1948 in Ireland

Events from the year 1948 in Ireland.

Incumbents

Events

January

8 January – The Council of State met for the first time when President Sean T. O'Kelly tested the constitutionality of the Offences Against the State Bill.
15 January – Gas rationing ended in Dublin for the first time since 1942.

February

4 February – 1948 Irish general election: The Fianna Fáil party under Éamon de Valera remained the largest party, but lacked an overall majority.
15 February – At the Mansion House, Dublin, a plan was drawn up which resulted in John A. Costello being elected taoiseach.
18 February – Members of the 13th Dáil assembled. De Valera was voted out of office as taoiseach after 16 years and John A. Costello was elected to succeed him as the country's second prime minister. An inter-party government of the 13th Dáil was formed, the first change of government since 1932.
25 February – The Minister for Health, Noel Browne, announced his emergency drive against tuberculosis.
27 February – The government asked the Aer Lingus airline to postpone its inaugural transatlantic service due to high costs.

March

7 March – The Minister for External Affairs, Seán MacBride, recommended an economic or customs union between the two parts of Ireland, North and South.
11 March – A fire at Shannon Airport destroyed the control tower.
16 March – Seán MacBride represented Ireland at the Marshall Aid conference in Paris.

April

3 April – British officer Captain Edo John Hitzen returned a Flag of Truce surrendered at the Boland's Mill garrison during the 1916 Easter Rising. He also discussed his capture of Éamon de Valera, and returned his binoculars to him.
15 April — Pan American World Airways flight 1-10 suffered a controlled flight into terrain just short of the runway at Shannon Airport. Thirty of the Thirty-one passengers and crew were killed.

June

18 June – A 36-foot shark was spotted off the coast of County Donegal.

August

22 August – The Dwyer McAllister Cottage at Dernamuck in the Glen of Imaal, County Wicklow, was handed over to the Irish State by the Hoxey family, with President Seán T. O'Kelly, Éamon de Valera, and other dignitaries present at the ceremonial handover.

September

7 September – In Ottawa, Canada Taoiseach John A. Costello announced that the government intended to repeal the 1936 External Relations Act, thus severing the last constitutional link with Britain.
13 September – Five hundred people attended a commemoration of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on the hills overlooking Belfast.
17 September – The body of poet W. B. Yeats was carried home from France on the Irish naval corvette LÉMacha for reburial in Drumcliff, County Sligo.
22 September – Taoiseach John A. Costello was presented with an honorary doctorate of law from the Jesuit Fordham University in New York City.

October

17 October – At the request of the British Prime Minister Clement Attlee, the Minister for Finance, Seán MacBride, and the Minister for External Affairs, Patrick McGilligan, met representatives from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to discuss the repeal of the External Relations Act.
26 October – A final ruling in the Sinn Féin Funds case decided that the Sinn Féin party, as reconstituted in 1923, was "not in any legal sense a continuation" of the party that had "melted away" in 1922 and was thus unable to claim funds deposited in its name in the High Court.

November

17 November – The Republic of Ireland Act 1948, which involved the repeal of the External Relations Act, was introduced in Dáil Éireann.
25 November – The Republic of Ireland Bill was passed in Dáil Éireann.

December

21 December – President Seán T. O'Kelly signed the Republic of Ireland Bill at a ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin, the president's residence. Taoiseach John A. Costello and members of his government were also present.

Full date unknown

An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, was founded in June, with naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger as its first President.
The "Blue Hussars", the ceremonial Mounted Escort of the Irish Army, were disbanded.
The Irish Farmers Journal was launched.

Arts and literature

May – the Music Association of Ireland was established by a group of composers and music lovers to promote classical music in Ireland.

Full date unknown

Brian Boydell's first major success, In Memoriam Mahatma Gandhi, Opus 30, was premiered by the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra under the composer's baton at the Phoenix Hall, Dublin.
Robert Farren published his critical work, The Course of Irish Verse in English.
Patrick Kavanagh published his novel Tarry Flynn.

Sport

Association football

;League of Ireland
;FAI Cup

Golf

The Irish Open was won by Dai Rees from Wales.

Births

January

1 January – Johnny Brady, Fianna Fáil party Teachta Dála for Meath West.
29 January – Pat Kenny, presenter of The Late Late Show on television.
30 January – Paul Magee, IRA volunteer.

February

10 February – John Magnier, businessman and leading thoroughbred stud owner.
16 February
* Séamus Brennan, Fianna Fáil TD and government minister.
* John Fleming, Roman Catholic Bishop of Killala.
18 February – Sinéad Cusack, actress.

March

2 March – Rory Gallagher, guitarist.
10 March – Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, Fianna Fáil TD for Donegal South-West, Minister of State and member of the European Parliament.
30 March – Eddie Jordan, racing driver, team owner and television presenter.

April

7 April – Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster, peer.
21 April – Clare Boylan, author, journalist and critic.

May

25 May – Seán FitzPatrick, banker.
26 May – Kate Cruise O'Brien, writer.

June

13 June – Darina Allen, chef and television personality.
14 June – John Connolly, Galway hurler.
24 June – Anita Reeves, actress.

July

27 July – Moss Keane, international rugby player.

August

6 August – Mick Leech, association football player.
19 August – Christy O'Connor Jnr, golfer.
20 August – Michael Halliday, cricketer.
30 August – Donnacha O'Dea, Olympic swimmer, professional poker player.
31 August – Tony Martin, politician in Canada.

September

14 September – Ned Byrne, Kilkenny hurler.
20 September – Tommy Peoples, fiddler.

October

15 October – Chris de Burgh, singer and songwriter.
23 October – Gerry Robinson, businessman and television presenter.

November

9 November – Ray Cummins, Cork Gaelic footballer and hurler.

Full date unknown

Dónal Clifford, Cork hurler.
Dermot Healy, hurling manager.
Teddy Holland, Gaelic football manager.
Frank Norberg, Cork hurler.
Jackie Tabick, reform rabbi, first female rabbi in Britain or Ireland.
Willie Walsh, Cork hurler.

Deaths

February

9 February – John M. O'Sullivan, Cumann na nGaedheal party TD and cabinet minister.
12 February – Armar Lowry-Corry, 5th Earl Belmore, High Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant of County Fermanagh.
21 February – Annie M. P. Smithson, nurse, novelist, poet and nationalist.
23 February – John Robert Gregg, creator of Gregg Shorthand.

March

12 March – George Noble Plunkett, nationalist, politician, museum curator.
25 March – Bridget Sullivan, domestic housemaid for Borden family of Fall River, Massachusetts.

May

7 May – James Nathaniel Halbert, entomologist.
9 May – Eddie Doyle, Kilkenny hurler.
15 May – Edward J. Flanagan, popularly known as Father Flanagan, founder of Boys Town in Nebraska.

June

18 June – Conal Holmes O'Connell O'Riordan, dramatist and novelist.

August

13 August – Edwin Maxwell, actor.
27 August – Cissie Cahalan, trade unionist, feminist and suffragette.

September

10 September – Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard, soldier and politician.

October

30 October – Neal Blaney, Fianna Fáil TD and senator.

November

21 November – James O'Mara, Irish Parliamentary Party and Sinn Féin party member of parliament .
28 November – D. D. Sheehan, journalist, barrister, author, Irish Parliamentary Party MP representing Mid Cork, one of four MPs to serve in the 16th (Irish) Division in World War I.
30 November – J. J. Walsh, Sinn Féin MP, member of the First Dáil, a founder-member of the Cumann na nGaedheal party, and cabinet minister.

December

9 December – Sir Tim O'Brien, 3rd Baronet, cricketer.