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 (Fianna Fáil)
• Taoiseach: Jack Lynch (Fianna Fáil)

Events

• 8 January - Taoiseach Jack Lynch and Northern Ireland Prime Minister Terence O'Neill meet for talks in Dublin.
• 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.
• 14 May - King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium began a state visit to Ireland. A state dinner was held in their honour at Áras an Uachtaráin that evening.
• 15 May - The King and Queen of Belgium visited Trinity College, Dublin, University College Dublin, and the National Museum. They also visited the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Frank Cluskey, at the Mansion House, and attended a state banquet at Dublin Castle in the evening.
• 16 May - The King and Queen of Belgium attended a party at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.
• 17 May - The King and Queen of Belgium paid a second visit to Áras an Uachtaráin where Baudouin played hurling with President Éamon de Valera and Taoiseach Jack Lynch. The royal couple each planted a tree in the garden of the residence. The President, the Taoiseach, and Minister for External Affairs, Frank Aiken later accompanied the king and queen to a farewell ceremony at Dublin Airport.
• 24 March - An Aer Lingus aircraft, St Phelim, plunges into the Irish Sea off the Tuskar Rock killing all 57 passengers.
• 29 May - President de Valera opens the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park in New Ross, County Wexford.
• 6 June - Ireland mourns the loss of Senator Robert Kennedy who was assassinated. Dáil Éireann pays tribute and a book of condolence is opened.
• 18 September - George Best is the star attraction as Manchester United beat Waterford City 3-1 at Lansdowne Road.
• 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 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.

Arts and literature

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

Sports

• 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, former Progressive Democrats TD, Senator.
• 20 January - TS O'Rourke, writer.
• 23 January - Simon Cumbers, journalist murdered in Saudi Arabia (died 2004).
• 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 junior, English born footballer of Irish descent
• 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.
• Rory O'Neill (Panti), drag queen.
• David McWilliams, economist and broadcaster.
• 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, Irish Volunteers and 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).