1963 in Ireland

← 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1963 in Ireland → 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
See also:	1963 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1963 List of years in Ireland

Events from the year 1963 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 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 — 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).
• 4 February - Brinsley MacNamara (John Weldon), novelist and playwright (born 1890).
• 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