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Former government minister Michael Lowry refuses to resign the seat he recently claimed back in Dáil Éireann in the aftermath of the Moriarty Tribunal's findings that he assisted billionaire businessman Denis O'Brien "beyond doubt" in gaining a mobile phone license for Esat Digifone, in actions judged "disgraceful and insidious" by the tribunal. Taoiseach Enda Kenny admits Fine Gael accepted a donation worth thousands of dollars from Esat at the time.
2011-03-24

Brian Cowen resigns by requesting the dissolution of the 30th Dáil, allowing a general election to take place, the first such election of the eurozone debt crisis.
2011-02-1

Taoiseach Brian Cowen announces his intention to lead the ruling Fianna Fáil party into the upcoming general election after spending the past two days consulting his party. He offers his colleagues a secret motion of confidence ballot in his leadership, scheduled for Tuesday.
2011-01-16

Taoiseach Brian Cowen again announces he is not resigning amid continuing speculation of a motion of no confidence following his admission that he dined and played golf with Anglo Irish Bank chairman Seán FitzPatrick before the bank's nationalisation.
2011-01-13

Bertie Ahern, the former taoiseach who led the stricken Fianna Fáil political party from 1994 until 2008, announces he is to resign from Dáil Éireann at the forthcoming general election.
2010-12-30

Brian Cowen, the Taoiseach, claims in Dáil Éireann that he is "not clinging to power".
2010-11-23

Taoiseach Brian Cowen addresses Dáil Éireann ahead of a meeting of EU finance ministers, saying Ireland has not applied for financial support from the European Union.
2010-11-16

The leaders of Ireland's two main political parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, come under fire. Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen faces a motion of no confidence in Dáil Éireann, his second in just over a year. Leader of the Opposition, Enda Kenny, who sacked his deputy leader yesterday to prevent a potential coup, faces further revolt from his party as nine more members of his frontbench call on him to resign.
2010-06-15

The Aviva Stadium, Ireland's new national stadium, is officially opened by Taoiseach Brian Cowen in Dublin.
2010-05-14

Irish Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea resigns after a controversy surrounding his remarks on a rival politician's relationship with brothels but denies claims by opposition party Fine Gael that he has committed perjury. Taoiseach Brian Cowen assigns himself temporary responsibility for the Department of Defence.
2010-02-18