1974 in Ireland

Events

*January 2 - The Northern Ireland Executive enjoys its first day in office.
*February 15 - A 600lb bomb explodes in Dungannon.
*April 24 - The ESB announces that Carnsore Point on the Wexford coast will be the site of its nuclear power station.
*May 8 - The great hall of University College Dublin is to become a 900-seat concert hall and home of the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra.
*May 14 - Northern Ireland grinds to a halt as the Ulster Workers' Council calls a strike following the defeat of an anti-Sunningdale Agreement motion.
*May 17 - 31 people die and 150 are injured in four car bomb explosions in Dublin and Monaghan by loyalists. They are widely suspected of receiving technical assistance from British security forces.
*May 21 - In Northern Ireland the Ulster Workers' Council Strike comes to an end.
*May 28 - The five-month old Northern Ireland Executive collapses.
*June 14 - Anatoli Kaplin, the first Soviet Ambassador to Ireland, visits President Childers at Áras an Uachtaráin.
*July 17 - The National Coalition's Contraceptive Bill is defeated in a vote in Dáil Éireann. The Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave, is one of seven Fine Gael TDs who vote against their own bill.
*September 1 - Transition Year is introduced on a pilot basis in three schools.
*September 21 - Jack Lynch says that Fianna Fáil would not support any proposal to repael articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.
*October 8 - Seán MacBride, former Minister for External Affairs, is to share in the Nobel Prize for Peace.
*November 4 - Powerscourt House in Enniskerry is destroyed by fire.
*November 17 - President Erskine H. Childers, fourth President of Ireland, dies suddenly aged 69. He had served less than 17 months of his 7 year term.
*December 10 - Seán MacBride is presented with the Nobel Prize for Peace.
*December 19 - Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh is sworn in as the fifth President of Ireland.

Arts and literature

* Jennifer Johnston's novel "How Many Miles to Babylon?" is published .

ports

Births

January to June

*12 January - Thomas FitzGerald, Earl of Offaly (d.1997).
*29 January - Niall Blaney, Independent Teachta Dála representing Donegal North East.
*4 April - Kieran Collins, AKA The Goalden Drifter, Footballer.
*28 May - Ryan Tubridy, RTE radio and television broadcaster.
*17 May - Brídín Brennan, singer.
*17 May - Andrea Corr, lead vocalist with The Corrs.

July to September

*1 July - John Davy, cricketer.
*1 July - Peter Davy, cricketer.
*1 July - Olwyn Enright, Fine Gael Teachta Dála representing Laois Offaly.
*9 July - Gary Kelly, international soccer player.
*19 July - Malcolm O'Kelly, international rugby player.
*10 August - Gus Joyce, cricketer.
*11 September - Karl Gannon, soccer player.
*September - Liam Donoghue, Galway hurler.

October to December

*1 October - Keith Duffy, former singer and actor.
*15 October - Barry McCrea, novelist.
*21 October - Tony Sheridan, soccer player.
*5 November - Gráinne Seoige, television broadcaster.
*18 November - Graham Coughlan, soccer player.
*22 November - Finian Maynard, four time speed windsurfing world champion, holds the current speed world record for sailing vessels.
*24 November - Peter Barry, former Kilkenny hurling player.
*27 November - Roy O'Brien, soccer player.
*4 December - Jason Molins, cricketer.
*7 December - Brendan Kennedy, soccer player.
*8 December - Ian Malone, member of British Army's Irish Guards, shot dead in Iraq (d.2003).

Full date unknown

*Philly Larkin, Kilkenny hurler.
*Maria McCool, singer.
*Fergal McCormack, Cork hurler.
*T. J. Ryan, former Limerick hurler.
*Victoria Smurfit, actress.

Deaths

January to June

*4 January - Phelim Calleary, Fianna Fáil TD (b.1895).
*15 February - Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander, cryptanalyst, chess player, and chess writer (b.1909).
*9 March - Daniel O'Neill, artist (b.1920).
*19 March - Austin Clarke, poet, playwright and writer (b.1896).
*10 April - Patricia Collinge, actress and writer (b.1892).
*28 May - Richard Belton, medical doctor, member of the 12th Seanad.
*3 June - Michael Gaughan, Provisional Irish Republican Army hunger striker who died in Parkhurst Prison (b.1950).
*30 June - Frank McKelvey RHA Belfast born poster designer, artist.

July to December

*5 July - James Young, comedian (b.1918).
*13 August - Kate O'Brien, novelist (b.1897).
*17 November - Erskine Hamilton Childers, Fianna Fáil TD, Cabinet Minister and fourth President of Ireland (b.1905).
*23 November - Cornelius Ryan, journalist and author (b.1920).
*1 December - Dick Grace, 84, former Kilkenny hurler.
*24 December - Michael F. Kitt, Fianna Fáil TD (b.1914).
*25 December - Harry Kernoff, artist (b.1900).
*27 December - Denis Farrelly, Fine Gael TD and senator (b.1912).

Full date unknown

*Liam Deasy, Irish Republican Army officer in the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War (b.1898).
*Padraic Fallon, poet (b.1905).
*Bob Fullam, soccer player (b.1897).