Reeling in the Years - Season 2 Episode 2 1991

In 1991, Ian Paisley protested in Dublin against Northern Secretary Peter Brooke's decision to resume the Anglo-Irish Conference. In the World Cup, Ireland’s close loss to Australia in the quarter-finals captured attention. The Gulf War began with Operation Desert Storm, but a tragic incident occurred when a smart bomb hit a civilian shelter in Baghdad, killing hundreds. The war led to 50,000 deaths and ecological damage from oil fires. In Europe, the Maastricht Treaty set 1999 for a single currency. Corruption scandals hit Irish companies like Greencore and Telecom Eireann. In March, the Birmingham Six were freed after wrongful convictions. Meanwhile, economic challenges led many Irish citizens to emigrate. The Yugoslav conflict worsened, and in the USSR, hardline Communists attempted a coup, only to be defeated by Boris Yeltsin. In sports, Meath lost to Down in the All-Ireland Final, and Fianna Fáil saw a leadership contest with Albert Reynolds challenging Charles Haughey.