# 1947 in Ireland

"none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive
Events from the year 1947 in Ireland.

## Incumbents

* President: Seán T. O'Kelly
* Taoiseach: Éamon de Valera (FF)
* Tánaiste: Seán Lemass (FF)
* Minister for Finance: Frank Aiken (FF)
* Chief Justice: Conor Maguire
* Dáil: 12th
* Seanad: 5th

## Events

* 19 January to 15 March – an arctic cold snap with five major blizzards caused many deaths.
* 30 January – the internationally known labour leader Jim Larkin died in Dublin aged 72.
* 18 May – the 21st anniversary of the founding of the Fianna Fáil party was celebrated in the Capitol Theatre, Dublin.
* 7 July – the Aer Lingus airline began a direct service between Dublin and Amsterdam.
* 31 July – the Soviet Union blocked Ireland's entry into the United Nations.
* 11 August – the Enterprise Express train service commenced from Belfast to Dublin.
* 31 August – United States Congressman John F. Kennedy visited his sister Kathleen in Ireland during the Congressional summer recess. He visited again in 1955 and 1963.
* 14 September – the All-Ireland Football Final was played in the Polo Grounds in New York. Cavan were victorious over Kerry.
* 3 November – a 60-day transport strike ended in Dublin. Trams and buses returned to normal service.

### Undated

   * The Customs Free Airport Act established Shannon as the world's first duty-free airport.
   * The Poulaphouca Reservoir was completed.
   * The Waterford Crystal glassmaking business was revived by Charles Bacik.

## Arts and literature

* June – Joan Denise Moriarty's Cork Ballet Group gave its first performance, at the Cork Opera House under the baton of Aloys Fleischmann.
* Donagh MacDonagh's poetry The Hungry Grass was published.
* Séamus Ó Néill's novel Tonn Tuile was the first book published by Irish language publisher Sáirséal agus Dill in Dublin.

## Sport
### Football
#### League of Ireland

    Winners: Shelbourne

#### FAI Cup

    Winners: Cork United 2–2, 2–1 Bohemians.

### Gaelic Games

* Cavan won historic All Ireland final in Polo Grounds, New York.

### Golf

* The Irish Open was won by Harry Bradshaw (Ireland).

### Swimming

* 27–28 July – English endurance swimmer Tom Blower became the first person to swim the North Channel, from Donaghadee in County Down to Portpatrick in Scotland.

## Births

* 18 January – John O'Conor, pianist.
* 26 January – Red Morris, 4th Baron Killanin, film producer.
* 9 February – Eamon Duffy, religious historian.
* 1 March
** Brian Fitzgerald, Labour Party TD.
** Liz McManus, Labour Party TD for Wicklow.
** Kate Walsh, Progressive Democrats Senator (died 2007).
* 30 March
** Kevin Myers, journalist.
** Dick Roche, university lecturer, Fianna Fáil TD for Wicklow, Cabinet Minister.
* 16 April – Eamonn Rogers, soccer player.
* 17 April – Linda Martin, singer.
* 24 April – Johnny McEvoy, singer.
* 27 April – Patrick Lynch, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Southwark.
* 18 May – John Bruton, Taoiseach, European Union Ambassador to the United States (died 2024).
* 22 May – Seán Ó Neachtain, Fianna Fáil Member of the European Parliament representing North-West.
* 8 July – Jonathan Kelly, folk rock singer-songwriter.
* 18 July – Dermot Healy, novelist and poet (died 2014).
* 20 July – Joe O'Toole, President of the Irish Trades Union Congress and Senator.
* 31 July – Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael TD representing Dublin South (1997 – ).
* 1 August – Tommy Broughan, Labour Party TD for Dublin North-East.
* 3 August
** Sally Oldfield, singer.
** G. V. Wright, Fianna Fáil TD and member of Seanad Éireann.
* 10 August – Dónal Lunny, musician.
* 21 August – Philip Lawrence, a London-based headmaster, stabbed to death outside the gates of his school when he went to help a pupil being attacked by a gang (died 1995).
* 25 August – Anne Harris, journalist.
* 2 September – Kevin Farrell, Bishop of Dallas, Texas.
* 7 September – Roger Bolton, trade unionist in UK (died 2006).
* 2 October – Damien Martin, Offaly hurler.
* 9 October – Frank Dunlop, public relations consultant, planning advisor, Fianna Fáil Government Press Secretary (1977–1982).
* 26 October – Trevor Joyce, poet.
* 9 November
** Pat Carey, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin North-West and Minister of State.
** Frank Cummins, Kilkenny hurler.
* 25 November
** Seán Ardagh, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South-Central (died 2016).
** Steve Heighway, soccer player.
* 1 December – Jimmy Dunne, soccer player.
* 4 December
** Moosajee Bhamjee, physician, Ireland's first Muslim Teachta Dála (1992–1997), 27th Dáil.
** Terry Woods, folk musician.
* 5 December
** Tony Gregory, independent politician and TD for Dublin Central.
** Seán Quinn, businessman.

### Undated

* Vincent Brown, sculptor.
* Noel Elliott, international rugby union player.
* Johnny Flaherty, Offaly hurler.
* Jimmy Gregg, former football player.
* Éamonn Grimes, Limerick hurler.
* Pat Hegarty, Cork hurler.
* John Holloway, sociologist and philosopher.
* Dermot Somers, mountaineer, explorer, writer and broadcaster.

## Deaths

* 2 January – Tom Ross, cricketer (born in 1872).
* 4 January – Derrick Hall, cricketer (born in 1892).
* 4 January – Forrest Reid, novelist and literary critic (born in 1875).
* 21 January – Charles A. Callis, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (born in 1865).
* 30 January – James Larkin, trade union leader, socialist and Labour Party TD (born in 1876).
* 3 March – Michael Egan, trade unionist, city councillor, and Cumann na nGaedheal TD (born in 1866).
* 9 April – Desmond FitzGerald, Sinn Féin MP, TD, cabinet minister and Seanad Éireann member (born in 1888).
* 16 May – Augusta Crichton-Stuart, Marchioness of Bute (born in 1880).
* 18 June – John Henry Patterson, soldier, hunter and writer (born in 1867).
* 4 September – P. J. Moloney, chemist, member of 1st Dáil representing Tipperary South.