1966 in Ireland

← 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1966 in Ireland → 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
See also:	1966 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1966 List of years in Ireland

Events in the year1966 in Ireland.

Incumbents

• President:Éamon de Valera
• Taoiseach:
  • Seán Lemass(FF) (until 10 November 1966)
  • Jack Lynch(FF) (from 10 November 1966)
• Tánaiste:Frank Aiken(FF)
• Minister for Finance:
  • Jack Lynch(FF) (until 10 November 1966)
  • Charles Haughey(FF) (from 10 November 1966)
• Chief Justice:Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh
• Dáil:18th
• Seanad:11th

Events

• 13 February – The Bishop of Clonfert,Thomas Ryan,protested against the content ofThe Late Late Showbecause an audience member, Eileen Fox, told hostGay Byrnethat she wore no nightie on her wedding night. The episode was broadly referred to thereafter in Ireland as the Bishop and the Nightie scandal.
• 6 March – A memorial was opened atKilmichael, County Cork,to commemorate the1920 ambushthere.
• 8 March
  • Nelson's PillarinO'Connell StreetinDublinwas blown up, probably by formerIrish Republican Armyvolunteers marking this year's 50th anniversary of theEaster Rising.
  • A teenage riot took place in the early hours atDublin Airportwhen singerDickie Rockreturned from his joint-fourth-place rank at theEurovision song contestin Luxembourg.Gardaílinked arms and struggled to contain the surging mob of 1,000 over-excited young people, twenty of whom were taken to hospital.
  • The Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Act changed the name of the national broadcasting authority from Radio Éireann toRadio Telefís Éireann.
• 31 March – Thetricolour flagflown over theGeneral Post Officein Dublin in 1916 was returned by the British toTaoiseachSeán LemassinLondon.
• 6 April – The re-establishedUlster Volunteer Forcelaunched its campaignin Belfast.
• 10 April –Celebrations took placeto mark the 50th anniversary of theEaster Risingin 1916.Nine hundred survivors of the rising heard the reading of theProclamation of the Irish Republicand PresidentÉamon de Valeratook the salute at a military parade.
• 11 April – President De Valera opened theGarden of RemembranceinParnell Squarein Dublin.
• 15 April – Construction of Ireland's first high-rise flats began inBallymun,Dublin.
• 17 April – The Easter Rising was commemorated inBelfastby largeRepublicanparades.
• 1 June – In the1966 presidential election,Fianna Fáil party candidate and third president of IrelandÉamon de Valerawas elected to a second term in office when he beat Fine Gael party candidateTom O'Higginsby 10,500 votes, less than one percent of the ballot (0.97%). De Valera was inaugurated on June 25.
• 7 September – At aNational Union of Journalistsseminar, the newMinister for Education,Donogh O'Malley,announced plans for his revolutionary free secondary education scheme, along with a free school-transport scheme for rural children. These plans were implemented in September 1967.
• 21 September –Allied Irish Bankswas founded by the amalgamation of the Munster and Leinster Bank, Provincial Bank of Ireland, and Royal Bank of Ireland.
• 21 October – An anti-apartheiddemonstration took place outside theNational Stadiumduring a visit by the South African Amateur Bo xing Team.
• 8 November – Tributes were paid to Seán Lemass who announced his resignation as Taoiseach.
• 10 November – The new taoiseach,Jack Lynch,and his ministers received their seals of office from President de Valera at the president's residence,Áras an Uachtaráin.
• 25 November – The body of the second President of Ireland,Seán T. O'Kelly,lay in state at St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral.
• 1 December –StillorganShopping Centre, the firstshopping centrein Ireland, was opened by the recently-retired Taoiseach,Seán Lemass.
• Undated – The nave atBallintubber Abbeywas restored and re-roofed.

Arts and literature

• 28 February – The first English-language production ofSamuel Beckett'sCome and Gotook place at thePeacock Theatre, Dublin.It was first produced on 14 January in German, in Berlin; it was also first published, in French, this year.
• 18 July – The newAbbey Theatrein Dublin opened exactly 15 years after the original was burned down;the architect was former actorMichael Scott.
• October – The first annualCastlebar Song Contestwas staged inCounty Mayo.
• Seamus Heaney's first poetry collection,Death of a Naturalist,was published.
• Aidan Higgins's novelLangrishe, Go Downwas published.

Births

• 24 January –Jimeoin,comedian, actor, producer and screenwriter.
• 25 January –Donal MacIntyre,investigative journalist.
• 8 February –Seán McCarthy,Corkhurler.
• 14 February –Gary Halpin,international rugby union player (died 2021).
• 17 February –John Power,Kilkennyhurler.
• 12 April –Jim Duffy,historian and political commentator.
• 23 April –Jim Stynes,Australian rules footballplayer (died 2012).
• 3 May –Ducksy Walsh,handball player (died 2016).
• 15 May –Orla Guerin,television journalist.
• 22 May –Colm Ó Snodaigh,singer and musician withKíla,and writer.
• 9 June –Beverley Flynn,Fianna FáilTeachta Dála(TD) forMayo.
• 2 August –Grainne Leahy,Irish cricketer.
• 22 August –Alain Rolland,rugby player, international referee.
• 6 October –Niall Quinn,association footballer.
• 8 October –Mick Galwey,Gaelic footballer and rugby player.
• November –David Drumm,banker and convicted fraudster.
• 11 November –Alison Doody,actress.
• 21 November –Martin Hanamy,Offalyhurler.
• 30 November –Lenny Abrahamson,film director.
• 7 December –Leo Turley,LaoisGaelic footballer.
• 8 December –Sinéad O'Connor,singer-songwriter (died 2023).
• 10 December –Colm Ó Maonlaí,actor and musician.
• 12 December –Pat Shortt,actor.
• 16 December –Paul McGinley,golfer.

Full date unknown

• Rachel Joynt,sculptor.
• Liam Simpson,Kilkenny hurler.

Deaths

• 10 March –Frank O'Connor,short story writer and memoirist (born 1903).
• 26 March –Joseph McGrath,Sinn Féinparty and laterCumann na nGaedhealparty TD, racehorse owner and breeder (born 1888).
• 28 March –Patrick McCartan,Sinn Féin member of parliament (MP) and TD, member of theFirst Dáil,founder member ofClann na Poblachta(born 1878).
• 1 April –Brian O'Nolan,satirist and humourist (born 1911).
• 29 April –Tom Hales,Irish Republican Armyvolunteer,fought inAnglo-Irish WarandIrish Civil War(born 1892).
• 23 May –Jacko Heaslip,cricketer (born 1899).
• 3 June –Fionán Lynch,Sinn Féin MP and TD, member of theFirst Dáil,Cabinet minister, Cumann na nGaedheal andFine Gaelparty TD (born 1889).
• 7 June –James Hickey,Labour Party politician andLord Mayor of Cork.
• 26 July –Maura Laverty,writer (born 1907).
• 12 August –Mike McTigue,boxer,light heavyweightchampion of the world 1923–1925 (born 1892).
• 23 November –Seán T. O'Kelly,founding member of Fianna Fáil, Cabinet minister and secondPresident of Ireland(born 1882).
• 14 December –Paul Galligan,merchant, member of the First Dáil representingCavan West(born 1888).
• 15 December –Conn Ward,Fianna Fáil politician (born 1890).
• 25 December –Thomas Harvey,cricketer and rugby player (born 1878).
• 27 December –Sim Walton,hurler (Tullaroan,Kilkenny) (born 1870).
• 31 December –Danny Ryan,hurler (Moycarkey-Borris,Kilkenny) (born 1880).

Full date unknown

• Diarmuid Murphy,writer, theatre and film producer (born 1895).
• Sydney Sparkes Orr,Professor of Philosophy at theUniversity of Tasmania(born 1914).

See also

• 1966 in Irish television