1963 in Ireland

Incumbents

President: Éamon de Valera

Taoiseach: Seán Lemass (FF)

Events

17 January - Thomas Johnson, first parliamentary leader of the Labour Party, dies aged 91.

24 January - The Minister for Justice, Charles Haughey, announces that the government proposes to abolish the death penalty.

29 January - A new control tower is opened at Shannon Airport.

20 May - The Minister for Education, Patrick Hillery, announces plans for comprehensive schools and regional technical colleges.

3 June - Teilifís Éireann closes down immediately after its 9 o'clock news bulletin as a mark of respect to the memory of Pope John XXIII.

27 June - U.S. 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.

28 June - U.S. president John Kennedy receives a standing ovation as he addresses a joint session of both houses of the Oireachtas.

29 June - U.S. president John Kennedy chats with President de Valera at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin before leaving Ireland.

4 October - 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.

16 October - Taoiseach Seán Lemass is greeted by U.S. president John Kennedy at the White House where he inspects a guard of honour.

1 November - Domhnall Ua Buachalla, the last Governor-General of the Irish Free State, is buried in Dublin.

7 November - The Beatles arrive in Dublin for a concert in the Adelphi Cinema.

22 November - President de Valera addresses the nation on the death of U.S. president John Kennedy.

24 November - President de Valera leaves for the funeral of U.S. president John Kennedy. He is accompanied by cadets who have been invited by Jacqueline Kennedy to form a guard of honour.

Arts and literature

2 June - Benjamin Britten's A Hymn of St Columba is premiered at Gartan.

Cork Opera House fully rebuilt and reopened.

Publication of John McGahern's first novel, the semi-autobiographical The Barracks.

Sports

Shelbourne win the FAI Cup.

Paddy Prendergast becomes the first Irish-based trainer to become British flat racing Champion Trainer, retaining the title for the succeeding two years.

Births

7 January — Tony O'Sullivan, Cork hurler.

3 March — Conor Lenihan, Fianna Fáil 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 — Ciarán Cuffe, Green Party TD for Dún 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

21 June — Carlos O'Connell, Irish decathlete

26 June — Tomás Mulcahy, Cork hurler.

23 July – Andy Townsend, footballer born in England of Irish descent

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 Fáil Senator.

25 September — Niall Cahalane, Cork Gaelic footballer

9 November — Kieran O'Regan, soccer player

13 November — Joe Dooley, Offaly hurler, manager.

1 December — Paul Bradford, Fine Gael Seanad Éireann member.

5 December — Tony Keady, Galway hurler.

Full date unknown

Pat Boran, poet.

Bryan Smyth, singer, actor and television presenter.

Liam Walsh, former Kilkenny hurler.

January to June

1 February - John Cardinal D'Alton, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland from 1946 to 1963 (b. 1882).

4 February - Brinsley MacNamara (John Weldon), novelist and playwright (b. 1890).

3 March - Brian O'Higgins, Sinn Féin MP and President (b. 1882).

16 May - Patrick Little, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister (b. 1884).

31 May - Seán 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 (b. 1883).

23 June - George C. Bennett, Cumann na nGaedheal TD, later joined Fine Gael and Seanad Éireann member (b. 1877).

July to December

11 October - John Galvin, Fianna Fáil 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 Dáil, Fianna Fáil 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 Fáil 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).

References