1963 in Ireland

Incumbents

• President: Éamon de Valera
• Taoiseach: Seán Lemass

  Events

• 17 January – Thomas Johnson, first parliamentary leader of the Labour Party, dies aged 91.
• 24 January – The Minister for Justice, Charles Haughey, announces that the government proposes to abolish the death penalty.
• 29 January – A new control tower is opened at Shannon Airport.
• 20 May – The Minister for Education, Patrick Hillery, announces plans for comprehensive schools and regional technical colleges.
• 3 June – Teilifís Éireann closes down immediately after its 9 o'clock news bulletin as a mark of respect to the memory of Pope John XXIII.
• 27 June – U.S. president John F. Kennedy visits his ancestral home at New Ross, County Wexford. He inspects a naval guard of honour and then addresses the crowd.
• 28 June – U.S. president John Kennedy receives a standing ovation as he addresses a joint session of both houses of the Oireachtas.
• 29 June – U.S. president John Kennedy chats with President de Valera at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin before leaving Ireland.
• 4 October – Speaking on the nuclear test ban at the United Nations in New York, the Minister for External Affairs, Frank Aiken, calls for an end to all nuclear weapons.
• 16 October – Taoiseach Seán Lemass is greeted by U.S. president John Kennedy at the White House where he inspects a guard of honour.
• 1 November – Domhnall Ua Buachalla, the last Governor-General of the Irish Free State, is buried in Dublin.
• 7 November – The Beatles arrive in Dublin for a concert in the Adelphi Cinema. This was the only time that they ever performed in the Republic of Ireland.
• 22 November – President de Valera addresses the nation on the death of U.S. president John Kennedy.
• 24 November – President de Valera leaves for the funeral of U.S. president John Kennedy. He is accompanied by cadets who have been invited by Jacqueline Kennedy to form a guard of honour.
• 26 November – Ireland held a national day of mourning following the death of U.S. president John F. Kennedy

  Arts and literature

• 2 June – Benjamin Britten's A Hymn of St Columba is premiered at Gartan.
• Cork Opera House fully rebuilt and reopened.
• Publication of John McGahern's first novel, the semi-autobiographical The Barracks.

  Sports

• Shelbourne win the FAI Cup.
• Paddy Prendergast becomes the first Irish-based trainer to become British flat racing Champion Trainer, retaining the title for the succeeding two years.

  Births

• 7 January – Tony O'Sullivan, Cork hurler.
• February – Theresa Lowe, television presenter.
• 3 March – Conor Lenihan, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South-West and Minister of State.
• 19 March – Mark Dearey, businessman and Green Party councillor in Dundalk.
• 25 March – Kevin O'Rourke, economic historian, born in Switzerland.
• 26 March – Paul Doolin, soccer player.
• 29 March – Pat Gallagher, Irish Labour Party politician.
• 3 April – Ciarán Cuffe, Green Party TD for Dún Laoghaire.
• 4 April – Graham Norton, actor, comedian and television presenter.
• 1 June – Michael Creed, Fine Gael TD for Cork North-West.
• 3 June – Lucy Grealy, poet and memoirist.
• 13 June – Larry Tompkins, Kildare and Cork Gaelic footballer.
• 21 June – Carlos O'Connell, Irish decathlete.
• 26 June – Tomás Mulcahy, Cork hurler.
• 23 July – Andy Townsend, soccer player born in England of Irish descent.
• 28 July – Eamon Ryan, Green Party TD for Dublin South and Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
• 22 August – Terry McHugh, javelin thrower.
• 31 August – Todd Carty, actor.
• 10 September – Marian Keyes, novelist.
• 24 September – Margaret Cox, Fianna Fáil Senator.
• 25 September – Niall Cahalane, Cork Gaelic footballer.
• 9 November – Kieran O'Regan, soccer player.
• 13 November – Joe Dooley, Offaly hurler, manager.
• 1 December – Paul Bradford, Fine Gael Senator.
• 5 December – Tony Keady, Galway hurler.

  Full date unknown

• Pat Boran, poet.
• Orla Kiely, fashion and textile designer.
• Bryan Smyth, singer, actor and television presenter.
• Liam Walsh, Kilkenny hurler.

  Deaths

January to June

• 1 February – John Cardinal D'Alton, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland from 1946 to 1963.
• 4 February – Brinsley MacNamara, novelist and playwright.
• 3 March – Brian O'Higgins, Sinn Féin MP and President.
• 16 May – Patrick Little, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister.
• 31 May – Seán O'Hegarty, Irish Republican Army member during the Irish War of Independence.
• 12 June – Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, British admiral of the Second World War and First Sea Lord.
• 23 June – George C. Bennett, Cumann na nGaedheal TD, later joined Fine Gael and Seanad Éireann member.

  July to December

• 11 October – John Galvin, Fianna Fáil TD.
• 30 October – Hugh O'Flaherty, Catholic priest, saved about 4,000 Allied soldiers and Jews in the Vatican during World War II.
• 30 October – Domhnall Ua Buachalla, member of 1st Dáil, Fianna Fáil TD, last Governor-General of the Irish Free State.
• 2 November – Daniel Mannix, Catholic clergyman, Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years.
• 22 November – C. S. Lewis, novelist and author of The Chronicles of Narnia.
• November – Patrick MacGill, journalist, poet and novelist.
• 4 December – William Norton, Labour Party leader, TD and Cabinet Minister.
• 15 December – Oscar Traynor, Fianna Fáil politician.
• December – Andy Kennedy, footballer.

  Full date unknown

• Joseph Brennan, civil servant and Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland.
• Charles Campbell, 2nd Baron Glenavy, peer.
• Padraig O'Keeffe, fiddle player.