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««« 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961	1966 in Ireland	»»» 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971
Decades: 1940s • 1950s • 1960s • 1970s • 1980s Centuries: 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st See also: 1966 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1966 List of years in Ireland

Events

• February 13 - The Bishop of Clonfert protests over the content of The Late Late Show. The bishop took exception when a woman told the host Gay Byrne that she didn't wear a nightie on her wedding night.
• March 6 - A memorial is to be opened at Kilmichael, County Cork to commemorate the 1920 ambush there.
• March 8 - Nelson's Pillar in O'Connell Street is blown up to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising.
• March 31 - The Tricolour flag flown over the GPO in 1916 is handed back by the British to Taoiseach Seán Lemass in London.
• April 10 - Celebrations take place to mark the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising. Nine hundred 1916 survivors hear the reading of the Proclamation. President de Valera takes the salute at a military parade.
• April 11 - President de Valera opens the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin's Parnell Square.
• April 17 - In Belfast the Easter Rising is commemorated by large republican parades.
• June 2 - Éamon de Valera is re-elected President of Ireland. He defeats Tom O'Higgins by 10,500, less than 1% of the vote.
• June 25 - President de Valera is inaugurated for a second term.
• July 7 - The Minister for Education, Donogh O'Malley, announces details of his free secondary education scheme.
• July 18 - Exactly fifteen years after being burned down the new Abbey Theatre opens.
• October 21 - An anti-apartheid demonstration takes place outside the National stadium as the South African Amateur Boxing Team visit.
• November 8 - Tributes are paid to Seán Lemass who announces his resignation as Taoiseach.
• November 10 - The new Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, and his ministers receive their seals of office from President de Valera at Áras an Uachtaráin.
• November 25 - The body of Seán T. O'Kelly, Second President of Ireland, lies in state at the Pro-Cathedral.

Full date unknown

• Foundation of Allied Irish Banks Limited (later Allied Irish Banks PLC). AIB acquired three Irish banks The Munster & Leinster Bank Limited, The Provincial Bank of Ireland Limited and The Royal Bank of Ireland Limited.

Arts and literature

Seamus Heaney - Published first book Death of a Naturalist

Sports

Births

• 8 February - Seán McCarthy, Cork hurler.
• 12 April - Jim Duffy, historian and political commentator.
• 23 April - Jim Stynes, Australian rules football player.
• 15 May - Orla Guerin, television journalist.
• 9 June - Beverley Flynn, Fianna Fáil TD for Mayo.
• 22 August - Alain Rolland, former rugby player, international referee.
• 6 October - Niall Quinn, former International footballer.
• 8 October - Mick Galwey, Gaelic footballer, rugby player.
• 11 November - Alison Doody, actress.
• 7 December - Leo Turley, former Laois Gaelic footballer.
• 8 December - Sinéad O'Connor, singer and song writer.
• 10 December - Colm Ó Maonlaí, actor and musician.
• 16 December - Paul McGinley, golfer.

Full date unknown

• John Commins, Galway hurler.
• Rachel Joynt, sculptor.
• Donal MacIntyre, investigative journalist.
• John Power, former Kilkenny hurler.
• Liam Simpson, former Kilkenny hurler.

Deaths

January to June

• 1 March - Joseph McGrath, Sinn Féin and later Cumann na nGaedhael TD, racehorse owner and breeder (b.1887).
• 10 March - Frank O'Connor, short story writer and memoirist (b.1903).
• 28 March - Patrick McCartan, Sinn Féin MP and TD, member of 1st Dáil, a founder member of Clann na Poblachta (b.1878).
• 1 April - Brian O'Nolan, satirist and humorist (b.1911).
• 29 April - Tom Hales, Irish Republican Army volunteer, fought in Anglo-Irish War and Irish Civil War (b.1892).
• 23 May - Jacko Heaslip, cricketer (b.1899).
• 3 June - Fionán Lynch, Sinn Féin MP and TD, member of 1st Dáil, Cabinet Minister, Cumann na nGaedhael and Fine Gael TD (b.1889).
• 7 June - James Hickey, Labour politician and Lord Mayor of Cork.

July to December

• 12 August - Mike McTigue, boxer, light heavyweight champion of the world from 1923-1925 (b.1892).
• 23 November - Seán T. O'Kelly, founding member of Fianna Fáil, Cabinet Minister and second President of Ireland (b.1882).
• 14 December - Peter Galligan, merchant, member of 1st Dáil representing Cavan West.
• 15 December - Conn Ward, Fianna Fáil politician (b.1890).
• 25 December - Thomas Harvey, cricketer and rugby player (b.1878).

Full date unknown

• Sydney Sparkes Orr, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tasmania (b.1914).
• Sim Walton, Kilkenny hurler (b.1880).