Monarch - George VI
12 March - Llandow air disaster: 83 people die when a plane carrying Welsh rugby fans home from Belfast crashes in South Wales.
12 May - Nationalist Senators and MPs in Northern Ireland ask the government of the Republic to give Northern-elected representatives seats in the Dáil and Seanad.
3 July - Ulster Transport Authority closes the Ballycastle Railway and the Ballymena and Larne Railway.
Arts and literature
September - Poet Philip Larkin takes up a 5-year post as sub-librarian at Queen's University Belfast.
This was the only year where Ireland didn't participate at the Commonwealth Games. (British Empire Games)
Irish League
Irish Cup
British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship is held at Royal County Down Golf Club, (winner:Vicomtesse de St Sauveur).
16 February - Peter Hain. 16th Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
12 April - Donal McKeown, Auxiliary Bishop in The Diocese of Down and Connor.
23 May - Martin McGuinness, Sinn Féin MP, MLA, and Deputy First Minister.
23 June - Martin O'Hagan, journalist (died 2001).
9 July - Alban Maginness, SDLP MLA.
12 August - Medbh McGuckian, poet.
Paul Bew, Baron Bew, professor of Irish politics at Queen's University of Belfast.
Denis Donaldson, volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army, member of Sinn Féin, exposed in 2005 as an informer (died 2006).
Brian Keenan, writer and hostage in Lebanon.
20 July - Herbert Dixon, 1st Baron Glentoran, Unionist politician (born 1880).
James Sleator, painter (born 1889).
