1970 in Ireland

← 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1970 in Ireland → 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	1970 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1970 List of years in Ireland

Events from the year 1970 in Ireland.

Incumbents

• President: Éamon de Valera (Fianna Fáil)
• Taoiseach: Jack Lynch (Fianna Fáil)

Events

January – March

• 10 January – Huge anti-apartheid demonstrations take place as Ireland play South Africa in rugby union.
• 10 January – Éamon and Sinéad de Valera celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.
• 11 January – Sinn Féin splits into Provisional and Official wings over a disagreement on abstentionism.
• 1 March – The national song contest was held.
• 21 March – Ireland won the Eurovision song contest for the first time.
• 29 March – Irish language pirate radio station Saor Raidió Chonamara begins broadcasting.

April – June

• 3 April – Garda Richard Fallon (Republic of Ireland policeman) murdered on duty in Dublin. First policeman killed in the South during the troubles.
• 16 April – Rev. Ian Paisley wins a by-election to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland.
• 21 April – The Alliance Party is founded in Northern Ireland.
• 22 April – Taoiseach Jack Lynch presents the budget in the absence of the Minister for Finance, Charles Haughey, who was injured, supposedly in a riding accident.
• 4 May – The Minister for Justice, Micheál Ó Móráin, resigns from the government citing ill-health.The Taoiseach states in the Dáil on 7 May, "I wish to state that Deputy Ó Moráin's condition is not unassociated with the shock he suffered as a result of the killing of Garda Fallon".
• 6 May – Arms Crisis: The Minister for Finance, Charles Haughey, and the Minister for Agriculture, Neil Blaney, are asked to resign by Taoiseach Jack Lynch. He accuses them of the attempted illegal importation of arms for use by the Provisional IRA. Kevin Boland, the Minister for Local Government, resigns in sympathy with them.
• 27 May – Captain James Kelly, Albert Luykx and John Kelly are arrested. They are charged with conspiracy to import arms.
• 28 May – Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney appear in Dublin's Bridewell Court charged, along with Albert Luykx and Capt. Kelly, with conspiracy to import arms.
• 31 May – The horse, Arkle, is put down at the home of his owner, Anne, Duchess of Westminster.
• 4 June – Kevin Boland is expelled from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.
• 25 June – Bishops meeting at Maynooth lift the ban on Catholic attendance at Trinity College Dublin.

July – September

• 2 July – Neil Blaney is cleared of arms conspiracy charges.
• 5 July – After a special cabinet meeting the government demands a ban on all parades in Northern Ireland and the disarmament of civilians.
• 2 August – The British Army first fires rubber bullets in Belfast.
• 9 August – The Galway-Aran Islands air service is launched. A return air-fare costs £5.
• 21 August – A new political party, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, is founded in Northern Ireland under the leadership of Gerry Fitt.
• 1 September – The New University of Ulster is presented with a Royal Charter by Elizabeth II.

October – December

• 3 October – United States President Richard Nixon arrives in Ireland. He is greeted by Taoiseach Jack Lynch. In Dublin an anti-Vietnam War protest takes place.
• 4 October – Mrs Nixon visits relatives and her ancestral home in County Mayo. Another protest takes place outside the U.S. Embassy in Dublin.
• 13 October – Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise, survivors of the aborted Apollo 13 spaceflight to the moon, landed safely at Dublin Airport with wives Marilyn Lovell and Patt Haise.
• 23 October – Charles Haughey, James Kelly, Albert Luykx and John Kelly are acquitted in the Arms Conspiracy Trial.
• 26 October – Taoiseach Jack Lynch, questioned on his return from the United States, says that there will be no change in fundamental Fianna Fáil policy regarding Northern Ireland.
• 15 December – Aer Lingus takes delivery of its first Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, the largest aircraft it will ever operate.

Unknown dates

• Unknown date – The first Regional Technical Colleges open in Ireland.

Arts and literature

• 21 March – "All Kinds of Everything" sung by Dana (music and text by Derry Lindsay and Jackie Smith) wins the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland for the first time.
• 9 November – Ryan's Daughter, David Lean's movie, filmed largely in Ireland, is released.
• John Banville's short story collection Long Lankin is published.
• Christy Brown's autobiographical Down All the Days is published.
• J. G. Farrell's novel Troubles, set during the Irish War of Independence, is published.
• Brian Moore's novel Fergus is published.
• Máirtín Ó Cadhain's first short story collection An tSraith dhá Tógáil is published.
• Royal Hibernian Academy moves to new premises in Ely Place, Dublin.
• The crossover band Clannad is formed in Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal.

Sport

Horse racing

• Nijinsky wins the Irish Derby

Football

• League of Ireland

Winners: Waterford

• FAI Cup

Winners: Bohemians 0–0, 0–0, 2–1 Sligo Rovers

Gaelic Athletic Association

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Winners: Kerry 2–19 v 0–18 Meath (played at Croke Park, Dublin)

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Winners: Cork 6–21 v 5–10 Wexford (played at Croke Park, Dublin)

(This was the first 80 minute All-Ireland Hurling Final)

Births

January to June

• 1 January – Rónán Ó Snodaigh, singer and bodhrán player with Kíla..
• 4 January – Edward Olive, actor.
• 16 January – Ciarán Carey, former Limerick hurler.
• 24 March – Sharon Corr, violinist with The Corrs.
• 21 April – Glen Hansard, actor and vocalist/guitarist for The Frames.
• 1 May – Serena Armstrong-Jones, Viscountess Linley, aristocrat.
• 10 May – Mick Fitzgerald, National Hunt jockey.
• 27 May – Glenn Quinn, actor (died 2002).
• 29 May – Mary Kingston, television presenter.
• 3 June – Stephen Geoghegan, soccer player.

July to December

• 6 July – Tony O'Dowd, soccer player.
• 17 July – Siobhán Hoey, triple jumper.
• 24 July - Julia Bradbury, television presenter.
• 27 August – Jeff Kenna, soccer player.
• 18 September – Vinny Arkins, soccer player.
• 21 September – Samantha Power, journalist, academic and United States government official.
• 13 October - Rónán Mullen, journalist and Senator.
• 3 November – Tommy Tiernan, comedian, actor and writer.
• 11 November – D. J. Carey, Kilkenny hurler.
• 12 November – Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, television presenter.
• 3 December – Brendan Kehoe, software developer and author.
• 17 December – Craig Doyle, television presenter.

Full date unknown

• Charlie Carter, Kilkenny hurler.
• Aidan McArdle, actor.
• Eleanor Maguire, neuropsychologist.
• John Moore, film director, producer and writer.
• Johnny Pilkington, Offaly hurler.
• David Quinn, artist.
• Ruth Turner, formerly Director of Government Relations within Tony Blair's Downing Street office.
• David Wheatley, poet and critic.

Deaths

January to June

• 5 January – Cyril Fagan, astrologer (born 1896).
• 6 January – Peter J. Ward, Sinn Féin (later Cumann na nGaedheal) TD, member 1st Dáil (born 1891).
• 6 January – David P. Tyndall, businessman (born 1890).
• 28 January – Gerard Sweetman, former Fine Gael TD and Cabinet Minister (born 1908).
• 8 February – Cahir Healy, Nationalist Party MP (born 1877).
• 11 March – Patrick Lenihan, Fianna Fáil TD (born 1902).
• 21 April – Enid Starkie, literary critic and biographer (born 1897).
• 27 April – Arthur Shields, actor (born 1896).
• 31 May – Arkle, racehorse, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup on three consecutive occasions (born 1957).

July to December

• 11 July – Bobby Kirk, ice hockey player (born 1910).
• 12 August – Joseph Blowick second leader of Clann na Talmhan, TD and Cabinet Minister (born 1903).
• 14 August – Tommy Henderson, Ulster independent Unionist politician (born 1877).
• 20 September – Leo Rowsome, teacher, player and maker of uilleann pipes (born 1903).
• 25 September – James Ryan, Fianna Fáil TD Member of 1st Dáil and Cabinet Minister (born 1891).
• 29 September – Mark Killilea, Snr, Fianna Fáil TD, member of the Seanad (born 1896).
• 15 October – Liam Ó Buachalla, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann 1951–1954 and 1957–1969 (born 1899).
• 18 October – Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Irish language writer (born 1906).
• 24 December – Tom Farquharson, soccer player (born 1900).