hotel bombing. In sports, Kerry defeats Dublin in the All-Ireland football final, while Cork wins hurling. Anti-nuclear protests stop a proposed power station at Carnsore Point. Environmental concerns arise in County Cork over asbestos dumping. Pirate radio stations grow in popularity, leading to calls for legalization, as RTE launches its second TV channel, RTE 2.

In 1979, Vietnamese "boat people" flee poverty and persecution, with Ireland accepting refugees through a resettlement program. Iran becomes an Islamic republic after the Shah is ousted, and U.S. hostages are taken at the embassy. Pope John Paul II visits Ireland, drawing over a million people to a Mass in Dublin. Ireland faces the worst year for industrial disputes, with army intervention during a nationwide bus strike and a four-month postal strike. PAYE workers protest the tax system. Industrial disputes cost over 1.46 million working days. Lord Mountbatten is killed by an IRA bomb, and 18 British soldiers die in a separate bombing. In Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge regime’s atrocities are exposed. Kilkenny and Kerry win the 1979 All-Ireland hurling and football titles, respectively. Fianna Fáil leader Jack Lynch resigns, and Charles Haughey becomes Taoiseach. Margaret Thatcher is elected UK Prime Minister.