1963 in Ireland

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Decades: 1940s • 1950s • 1960s • 1970s • 1980s Centuries: 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st See also: 1963 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1963 List of years in Ireland

Events

U.S. president John F. Kennedy addressed the people of New Ross.

• 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.^[1]
• 28 June - U.S. president John Kennedy receives a standing ovation as he addresses a joint session of both houses of the Oireachtas.^[1]
• 29 June - U.S. president John Kennedy chats with President de Valera at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin before leaving Ireland.^[1]
• 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.^[2]
• Cork Opera House fully rebuilt and reopened.
• Publication of John McGahern's first novel 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 — Ciaran 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 (died 2002)
• 13 June — Larry Tompkins, Kildare and Cork Gaelic footballer
• 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.

Deaths

January to June

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

July to December

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

Full date unknown

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

References