1968 in Ireland

← 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1968 in Ireland → 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
See also:	1968 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1968 List of years in Ireland

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 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

• 18 September - George Best is the star attraction as Manchester United beat Waterford City 3-1 at Lansdowne Road.
• 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.
• 23 January - Simon Cumbers, journalist (murdered 2004 in Saudi Arabia).
• 24 March - Conor Hoey, cricketer.
• 26 March - Nick Sweeney, discus thrower.
• 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.
• Michael Duignan, Offaly hurler and gaelic footballer, manager.
• Fergus Feehily, artist.
• David McWilliams, economist and broadcaster.
• 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).
• 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).

Full date unknown

• Eamon Bulfin, Irish republican (born 1892).
• William Conor, artist (born 1881).
• Joan de Sales La Terriere, socialite, equestrienne and divorcée (born 1889).
• Harry Duggan, soccer player (born 1903).
• Estella Solomons, painter (born 1882).

References