1961 in Ireland

"See also:"
1960 in Ireland,
other events of 1961,
1962 in Ireland ----

Events

*January 6 - Lieutenant-General Seán Mac Eoin flies out of Dublin en route to the Congo. He is taking up his new post as General Commanding Officer of the United Nations.
*January 20 - John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States. He is the first President of Irish-Catholic descent.
*June 10 - President Éamon de Valera and Mrs. Sinéad de Valera greet Prince Rainier and Princess Grace at Áras an Uachtaráin.
*June 15 - Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco have tea in a three roomed cottage near Newport, County Mayo. It was from there that the Princess' grandfather, John Henry Kelly, set off for America almost 100 years ago.
*December 20 - The last legal execution in Ireland occures in Belfast, Northern Ireland - it is of Robert McGladdery for murder.
*December 31 - Teilifís Éireann goes on air as President de Valera inaugurates the new service. The station's first broadcast is a New Year countdown with celebrations at the Gresham Hotel and O'Connell Street, Dublin.

Arts and literature

ports

* St Patrick's Athletic won the FAI Cup
* Drumcondra won the Football League of Ireland

Births

January to June

*6 January - Fergal Keane, writer and broadcast journalist.
*19 January - Eoghan Corry, journalist and author.
*25 January - Liam Currams, Offaly hurler and gaelic footballer.
*28 February - Barry McGuigan, former world Featherweight champion boxer.
*20 March - Michael O'Leary, chief executive of the low-cost airline Ryanair.
*27 March - Mark Cohen, cricketer.
*28 March - Orla Brady, actress.
*17 May - Enya, singer.
*17 May - Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, fiddle player and singer.
*21 May - John Cregan, Fianna Fáil TD for Limerick West.
*2 June - Liam Cunningham, actor.

July to December

*7 August - Roddy Collins, soccer player and manager.
*8 August - The Edge, guitarist with U2.
*August - Ger Cunningham, Cork hurler.
*25 September - Ronnie Whelan, soccer player.
*13 October - Michael Walsh, former Kilkenny hurler.
*27 October - Margaret Mazzantini, writer.
*31 October - Larry Mullen, drummer with U2.
* 8 November- Seán Haughey, Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Dublin North East, son of Charles Haughey and Maureen Haughey, grandson of Seán Lemass.
*11 December - Dave King, vocalist and songwriter.
*12 December - Daniel O'Donnell, singer.

Full date unknown

*Kevin Hennessy, Cork hurler.
*John Hodgins, Cork hurler.
*Mark Keane, cognitive scientist and author.
*Michael Nugent, writer and dramatist.
*Miriam O'Callaghan, television presenter.
*Michelle Rocca, socialite.
*John Spillane, singer songwriter.
*Willie Walsh, former Chief Executive of Aer Lingus, Chief Executive Officer of British Airways.

Deaths

*14 January - Barry Fitzgerald, Academy Award winning actor (b.1888).
*18 January - Joseph Connolly, Fianna Fáil politician (b.1885).
*4 February - Edward Pakenham, 6th Earl of Longford, politician, dramatist and poet (b.1902).
*12 August - Sir Ion Hamilton Benn, 1st Baronet, businessman and British politician (b.1863).
*25 September - James Crichton, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in 1918 at Crevecoeur, France (b.1879).
*6 October - Achey Kelly, cricketer (b.1903).
*16 November - T. C. Hammond, Anglican clergyman, Principal of Moore Theological College, Sydney (b.1877).
*8 December - Seamus Robinson, member of Irish Volunteers and Irish Republican Army (b.1890).

Full date unknown

*Patrick MacDonogh, poet (b.1902).
*Carmel Snow, journalist and editor of the American edition of "Harper's Bazaar" from 1934 to 1958 (b.1887).

County Cork Population

Cork's population reaches an all-time low,with just 330,000 living there.The population in the late 50s was 336,000.