1970 in Ireland

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Decades: 1950s • 1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s Centuries: 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st See also: 1970 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1970 List of years in Ireland

Events

January – March

• January 10 – Huge anti-apartheid demonstrations take place as Ireland play South Africa in rugby union.
• January 10 – Éamon and Sinéad de Valera celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.
• January 11 – Sinn Féin splits into Provisional and Official wings over a disagreement on abstentionism.

April – June

• April 3 – Garda Richard Fallon (Republic of Ireland policeman) murdered on duty in Dublin. First policeman killed in the South during the troubles.
• April 16 – Rev. Ian Paisley won a by-election to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland.
• April 21 – The Alliance Party is founded in Northern Ireland.
• April 22 – Taoiseach Jack Lynch presents the budget in the absence of the Minister for Finance, Charles Haughey, who was injured, supposedly in a riding accident.
• May 4 – The Minister for Justice, Micheál Ó Móráin, resigns from the government citing ill-health.The Taoiseach states in the Dáil on May 7, "I wish to state that Deputy Ó Moráin's condition is not unassociated with the shock he suffered as a result of the killing of Garda Fallon".
• May 6 – Arms Crisis: The Minister for Finance, Charles Haughey, and the Minister for Agriculture, Neil Blaney, are asked to resign by Taoiseach Jack Lynch. He accuses them of the attempted illegal importation of arms for use by the Provisional IRA. Kevin Boland, the Minister for Local Government, resigns in sympathy with them.
• May 27 – Captain James Kelly, Albert Luykx and John Kelly are arrested. They are charged with conspiracy to import arms.
• May 28 – Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney appear in Dublin's Bridewell Court charged, along with Albert Luykx and Capt. Kelly, with conspiracy to import arms.
• May 31 – Arkle is put down at the home of his owner, the Duchess of Westminster.
• June 4 – Kevin Boland is expelled from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.
• June 25 – Bishops meeting at Maynooth lift the ban on Catholic attendance at Trinity College Dublin.

July – September

• July 2 – Neil Blaney is cleared of arms conspiracy charges.
• July 5 – After a special cabinet meeting the government demands a ban on all parades in Northern Ireland and the disarmament of civilians.
• August 2 – The British Army first fires rubber bullets in Belfast.
• August 9 – The Galway-Aran Islands air service is launched. A return air-fare costs £5.
• August 21 – A new political party, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, is founded in Northern Ireland under the leadership of Gerry Fitt.
• September 1 – The New University of Ulster is presented with a Royal Charter by Elizabeth II.

October – December

• October 3 – United States President Richard Nixon arrives in Ireland. He is greeted by Taoiseach Jack Lynch. Meanwhile in Dublin an anti-Vietnam War protest takes place.
• October 4 – Mrs Nixon visits relatives and her ancestral home in County Mayo. Another protest takes place outside the U.S. Embassy in Dublin.
• October 23 – Charles Haughey, James Kelly, Albert Luykx and John Kelly are acquitted in the Arms Conspiracy Trial.
• October 26 – Taoiseach Jack Lynch, questioned on his return from the United States, says that there will be no change in fundamental Fianna Fáil policy regarding Northern Ireland.
• December 15 – Aer Lingus takes delivery of its first Boeing 747 (Jumbo Jet), the largest aircraft it will ever operate.

Unknown dates

• Unknown date – The first Regional Technical Colleges open in Ireland.

Arts and literature

• March 21 – All Kinds of Everything sung by Dana (music and text by Derry Lindsay and Jackie Smith) wins Eurovision Song Contest 1970 for Ireland.
• November 9 – Ryan's Daughter, David Lean's movie, filmed largely in Ireland, is released.
• Unknown date – Fergus, by Brian Moore is published.

Sport

Horse racing

• Nijinsky wins the Irish Derby

Football

• League of Ireland

Winners: Waterford

• FAI Cup

Winners: Bohemians 0–0, 0–0, 2–1 Sligo Rovers

Gaelic Athletic Association

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Winners: Kerry 2–19 v 0–18 Meath (played at Croke Park, Dublin)

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

Winners: Cork 6–21 v 5–10 Wexford (played at Croke Park, Dublin)

(This was the first 80 minute All-Ireland Hurling Final)

Births

January to June

• 1 January – Rónán Ó Snodaigh, singer and bodhrán player with Kíla..
• 4 January – Edward Olive, actor.
• 16 January – Ciarán Carey, former Limerick hurler.
• 24 March – Sharon Corr, violinist with The Corrs.
• 21 April – Glen Hansard, actor and vocalist/guitarist for The Frames.
• 1 May – Serena Armstrong-Jones, Viscountess Linley, aristocrat.
• 10 May – Mick Fitzgerald, National Hunt jockey.
• 27 May – Glenn Quinn, actor (d.2002).
• 29 May – Mary Kingston, television presenter.
• 3 June – Stephen Geoghegan, soccer player.

July to December

• 6 July – Tony O'Dowd, soccer player.
• 17 July – Siobhán Hoey, triple jumper.
• 27 August – Jeff Kenna, soccer player.
• 18 September – Vinny Arkins, soccer player.
• 3 November – Tommy Tiernan, comedian, actor and writer.
• 11 November – D. J. Carey, Kilkenny hurler.
• 12 November – Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, television presenter.
• 3 December – Brendan Kehoe, software developer and author.
• 17 December – Craig Doyle, television presenter.

Full date unknown

• Charlie Carter, Kilkenny hurler.
• Anthony Daly, Clare hurler and manager.
• Aidan McArdle, actor.
• John Moore, film director, producer and writer.
• Johnny Pilkington, Offaly hurler.
• Samantha Power, journalist, writer and professor.
• David Quinn, artist.
• Ruth Turner, formerly Director of Government Relations within Tony Blair's Downing Street office.
• David Wheatley, poet and critic.

Deaths

January to June

• 5 January – Cyril Fagan, astrologer (b.1896).
• 6 January – Peter J. Ward, Sinn Féin (later Cumann na nGaedheal) TD, member 1st Dáil (b.1891).
• 6 January – David P. Tyndall, businessman (b.1890).
• 28 January – Gerard Sweetman, former Fine Gael TD and Cabinet Minister (b.1908).
• 8 February – Cahir Healy, Nationalist Party MP (b.1877).
• 11 March – Patrick Lenihan, Fianna Fáil TD (b.1902).
• 27 April – Arthur Shields, actor (b.1896).
• 31 May – Arkle, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup on three consecutive occasions (b.1957).

July to December

• 11 July – Bobby Kirk, ice hockey player (b.1910).
• 12 August – Joseph Blowick second leader of Clann na Talmhan, TD and Cabinet Minister (b.1903).
• 14 August – Tommy Henderson, Ulster independent Unionist politician (b.1877).
• 20 September – Leo Rowsome, teacher, player and maker of uilleann pipes (b.1903).
• 25 September – James Ryan, Fianna Fáil TD Member of 1st Dáil and Cabinet Minister (b.1891).
• 29 September – Mark Killilea, Snr, Fianna Fáil TD, member of the Seanad (b. 1896).
• 15 October – Liam Ó Buachalla, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann 1951–1954 and 1957–1969 (b.1899).

Full date unknown

• Tom Farquharson, soccer player (b.1900).
• Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Irish language writer (b.1906).
• Enid Starkie, literary critic and biographer (b.1897).