1971 in Ireland

← 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1971 in Ireland → 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	1971 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1971 List of years in Ireland

Events in the year1971 in Ireland.

Incumbents

• President:Éamon de Valera
• Taoiseach:Jack Lynch(FF)
• Tánaiste:Erskine H. Childers(FF)
• Minister for Finance:George Colley(FF)
• Chief Justice:Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh
• Dáil:19th
• Seanad:12th

Events

• 4 January –John McQuaidretired after thirty years asRoman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin.Dermot Ryanwas appointed to succeed him on 29 December.
• 15 February –Decimalisation:Ireland and the United Kingdom bothswitched todecimal currency.
• 25 February – A partialeclipse of the sun(magnitude0.708)darkened the sky across Ireland.InDublin,the event lasted two hours and seven minutes. It began at 9.35am; the maximum was at 10.37am when 70.8% of the sun's disc was covered by the moon; and it ended at 11.42am.
• 6 March
  • Crowds assembled atDublin Airportto witness the first flight of aBoeing 747aircraft in Ireland whenAer Lingustook delivery of its first Jumbo Jet, theSaint Columcille(registration number EI-ASI), which arrived fromNew York.
  • The rock groupLed Zeppelinplayed their only concert in Ireland at theNational Stadiumin Dublin.
• 17 March – The giant Jumbo Jet recently arrived in Ireland flew over theSaint Patrick's Dayparade alongO'Connell Street,Dublin, escorted by four smaller aircraft.
• 20 March – MajorJames Chichester-Clarkresigned asPrime Minister of Northern Ireland.He was succeeded on 23 March byBrian Faulkner.
• 3 April – TheEurovision Song Contestwas held inDublin.Presented byBernadette Ní Ghallchóir,it was the first colour television broadcast byRTÉ.
• 11 April
  • TenBritish Armysoldiers were injured in rioting inDerry.
  • TheGaelic Athletic Associationvoted to lift its ban on members participating in "foreign games" such asassociation football,rugbyandcricket.
• 20 April – Two BritishRoyal Navysurvey launches moored offBaltimore, County Cork,were towed out to sea and bombed by aProvisional Irish Republican Armyunit. One of them, theStork,was wrecked.
• 11 May –Seán Lemass,taoiseachfrom 1959 to 1966, died aged 71. He fought during the 1916Easter Rising,theWar of Independenceand theCivil War.
• 22 May – Members of theIrish Women's Liberation Movementreturned to Dublin bringing contraceptives fromBelfaston the so-called "Contraceptive Train"to protest against the law banning their importation.
• 8 July – Two rioters were shot dead by British troops in Derry.
• 16 July – TheSocial Democratic and Labour Party(SDLP) announced that it was withdrawing from theStormontparliament.
• 9 August –Internmentwithout trial was introduced in Northern Ireland. Over 300republicanswere arrested in pre-dawn raids by British security forces and interned inLong Keshprison. SomeLoyalistswere later arrested. Twenty people died in riots that followed, including eleven in theBallymurphy Massacre.
• 12 August –British troopsbegan clearing operationsin Belfast following the worst rioting in years.TaoiseachJack Lynchcalled for an end to theStormontadministration.
• 7 September – The death toll inThe Troublesreached 100 after three years of violence, with the death of 14-year-oldAnnette McGavigan,who was killed by a gunshot during crossfire between British soldiers and the IRA.
• 25 September – A rally took place in Dublin in support of a campaign ofcivil disobediencein Northern Ireland.
• 27 September –Prime ministersEdward Heath,Jack Lynch, and Brian Faulkner met atChequersto discuss the Northern Ireland situation.
• 13 October – TheBritish Armybegan to destroy roads between Ireland and Northern Ireland as a security measure.
• 23 October – Two women were shot dead by soldiers in Belfast when their car failed to stop at a checkpoint.
• 31 October – The Standard Time (Amendment) Act, 1971reversed the main provision of theStandard Time Act 1968,returning Irish winter time toUTC+0(Western European Time).
• 10 November – The Government defeated a motion of no confidence in theMinister for Agriculture,Jim Gibbons.
• 17 November –Neil BlaneyandPaudge Brennanwere expelled from theFianna Fáilparliamentary party.
• 4 December – TheMcGurk's Bar bombing,carried out by theUlster Volunteer Forcein Belfast, killed 15 people, the highest death toll from a single incident in the city duringThe Troubles.
• Undated – Units 1 and 2 ofPoolbeg Generating Stationin Dublin were completed.

Arts and literature

• 27 September – Satirical television seriesHall's Pictorial Weeklywas first broadcast onRTÉ.
• PlaywrightsJohn ArdenandMargaretta D'Arcysettled inCounty Galway.
• John Banville's novelNightspawnwas published.
• Thomas Kilroy's novelThe Big Chapelwas published.
• Seán Ó Ríordáin's poetry collectionLínte Liombówas published.
• Francis Stuart's autobiographical novelBlack List, Section Hwas published.

Sports

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: Offaly 1–14 Galway 2–8

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: Tipperary 5–17 Kilkenny 5–14

Births

• 19 January
  • Charlie Carter,Kilkennyhurler.
  • John Troy,Offalyhurler.
• 20 January –Ger McDonnell,mountaineer and engineer (d. 2008).
• 31 January –Mark Geary,folk singer-songwriter.
• 3 March – Stephen J. Martin, comic fiction writer.
• 4 March –Fergal Lawler,rock drummer withThe Cranberries.
• 12 March –Conrad Gallagher,chef.
• 6 April –Derek Tracey,association football player.
• 29 April –Adrian Maguire,jockey.
• 30 April –John Boyne,novelist.
• 18 June –Jason McAteer,international association football player.
• 28 June –Kenny Cunningham,association football player.
• 16 July –Joe McHugh,Fine GaelpartyTeachta Dála(TD) forDonegal North-East,senator.
• 30 July –Hubert Rigney,Offaly hurler.
• 2 August –Davy FitzGerald,Clarehurler.
• 4 August –Paul McCarthy,association football player (died 2017).
• 6 August –Conor McPherson,playwright and director.
• 10 August –Roy Keane,Manchester UnitedandGlasgow Celticfootballer andSunderlandmanager.
• 17 August –Anthony Kearns,tenor.
• 18 August –Aphex Twin(Richard D. James), electronic music artist.
• 31 August –Pádraig Harrington,golfer, winner of2007 Open Championship.
• August –Brian Whelahan,Offaly hurler.
• 6 September –Dolores O'Riordan,rock singer-songwriter with The Cranberries (d. 2018).
• 7 October –Johnny Dooley,Offaly hurler, manager.
• 24 October –Dervla Kirwan,actress.
• 30 October –Stephen Kenny,football player and manager
• 3 November –Dylan Moran,comedian, actor, and writer.
• 22 November –Kyran Bracken,rugby player
• 26 November –James McGarry,Kilkennyhurlinggoalkeeper.
• November –Brian Lohan,Clare hurler.
• 25 December –Noel Hogan,guitarist and songwriter.

Full date unknown

• Amanda Coogan,performance artist.
• John Doyle, folk musician and songwriter with the bandUsher's Island.
• Róisín McAliskey,political activist.

Deaths

• 2 January –J. T. O'Farrell,trade union official, served in theSeanad(Senate) from 1922 to 1936 and 1948–50.
• 24 January –St John Ervine,playwright and novelist (born 1883).
• 28 January –Edward O'Connell,Cork hurler.
• 31 March –Michael Browne,Master General of theDominicans,Cardinal (born 1887).
• 1 April –Kathleen Lonsdale,X-ray crystallographer (born 1903).
• May –Eamon Martin,a founder ofFianna Éireannand anIrish Volunteerfighting in the Easter Rising (born 1892).
• 4 May –Seamus Elliott,road bicycle racer (born 1934).
• 10 May –Archie Heron,trade union organiser.
• 11 May
  • Seán Lemass,Fianna Fáil TD, Cabinet minister and taoiseach (born 1899).
  • Eamon Martin,one of founders ofFianna Éireann,and anIrish Volunteerwho fought in the Easter Rising (born 1893).
• 15 May –Tyrone Guthrie,theatrical director (born 1900).
• 13 June –Máiréad Ní Ghráda,poet and playwright.
• 14 June –Gerard Dillon,artist and painter (born 1916).
• 14 August –Shane Leslie,diplomat and writer (born 1885).
• 15 September –John Desmond Bernal,scientist (born 1901).
• 26 September –Conor Maguire,Chief Justice of Ireland (born 1889).
• 2 October –Paddy Ahern,Cork hurler (born 1900).
• 3 October –Seán Ó Riada,composer and musician (born 1931).
• 16 December –Richard Mulcahy,Chief of Staff, TD, Cabinet minister and former leader of the Fine Gael party (born 1886).

See also

• 1971 in Irish television