1963 in Ireland

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, Dr. Patrick Hillery, announces plans for comprehensive schools and regional technical colleges.
*June 3 - Teilifís Éireann closes down immediately after its 9 o'clock news bulletin as a mark of respect to the memory of Pope John XXIII.
*June 27 - US 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 - An Taoiseach Seán 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

ports

*Shelbourne win the FAI Cup.

Births

*3 March - Conor Lenihan, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South West and Minister of State.
*19 March - Mark Dearey, businessman and Irish 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/Comhaontas Glas 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, former Kildare and Cork Gaelic footballer.
*31 August - Todd Carty, actor.
*10 September - Marian Keyes, novelist.
*25 September - Niall Cahalane, Cork Gaelic footballer.
*9 November - Kieran O'Regan, soccer player.

Full date unknown

*Pat Boran, poet.
*Margaret Cox, former Fianna Fáil Senator.
*Joe Dooley, Offaly hurler, manager.
*Tony Keady, Galway hurler.
*Tomás Mulcahy, Cork hurler.
*Tony O'Sullivan, Cork hurler.
*Eamon Ryan, Green Party (Ireland) TD for Dublin South and Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources.
*Bryan Smyth, singer, actor and television presenter.
*Liam Walsh, former Kilkenny hurler. alan nugent race car driver march 13

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 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 (d.1883).
*23 June - George C. Bennett, Cumman na nGaedhael 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).