1964 in Ireland

← 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1964 in Ireland → 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
See also:	1964 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1964 List of years in Ireland

Events from the year 1964 in Ireland.

Incumbents

• President: Éamon de Valera
• Taoiseach: Seán Lemass (FF)

Events

• 3 January – Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon arrived in Ireland for a seven-day visit.
• 28 January – Families from Springtown Camp made a silent march through Derry to demand rehousing.^[1]
• 21 February – The new Garda Síochána training centre was opened in Templemore, County Tipperary.
• 16 March – Seán Lemass arrived in London to make an official launch of "Ireland Week".
• 21 March – Brendan Behan's funeral took place in Dublin.
• 23 May – President Éamon de Valera, Taoiseach Seán Lemass, and Tánaiste Seán MacEntee attended the official opening of the U.S. Embassy in Dublin.
• 26 May – The Fine Gael parliamentary party approves Declan Costello's Just Society programme.
• 1 June – Jill, a two-year-old elephant, arrived at Dublin Airport from India, heading for a new home at Dublin Zoo.
• 5 September – Taoiseach Seán Lemass attended celebrations marking the silver jubilee of the first commercial transatlantic flight.
• 18 December – The Cuban Minister for Industries, Che Guevara, was interviewed by Teilifís Éireann during a stopover at Dublin Airport. He was flying from New York to Algeria after a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly when his flight was diverted from Shannon Airport because of fog.^[2]
• The bridge over the River Foyle was built, linking Lifford and Strabane.
• The death penalty was abolished for all but the murder of gardaí, diplomats, and prison officers.

Arts and literature

• 19 September – The Abbey Theatre in Dublin closed in mourning for playwright Seán O'Casey who died the previous day of a heart attack in Torquay, aged 84.
• 28 September – Brian Friel's play Philadelphia, Here I Come! opened at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin.
• 26 December – Micheál Mac Conmara and Eoghan Ó Tuairisc's pantomime on Irish folklore Aisling as Tír na nÓg opened at the Abbey Theatre.
• Val Doonican released his single "Walk Tall".
• John Montague published his story collection Death of a Chieftain.
• Seán Ó Ríordáin published his poetry collection Brosna.
• Eoghan Ó Tuairisc published his narrative poem The Weekend of Dermot and Grace and Lux Aeterna, including Hiroshima Mass.

Sports

• In the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Shelbourne were drawn against Portuguese side Belenenses and after two drawn games won the replay 2–1. Facing Atlético Madrid in the second round, they were beaten 1–0 in both legs.

Births

January to June

• 21 February – Keith Bailey, cricketer.
• 4 March – Brian Crowley, Fianna Fáil Member of the European Parliament representing Ireland South.
• 4 March – Pete Finnerty, Galway hurler.
• April – Ger FitzGerald, Cork hurler.
• 6 May – John Gill, soccer player and manager.
• 10 May – Diarmuid Gavin, garden designer.
• 26 May – Caitlín R. Kiernan, writer.
• 1 June – Alan Lewis, former cricketer, rugby referee.
• 13 June – Ciarán Lynch, Labour Party TD representing Cork South-Central.
• 18 June – Iarla Ó Lionáird, singer.
• 26 June – Francis Hare, 6th Earl of Listowel, peer.

July to December

• 21 July – Steve Collins, boxer.
• 31 July – Jim Corr, guitarist and keyboardist with The Corrs.
• 31 July – Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South-Central and Chief Whip.
• 20 August – Declan Geoghegan, soccer player.
• 1 September – Ray D'Arcy, radio and television broadcaster.
• 5 September – Liam O'Brien, soccer player.
• 28 September – Brendan Kelly, actor.
• 1 October – John Sheridan, footballer born in England of Irish descent
• 31 October – Colm Ó Cíosóig, drummer.
• 7 November – Liam Ó Maonlaí, musician.
• 29 November – Tony Davis, Cork Gaelic footballer.

Full date unknown

• Marina Carr, playwright.
• Michael Collins, novelist.
• Mick Deegan, Dublin Gaelic footballer and manager.
• Teddy McCarthy, Cork Gaelic footballer and hurler.
• Martin Naughton, Galway hurler.
• Eddie O'Connor, former Kilkenny hurler.
• Colm O'Neill, Cork Gaelic footballer.
• Derek Turner, journalist.
• Paul Williams, journalist and writer.

Deaths

• 9 March – Frederick Jeremiah Edwards, recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in 1916 at Thiepval, France (born 1894).
• 20 March – Brendan Behan, poet, novelist and playwright (born 1923).
• 29 April – J. M. Kerrigan, actor (born 1884).
• 18 September – Seán O'Casey, dramatist and memoirist (born 1880).
• 27 September – Michael Donnellan, founder of Clann na Talmhan and TD (born 1900).
• 24 November –
  • William O'Dwyer, judge, District Attorney and 100th Mayor of New York City (born 1890).
  • Des Dillon, former Clare, Dublin and Offaly hurler and Gaelic handballer (born 1926).
• November – Percy Redfern Creed, soldier, sportsman and writer (born 1874).
• 31 December – Daniel Corkery, writer, teacher and Fianna Fáil Senator (born 1878).

References