This data is based on anonymous searches carried out by subscribers and non-subscribers on irishtimes.com this year.
January: I am not an alcoholic/AerCap
The Irish Times’s I Am Not An Alcoholic column saw a resurgence in popularity as we entered the new year. The series follows the journey of a woman as she battles the challenges that come with being sober.
Irish aircraft leasing giant AerCap experienced a cybersecurity attack on its systems, causing claims to circulate online that an organisation had hacked the Dublin-headquartered multinational’s systems and planned to leak data. AerCap confirmed that on January 17th it experienced “a cybersecurity incident related to ransomware”, adding that it suffered no financial loss as result of the hack.
February: Greece/Spain
Greece became the world’s first Christian Orthodox country to legalise same-sex marriage after the Athens parliament passed the landmark reform, with 176 members of parliament from across the political spectrum voting in favour of the Bill on February 15th.
Ukraine: Key events that shaped 2024 and will influence the conflict in 2025
2024 in radio: chaotic exodus of Doireann Garrihy, Jennifer Zamparelli and the 2 Johnnies hangs over 2FM
Shocking crimes, royal illness and Labour’s landslide: The eight big moments that defined 2024 for Britain
Taylor Swift tops the economic charts, electoral victory for Centrist Dads and Apple’s awkward €13bn
A fire that engulfed a large block of flats in the Spanish city of Valencia claimed 10 lives. The fire raised questions about the safety of the country’s residential buildings as the block, which contained about 140 apartments and was home to approximately 450 people, almost entirely went ablaze within half an hour.
March: Referendum/MetroLink
The referendums held on family and care were both comprehensively defeated. Sixty-seven per cent of those who cast ballots on the 39th amendment to the Constitution – the family amendment – rejected the Government’s proposed changes. The 40th amendment, proposing changes to care, was defeated by a larger margin as almost 74 per cent of voters cast a No ballot.
The €9.5 billion MetroLink project caused a stir after the first planning hearing was held the previous month. The 18.8km, mostly underground, line is set to run from north of Swords to Dublin Airport, then on to Ballymun, Glasnevin, O’Connell Street and St Stephen’s Green before terminating at Charlemont Street, with 16 stations along the route. State transport agency Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) estimates MetroLink will carry up to 53 million passengers annually.
April: Stardust/ESG
Following a year-long inquest, a jury returned verdicts in April of unlawful killing in relation to all 48 people who died in the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin, in 1981. In light of these verdicts, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris ordered cold-case detectives to re-examine the possibility of a criminal investigation into the Stardust fire.
Searches for ESG on The Irish Times website spiked in April amid debate and rising tension in the US. The ESG (environment, social and governance) label sparked controversy across the Atlantic when several leading financial institutions withdrew from Climate Action 100+, an investor-led initiative committed to ensuring the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters take appropriate action on climate change.
May: Northern Lights/Eurovision boycott
The Northern Lights made (more than one) rare appearance across Irish skies in May as an intense solar storm and clear skies resulted in people across the island being able to view the aurora borealis. The sightings caused a social media storm of their own, with many spectacular photographs being shared online.
Pro-Palestine activists called for an Irish boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation. Some 100 activists, musicians, actors and spectators gathered at the entrance to RTÉ in Donnybrook on May 2nd for a mini-concert in support of the Palestinian people. Ireland’s entry, Bambie Thug, went on to finish in sixth place, securing the best Eurovision result for Ireland in 24 years.
June: Taylor Swift/Dead Zoo
Swift-mania gripped Ireland as Taylor Swift brought her Eras tour to Dublin in June. The American singer played to 150,000 people across three sold-out shows in the Aviva Stadium. The five-star review in The Irish Times said “the sense of occasion is almost too huge to quantify” and the concert “confirms the US singer as an artist who comes along just once in an era”.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy alleged that a 26-year-old male zebra called Striker was shot dead at Dublin Zoo with a gun used by an unlicensed member of staff. Speaking in the Dáil, Murphy said the animal was “euthanised with a gun, as opposed to with an injection, which is the appropriate and normal thing that happens in zoos around the world. This was not done by a vet and a vet is the only person licensed to do so.” Dublin Zoo, however, described the claims as “completely false”.
July: Coolock riots/Ozempic
Protests outside a disused former paint factory earmarked to house international protection applicants turned violent in north Dublin’s Coolock in July. The riots included scenes of fireworks, glass bottles and so-called “fast gas” canisters being aimed at lines of Public Order Unit gardaí outside the Crown Paints industrial unit on the Malahide road. Three-metre-high concrete barriers were erected to block access to the site where the Department of Integration planned to house about 550 asylum seekers.
Ozempic became an increasingly searched-for term as a growing number of Irish TikTok and Instagram posters, using it as weight-loss medication, shared their Ozempic journeys. The appetite for such trending “diet drugs” quickly moved from celebrities to people prepared to overlook the side-effects and the cost – at least €1,500 a year. In Ireland, Ozempic is approved only for the treatment of diabetes.
August: Electric Picnic/Apple Tax
Ireland’s biggest outdoor summer music festival, Electric Picnic, expanded its capacity to 75,000 people this year. The line-up featured headliners Kylie Minogue, Noah Kahan and Calvin Harris, joined by Irish artists such as CMAT, Lankum, Kneecap, The Wolfe Tones and Bambie Thug.
Apple tax started making headlines this month in advance of the EU’s ruling on September 10th, when the European Court of Justice (ECJ) inflicted a heavy legal defeat on Apple and the Irish Government. The ECJ said the European Commission was correct back in 2016 to rule that Apple owed Ireland €13 billion in tax relating to underpayments over the years 2003 to 2014.
September: Sally Rooney/Leinster House bike shed
Sally Rooney released her eagerly awaited fourth novel, Intermezzo, on September 25th. Intermezzo quickly became this year’s fastest-selling title in Ireland, selling 11,885 copies in the Republic during its first five days on sale. The Irish Times lauded it as “a bold, adventurous and captivating addition to an impressive body of work”.
A new bicycle shed for Leinster House costing more than €335,000 caused a public outcry in September. The shelter, which allows for storage of 18 bikes, was hailed by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan as a good example of public sector climate action. A breakdown of costs from the Office of Public Works shows €322,282 was spent on the main construction and installation project and a further €2,952 on archaeological services, with €10,816 paid for quantity surveying services and “contract administration services”.
October: Saoirse Ronan/Liam Payne
Actor Saoirse Ronan’s response to an anecdote about self-defence broke the internet: “That’s what girls have to think about all the time.” The star was speaking on The Graham Norton Show, where she appeared as a guest alongside Gladiator II actors Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington and Day of the Jackal leading man Eddie Redmayne. Ronan’s quip met with audience applause – and stunned silence from her male counterparts.
Former One Direction member Liam Payne died after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. The pop star was 31. Payne’s One Direction bandmates paid tribute in a statement released on social media signed “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry”. “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” they said. “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
November: Donald Trump/Conor McGregor
The world looked on as Donald Trump beat vice-president Kamala Harris to the US presidency, marking the republican’s second term in office. Harris had a whirlwind campaign as the Democratic Party’s nominee after President Joe Biden stepped down in July.
A High Court jury awarded €248,603 damages to Nikita Hand against Conor McGregor after upholding her civil claim she was raped by the mixed martial arts fighter in a Dublin hotel. In her civil action for damages, Hand had alleged that she was raped by McGregor in the Beacon hotel on December 9th, 2018.
December: Gerard Hutch/Storm Darragh
Gerard “The Monk” Hutch lost out in the battle for the final seat in Dublin Central as the results of the general election were tallied. Despite gaining almost 10 per cent of first preference votes, the independent candidate was beaten by Labour’s Marie Sherlock, who eventually took the constituency’s fourth seat on the 11th count.
Met Éireann issued status red weather warnings as Storm Darragh battered the country at the start of the month. Wet and stormy conditions swept through, with coastal regions bearing the brunt.
Decoding the words of 2024
Brain rot – Oxford word of the year
“Brain rot” is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterised as likely to lead to such deterioration.”
Demure
Of a person: reserved or restrained in appearance or behaviour. Of clothing: not showy, ostentatious or overly revealing.
Brat – Collins Dictionary word of the year
Newly defined in 2024, brat is “characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”. Inspired by the Charli XCX album, “brat” became a cultural phenomenon, establishing itself as not only an aesthetic but a way of life.
Dynamic pricing
The practice of varying a price for a product or service, such as concert tickets, to reflect changing market conditions; in particular, the charging of a higher price at a time of greater demand.
Manifest – Cambridge’s word of the year
Using methods such as visualisation, that is, picturing something in your mind and employing affirmation (repeating positive phrases) to help you imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen.
Looksmaxxing
Attempting to maximise the attractiveness of one’s physical appearance.
Era
A period of one’s life or career that has a distinctive character. Taylor Swift’s epic Eras Tour epitomises the term as, with the shows, the singer transported concertgoers through the several defining eras of her music career, encompassing everything from the dark Reputation to the whimsical Folklore and Evermore.
Lore
A body of (supposed) facts, background information and anecdotes relating to someone or something, regarded as knowledge required for a full understanding or informed discussion of the subject in question.
Rizz
Rizz was named Oxford’s word of the year in 2023, but it looks like it’s not going anywhere. The term has been defined as “style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner” – in other words, a shortened version of charisma.
[ Why internet slang is a riddle for bossesOpens in new window ]
Sigma
Not just the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet, sigma is a slang term used in masculinised subcultures for a popular, successful, but highly independent and self-reliant man. One you might call a “lone wolf”. Other Greek letters are being used by the “manosphere” to form a social hierarchy, including alpha male, beta male and omega male.
POV
POV, or point of view, has become a popular video format on social media platforms. On TikTok, POV is often used in videos or as a hashtag to indicate that the video is meant to be watched as if the viewer were present or the viewer is in a specific situation.
Pookie
A term of endearment and affection. The word has become synonymous with American influencer Campbell Puckett, whose videos of couple outfits with husband Jett have gone viral. An example: “Pookie is looking absolutely fire tonight.”
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