1. Incumbents

2. Events

3. Arts and literature

4. Sports

5. Births

6. Deaths

7. See also

8. References

Events from the year 1968 in Ireland.

Incumbents

• President: Éamon de Valera
• Taoiseach: Jack Lynch (FF)

Events

• 8 January – Taoiseach Jack Lynch and Northern Ireland Prime Minister Terence O'Neill meet for talks in Dublin.^[1]
• 10 March – Minister for Education Donogh O'Malley collapses and dies while campaigning in County Clare.
• 17 March – a seat to commemorate the poet Patrick Kavanagh is unveiled alongside the Grand Canal in Dublin.
• 24 March – an Aer Lingus aircraft, St Phelim, plunges into the Irish Sea off the Tuskar Rock killing all 57 passengers.
• 14 May – King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium begin a state visit to Ireland.^[2] A state dinner is held in their honour at Áras an Uachtaráin this evening.^[3]
• 15 May – the King and Queen of Belgium visit Trinity College, Dublin,^[4] University College Dublin,^[5] and the National Museum.^[6] They also visit the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Frank Cluskey, at the Mansion House,^[7] and attend a state banquet at Dublin Castle in the evening.^[8]
• 16 May – the King and Queen of Belgium attend a party at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.^[9]
• 17 May – the King and Queen of Belgium pay a second visit to Áras an Uachtaráin where Baudouin plays hurling with President Éamon de Valera and Taoiseach Jack Lynch.^[10][11][12] The royal couple each plant a tree in the garden of the residence.^[13][14] The President, the Taoiseach, and Minister for External Affairs, Frank Aiken later accompany the king and queen to a farewell ceremony at Dublin Airport.^[15][16]
• 29 May – President de Valera opens the John F. Kennedy Arboretum and Memorial Park in New Ross, County Wexford.
• 6 June – Ireland mourns the loss of assassinated United States Senator Robert Kennedy. Dáil Éireann pays tribute and a book of condolence is opened.
• 5 October – police in Derry baton-charge a Northern Ireland civil rights march.
• 8 October – 20 new traffic wardens are introduced on Dublin's streets.
• 16 October – Irish constitutional referendum, 1968.
• 25 October – the New University of Ulster is opened in Coleraine, County Londonderry.
• 27 October – the Standard Time Act 1968^[17] stipulates that Irish Standard Time is UTC+1 (Central European Time) and clocks are not turned back one hour during winter.
• 13 December – according to the Economic and Social Research Institute 60% of undergraduates in this country will emigrate on graduation.
• County Hall, Cork is opened; at this time it is the tallest storeyed building in Ireland.

Arts and literature

• 28 February – first English language production of Samuel Beckett's Come and Go at the Peacock Theatre, Dublin.^[18]
• Tom Murphy's plays Famine (21 March) and The Orphans (7 October) are first produced in Dublin (at the Abbey and Gate Theatres respectively).^[18]

Sports

• 1 September - Wexford beat Tipperary 5-8 to 3-12 in the All Ireland Senior Hurling Final at Croke Park, Dublin.
• 18 September – George Best is the star attraction as Manchester United beat Waterford City 3–1 at Lansdowne Road.
• 22 September - Down defeat Kerry 2-12 to 1-13 in the All Ireland Senior Football Final.
• Tony Dunne and George Best become the first Irish footballers to pick up European Cup winners medals as Manchester United defeat Benfica in the final at Wembley Stadium.

Births

• 12 January – Michael Moynihan, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North-West.
• 15 January – Tom Murphy, actor (died 2007).
• 19 January – Fiona O'Malley, Progressive Democrats TD, Senator.
• 20 January
  • TS O'Rourke, writer.
  • Charlie Swan, jockey and trainer.
• 23 January – Simon Cumbers, journalist (murdered 2004 in Saudi Arabia).
• 21 February – Michael Duignan, Offaly hurler and Gaelic footballer, manager.
• 24 March – Conor Hoey, cricketer.
• 26 March – Nick Sweeney, discus thrower.
• 24 April – Aidan Gillen, born Murphy, actor.
• 22 May – Graham Linehan, television writer and director.
• 31 May – John Connolly, novelist.
• 7 June – Robbie Horgan, soccer player.
• 28 July – Eoin Collins, tennis player.
• 11 August – Alan Kelly, Jr., English born Irish international footballer.
• 10 September – Mark Little, journalist and television presenter.
• 15 September – James O'Higgins Norman, academic and author.
• 23 October – Eddie Gormley, soccer player and manager.
• 24 October – Tom McEllistrim, Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry North.
• 12 November – Sharon Shannon, accordion player and musician.
• 20 December – Paul Gogarty, Green Party TD.
• 27 November – Cecilia Keaveney, former Fianna Fáil TD, Senator.

Full date unknown

• Patrick Chapman, poet and screenwriter.
• Fergus Feehily, artist.
• Panti (Rory O'Neill), drag queen.
• Justin Quinn, poet and literary critic.
• Colin Teevan, playwright, radio dramatist, translator and academic.

Deaths

• 1 January – Donagh MacDonagh, writer and judge (born 1912).
• 19 January – Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, mining magnate and benefactor (born 1875).
• February – Joan de Sales La Terriere, socialite, equestrienne and divorcée (born 1889).
• 8 February – Louise McIlroy, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the London School of Medicine for Women (born 1874).
• 10 March – Donogh O'Malley, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister (born 1921).
• 24 March – Gladys Wynne, artist (born 1876).
• 16 July – William John Leech, painter (born 1881).
• 11 September – Denis McCullough, member of the Irish Volunteers elected to the 4th Dáil Éireann (born 1883).
• 31 October – William X. O'Brien, politician and trade unionist (born 1881).
• 2 November – Don Davern, Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary South from 1965 until his death (born 1935).
• 7 November – Margaret Mary Pearse, Fianna Fáil TD and Seanad Éireann member, sister of Patrick Pearse (born 1878).
• 24 December – Eamon Bulfin, Irish republican (born 1892).

Full date unknown

• William Conor, artist (born 1881).
• Harry Duggan, soccer player (born 1903).
• Estella Solomons, painter (born 1882).

See also

• 1968 in Irish television

References

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• Minnow Lake
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• Minnow Nase
• Minnow of the Deep
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• Minnows of The Deep
• Minnpost
• MinnPost.com