1972 in Ireland

Incumbents

• President: Éamon de Valera
• Taoiseach: Jack Lynch
• Tánaiste: Erskine H. Childers
• Minister for Finance: George Colley
• Chief Justice: Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh
• Dáil: 19th
• Seanad: 12th

  Events

• 1 January – The Central Bank of Ireland became the banker of the Government of Ireland in succession to the Bank of Ireland in accordance with the , completing its transition from a currency board to a fully operating central bank.
• 22 January – Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Patrick Hillery, signed the Treaty of Accession to the European Communities.
• 29 January – The annual broadcasting Jacob's Awards took place in Dublin.
• 30 January – Bloody Sunday: Thirteen unarmed civilians were shot dead in Derry as British soldiers opened fire on a banned civil rights march.
• 31 January – Taoiseach Jack Lynch announced a national day of mourning following the events in Derry the previous day.
• 1 February – Rioting took place in Dublin. The British Embassy in Merrion Square was burned.
• 9 February – A day of disruption took place in Northern Ireland as people took to the streets in protest.
• 10 February – The IRA announced a ceasefire.
• 12 February – William Craig launched the Ulster Vanguard movement in Lisburn.
• 19 February – The National Anti-EEC Committee organised a march along O'Connell Street.
• 26 February – Crowds turned out to see Pelé and his club, Santos FC, play at Dalymount Park.
• 30 March – UK Prime Minister Edward Heath dissolved the Stormont Parliament and imposed Direct Rule over Northern Ireland.
• 2 April – RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta commenced broadcasting.
• 17 April – The government launched its European Economic Community referendum campaign.
• 5 May – RTC, Carlow became the first Regional Technical College to install a computer. It was to be used for business and engineering courses; it used the Fortran and RPG languages; and it cost £10,000.
• 10 May – In the referendum on Ireland's membership of the EEC the poll was almost five-to-one in favour.
• 13 June – An Garda Síochána celebrated its 50th anniversary.
• 6 July – Dmitri Shostakovich was presented with an honorary D.Mus. degree at a ceremony in Trinity College Dublin.
• 12 July – Over 2,000 refugees from Northern Ireland spent the marching season south of the border.
• 19 July – Muhammad Ali beat Alvin Lewis in a technical knockout during the 11th round of a boxing match at Croke Park.
• 21 July – Bloody Friday: Nine people died and over 100 were injured in a series of IRA explosions in Belfast city centre.
• 31 July
• * Operation Motorman, 4:00 AM: The British Army began to regain control of the "no-go areas" established by Irish republican paramilitaries in Belfast, Derry and Newry.
• * Claudy bombing, 10:00 AM: Three car bombs in Claudy, County Londonderry, killed nine. It became public knowledge only in 2010 that a local Catholic priest was an IRA officer believed to be involved in the bombings but his role was covered up by the authorities.
• 20 August – Commemorations were held at Béal na Bláth, County Cork, to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Michael Collins.
• 1 December – Two bombs planted in Dublin by Ulster loyalists killed two men, George Bradshaw, a bus driver and Thomas Duffy, a bus conductor.
• 25 September – The Darlington conference on the future of Northern Ireland opened.
• 13 December – President Éamon de Valera signed documents covering Ireland's entry into the EEC.
• 17 December – Police raided premises used by unlicensed station Radio Milinda in Dublin.

  Arts and literature

• Hubert Butler's Ten Thousand Saints: A Study in Irish and European Origins was published.
• Seamus Deane's poetry Gradual Wars was published.
• Robert Dudley Edwards' A New History of Ireland was published.
• Poet Seamus Heaney moved from Belfast to work in Dublin and live in County Wicklow; The Belfast Group of poets dissolved.
• Tom MacIntyre's play Eye Winker-Tom Tinker was premiered at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, directed by Lelia Doolan.
• John Montague's long poem The Rough Field was published.
• William Trevor's collection of stories The Ballroom of Romance was published.
• Gilbert O'Sullivan's song "Alone Again " reached number one in the U.S. singles chart.
• Horslips recorded and released their first album Happy to Meet – Sorry to Part.

  Sports

• Olympics : Competing in the pentathlon, Mary Peters from Belfast became the first Irish woman to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.

  Births

• 15 January – Mark Carroll, runner.
• 17 January – John Byrne, cricketer.
• 21 January – Derek McGrath, soccer player.
• 27 January – Keith Wood, former International rugby player.
• 28 January – Peter McDonald, actor.
• February – Fergal Ryan, Cork hurler.
• 21 February - Turtle Bunbury, historian and author.
• 27 February – Jason Byrne, comedian.
• 22 March – Robin Banks, television presenter and radio disc jockey.
• 10 April – Ed Byrne, comedian.
• 17 April – Brian Morrisroe, soccer player.
• 30 April – Paul Stokes, soccer player.
• 20 May – Sharon Foley, athlete.
• 31 May – Karl Geary, actor.
• 16 June – Simon Coveney, Fine Gael TD representing Cork South-Central and MEP.
• 24 June – Brendan Courtney, comedian and television presenter.
• 2 July – Darren Shan, author.
• 11 July – Cormac Battle, radio disc jockey.
• 4 August – Joe Delaney, snooker player.
• 6 August – Jason O'Mara, actor.
• 12 August – Mark Kinsella, soccer player and coach.
• 15 August – Mikey Graham, singer.
• 18 August – Barry Egan, Cork hurler.
• 4 September – Willie Burke, soccer player.
• 8 September – Phil Laak, professional poker player.
• 9 October – John Carthy, shot dead in controversial circumstances by An Garda Síochána after a twenty-five-hour siege at his home.
• 12 October – Yvonne McGuinness, visual artist
• 15 October – Gary Murphy, golfer.
• 1 December – David Higgins, golfer.
• 6 December – Seán Sherlock, Labour Party TD for Cork East.
• 14 December – Jason Barry, actor.
• 15 December – Stuart Townsend, actor.
• 30 December – Paul Keegan, soccer player.

Deaths

• 11 January – Padraic Colum, poet, novelist and dramatist.
• 18 January – Harry Colley, Fianna Fáil TD, Seanad member.
• 22 February – Eva McGown, Official Hostess of Fairbanks and Honorary Hostess of Alaska.
• 26 April – Mark Deering, Fine Gael TD.
• 22 May – Cecil Day-Lewis, poet and writer, British Poet Laureate from 1967 to 1972,.
• 31 May – Alexander McCabe, Sinn Féin MP, member of 1st Dáil, Cumann na nGaedheal TD.
• c. June – Winifred Mary Letts, writer.
• 19 June – John Blowick, co-founder St Columban's Foreign Mission Society.
• 1 September – Patricia Lynch, children's writer.
• 29 September – Kathleen Clarke, widow of Tom Clarke, Sinn Féin and later Fianna Fáil TD, Seanad member, first female Lord Mayor of Dublin.
• 11 October – Wattie Dunphy, Kilkenny hurler.
• 10 November – Charles Cuffe, cricketer.