Reeling in the Years — Season 1, Episode 10: 1989
Documentary • 25 min • 6 seasons, 58 episodes • ★ 9.5/10
Episode synopsis
In 1989, the 25th Dail is dissolved, leading to an inconclusive general election and coalition talks between Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats. Fianna Fail, under Charles Haughey, forms a coalition. Century Radio launches, and TV3 is announced. The M1 motorway crash kills 44 people. Cork wins the football final, Tipperary wins the hurling final. Gorbachev visits Shannon, initiating reforms in the Soviet Union. The ANC strengthens as apartheid weakens, though Mandela remains imprisoned. The Hillsborough disaster kills 96. Protests arise for army wives' rights. Iran orders the death of Salman Rushdie, and Ayatollah Khomeini dies. In Beijing, Chinese students protest, leading to a violent crackdown. The Guildford Four are freed, and Daniel Day-Lewis stars in My Left Foot. Ireland qualifies for the World Cup. The Berlin Wall falls, and communism collapses in Eastern Europe.
About Reeling in the Years
Each episode looks back at the news and events of a particular year, using news archive footage, along with subtitles as the means of narration, to recount notable Irish and international events of the time.