Events

• January 17 - Thomas Johnson, first parliamentary leader of the Irish Labour Party, dies aged 91.
• January 24 - The Minister for Justice, Charles Haughey, announces that the government proposes to abolish the death penalty.
• January 29 - A new control tower is opened at Shannon Airport.
• May 20 - The Minister for Education, Patrick Hillery, announces plans for comprehensive schools and regional technical colleges.
• June 3 - Teilif s ireann closes down immediately after its 9 o'clock news bulletin as a mark of respect to the memory of Pope John XXIII.
• June 27 - United States President John F. Kennedy visits his ancestral home at New Ross, County Wexford. He inspects a naval guard of honour and then addresses the crowd.
• June 28 - President John F. Kennedy receives a standing ovation as he addresses a joint session of both houses of the Oireachtas.
• June 29 - President Kennedy chats with President de Valera at the US Embassy in Dublin before leaving Ireland.
• October 4 - Speaking on the nuclear test ban at the United Nations in New York, the Minister for External Affairs, Frank Aiken, calls for an end to all nuclear weapons.
• October 16 - Taoiseach Se n Lemass is greeted by President John F. Kennedy at the White House where he inspects a guard of honour.
• November 1 - Domhnall Ua Buachalla, the last Governor-General of the Irish Free State, is buried in Dublin.
• November 7 - The Beatles arrive in Dublin for a concert in the Adelphi Cinema.
• November 22 - President de Valera addresses the nation on the death of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
• November 24 - President de Valera leaves for the funeral of President Kennedy. He is accompanied by cadets who have been invited by Jacqueline Kennedy to form a guard of honour.

Arts and literature

• Publication of John McGahern's first novel The Barracks.

Sports

• Shelbourne win the FAI Cup.

Births

• 3 March — Conor Lenihan, Fianna F il TD for Dublin South West and Minister of State
• 19 March — Mark Dearey, businessman and Green Party councillor in Dundalk
• 26 March — Paul Doolin, soccer player
• 29 March — Pat Gallagher, former Irish Labour Party politician
• 3 April — Ciaran Cuffe, Green Party TD for D n Laoghaire
• 4 April — Graham Norton, actor, comedian and television presenter
• 1 June — Michael Creed, Fine Gael TD for Cork North West
• 3 June — Lucy Grealy, poet and memoirist (d.2002)
• 13 June — Larry Tompkins, Kildare and Cork Gaelic footballer
• 28 July — Eamon Ryan, Green Party TD for Dublin South and Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
• 22 August — Terry McHugh, javelin thrower
• 31 August — Todd Carty, actor
• 10 September — Marian Keyes, novelist
• 24 September — Margaret Cox, former Fianna F il Senator.
• 25 September — Niall Cahalane, Cork Gaelic footballer
• 9 November — Kieran O'Regan, soccer player

Full date unknown

• Pat Boran, poet.
• Joe Dooley, Offaly hurler, manager.
• Tony Keady, Galway hurler.
• Tom s Mulcahy, Cork hurler.
• Tony O'Sullivan, Cork hurler.
• Bryan Smyth, singer, actor and television presenter.
• Liam Walsh, former Kilkenny hurler.

Deaths

January to June

• 1 February - John Cardinal D'Alton, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland from 1946 to 1963 (b.1882).
• 3 March - Brian O'Higgins, Sinn F in MP and President (b.1882).
• 16 May - Patrick Little, Fianna F il TD and Cabinet Minister (b.1884).
• 31 May - Se n O'Hegarty, Irish Republican Army member during the Irish War of Independence (b.1881).
• 12 June - Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, British admiral of the Second World War and First Sea Lord (d.1883).
• June 21 — Carlos O'Connell, Irish decathlete
• 23 June - George C. Bennett, Cumann na nGaedheal TD, later joined Fine Gael and Seanad ireann member (b.1877).

July to December

• 11 October - John Galvin, Fianna F il TD (b.1907).
• 30 October - Hugh O'Flaherty, Catholic priest, saved about 4,000 Allied soldiers and Jews in the Vatican during World War II (b.1898).
• 30 October - Domhnall Ua Buachalla, member of 1st D il, Fianna F il TD, last Governor-General of the Irish Free State (b.1866).
• 2 November - Daniel Mannix, Catholic clergyman, Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years (b.1864).
• 22 November - C. S. Lewis, novelist and author of The Chronicles of Narnia (b.1898).
• November - Patrick MacGill, journalist, poet and novelist (b.1889).
• 4 December - William Norton, Labour Party (Ireland) leader, TD and Cabinet Minister (b.1900).
• 15 December - Oscar Traynor, Fianna F il politician (b.1886).
• December - Andy Kennedy, footballer (b.1897).

Full date unknown

• Joseph Brennan, civil servant and Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland (b.1887).
• Charles Campbell, 2nd Baron Glenavy, peer (b.1885).
• Padraig O'Keeffe, fiddle player (b.1887).