2000 features U2 getting the Freedom of Dublin, allowing Bono and The Edge to graze their sheep on St Stephen's Green. The American presidential election descended into political farce in November, when George W Bush and Al Gore fought a legal battle over a handful of votes in the state of Florida.

2001 recalls the stories and soundtrack of a year dominated by the events of 11 September in America. Over 3,000 people died when al-Quaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger aircraft: two planes were flown into New York's Twin Towers, a third airliner was targeted at the Pentagon building in Washington, and a fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania.

2002 looks back at the sporting mess of Saipan. Ireland's soccer World Cup campaign was plunged into crisis after a bitter row between captain Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy. Roy Keane went home from the Irish training camp, and the Irish team made it to the second phase of the competition before losing a penalty shootout to Spain.

In Ireland's 2002 general election campaign, Fianna Fáil's slogan was 'a lot done, more to do': the FF- PD coalition returned to power and Michael Noonan resigned as Fine Gael leader. The world of showbusiness saw two high-profile weddings: Paul McCartney married Heather Mills in Glaslough, Co. Monaghan, and Majella McLennan married Daniel O'Donnell in Kincasslagh, Co. Donegal.

2002 was the year the Taliban were forced from power in Afghanistan, while Britain and the US increased the threat of war against Iraq, claiming that Saddam Hussein was still developing weapons of mass destruction.

In RTÉ's latest reality TV series 'Popstars', Derry teenager Nadine Coyle lost her place in the music group Six for lying about her age: Six went on to top the charts with 'A Whole Lot Of Lovin' and Nadine went on to join Girls Aloud.

2002 was the 'year of the euro', as the new currency replaced the punt in Ireland. Motorists faced a new 'penalty points' system for driving offences, and a levy on plastic bags was introduced. Golfer Paul McGinley sealed Ryder Cup victory for Europe and Armagh's footballers won their county's first ever All-Ireland title.

Playlist:

Pink- Get This Party Started

Avril Lavigne - Complicated

Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club - True Friends

Elvis vs JXL - A Little Less Conversation

Sugababes - Round Round

Coldplay - In My Place

Kylie Minogue - Love At First Sight

Westlife - World Of Our Own

Six - A Whole Lot Of Lovin'

Reeling in the Years looks back to 2004, when Ireland's smoking ban was introduced, when Brian McFadden left Westlife for a solo career, and when over £26 million was stolen in a raid at the Northern Bank in Belfast.

Trams returned to the streets of Dublin for the first time in 55 years as the LUAS opened. 'Fake tan', Botox and men's grooming products all increased in popularity: the year also saw the launch of Ireland's 'Oxegen' and 'Electric Picnic' festivals.

While 'Fruit Of The Loom' announced the closure of its last two Irish factories, internet companies Google and Ebay chose Ireland for their European headquarters. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Ireland's only victory became mired in controversy: showjumper Cian O'Connor's horse 'Waterford Crystal' tested positive and O'Connor was stripped of a gold medal. Ireland's EU Presidency saw the highlight of the 'Day Of Welcomes' on 1 May, as ten new countries joined the European Union at an accession ceremony in Dublin's Phoenix Park. Representing Europe at a G8 summit meeting, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern famously sported a yellow jacket and trousers...

George Bush defeated Democrat challenger John Kerry to win a second term as US president. In Iraq, the US and its allies struggled against rising insurgency: American strategy in Iraq came under further pressure with revelations of prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib.

The end of 2004 was marked by the Asian 'tsunami', when an undersea earthquake triggered massive tidal waves that resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people in 13 countries.

Playlist:

Keane - Everybody's Changing

Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get It Started

Snow Patrol - Run

U2 - Vertigo

Anastacia - Left Outside Alone

Counting Crows - Accidentally In Love

Outkast - Hey Ya

Natural Gas - The Langer

O-Zone - Dragostea Din Tei

2005 recalls the hits and the headlines of 2005, when Cork became the European City of Culture, Waterford welcomed the Tall Ships, the Dublin suburb of Dundrum got a new shopping centre.

Abroad, it was the year of the 'Live 8' concerts and campaign, the 'Hurricane Katrina' disaster in New Orleans, the death of Pope John Paul II and the '7/7' bomb attacks in London.

As the Shell to Sea campaign opposed the laying of a gas pipeline in Co. Mayo, the 'Rossport Five' protestors spent 94 days in jail. Belfast mourned the loss of its most famous sporting hero as George Best was laid to rest.

2005 also saw the launch of the Sony Playstation and the Xbox 360: Eddie Hobbs' 'Rip-Off Republic' was RTÉ's TV hit of the summer: and a photo-opportunity for Willie O'Dea backfired badly when the Minister for Defence was photographed pointing a gun at a camera.

Playlist:

The Caesars - Jerk It Out

Katie Melua - Nine Million Bicycles

U2 - Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

Moby - Lift Me Up

KT Tunstall - Other Side Of The World

Daniel Powter - Bad Day

Stereophonics - Dakota

2006 was the year of the 'Love Ulster' riot, when a planned loyalist march down O'Connell Street led to chaos and street fighting in Dublin city centre.

Although Irish soccer manager Steve Staunton struggled in his new role, it was also a year of sporting success: Cork sprinter Derval O'Rourke won gold at the World Indoor Championships, Katie Taylor won World and European boxing titles and Bernard Dunne took the European Super bantamweight title.

In rugby, Munster beat Biarritz to take the Heineken Cup and Ireland won the Triple Crown. Ireland also hosted the Ryder Cup, when Europe's golfers claimed victory over the USA.

Playlist:

Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars

Bell X1 - Flame

Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

Gemma Hayes - Undercover

Will Young - All Time Love

Sugababes - Red Dress

Pat Shortt - Jumbo Breakfast Roll

Reeling in the Years recalls the headlines of 2007, when golfer Padraig Harrington won the British Open and Ireland's cricket team celebrated World Cup victory over Pakistan.

Britain's Spice Girls got back together, as did Ireland's Boyzone.

Apple launched the new iPhone in the USA, while record numbers of Irish people did their Christmas shopping in New York.

Playlist:

Girls Aloud - Call The Shots

Razorlight - Before I Fall To Pieces

Duke Special - Freewheel

Timbaland feat. OneRepublic - Apologize

Robyn - With Every Heartbeat

Mika - Grace Kelly

Fergie - Glamorous

The Killers - Read My Mind

The Klaxons - Golden Skans

Sugababes - About You Now

Reeling in the Years recalls the hits and headlines of 2008, when Bertie Ahern stepped down as Taoiseach and was replaced by Brian Cowen.

Abroad, it was the year Barack Obama campaigned under the slogan 'Yes We Can' and was elected President of the USA.

China hosted the Olympic Games with a dazzling opening ceremony: Irish boxers brought home three medals from Beijing.

The song Falling Slowly from the film Once won an Oscar for Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova,

Playlist:

Alphabeat - Fascination

Sam Sparro - Black And Gold

Katy Perry - Hot N Cold

Dustin The Turkey - Irelande Douze Pointe

Coldplay - Viva La Vida The Script - Breakeven

Iglu & Hartley - In This City

Republic of Loose feat. Isabella Reyes-Feeney - The Steady Song

Jordin Sparks - No Air

Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová - Falling Slowly

Mundy & Sharon Shannon - Galway Girl

Elbow - One Day Like This

2009 recalls a year of sporting highs and lows...

It was the year that the 'Hand of Henry' denied Ireland the chance to go to the soccer World Cup Finals, as a blatant handball by Thierry Henry helped France to a 2-1 aggregate victory in a qualifying playoff.

Irish rugby celebrated a first Grand Slam in sixty-one years and Leinster won the Heineken Cup for the first time.

'We're gonna be in the Hudson', an American pilot calmly informed air traffic controllers as he crash-landed an airliner onto the freezing waters of the Hudson Bay off Manhattan Island: all 155 passengers and crew were safely rescued and pilot Chesley Sullenberger became a national hero.

Playlist:

Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling

Lisa Hannigan - Lille

Westlife - What About Now

Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody

La Roux - Bulletproof

Florence & The Machine - Cosmic Love

The Coronas - Listen Dear

Lady Gaga - Poker Face

Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition