1972 in Ireland

Events

*January 22 - Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, and Minister for External Affairs, Patrick Hillery, sign the "Treaty of Accession to the European Communities".
*January 30 - Bloody Sunday: 13 unarmed civilians are shot dead in Derry as British soldiers open fire on a banned civil rights march.
*January 31 - Taoiseach Jack Lynch announces a national day of mourning following the events in Derry the previous day.
*February 1 - Rioting takes place in Dublin. The British Embassy is burned in Merrion Square.
*February 9 - A day of disruption takes place in Northern Ireland as people take to the streets in protest.
*February 10 - The IRA announces a ceasefire.
*February 12 - William Craig launches the Ulster Vanguard Movement in Lisburn.
*February 19 - The National Anti-EEC Committee organises a march along O'Connell Street.
*February 26 - Crowds turn out to see Pelé and his club, Santos, play at Dalymount Park.
*April 2 - Raidió na Gaeltachta goes on the air.
*April 17 - The government launches its European Economic Community referendum campaign.
*May 5 - RTC, Carlow becomes the first Regional Technical College to install a computer - the computer is to be used for business and engineering courses and uses the Fortran and RPG languages and cost £10,000.
*May 10 - In the referendum on Ireland's membership of the EEC the poll is almost five to one in favour.
*June 13 - An Garda Síochána celebrates its 50th anniversary.
*July 6 - Dmitri Shostakovich is presented with an honorary DMus degree at a ceremony in Trinity College Dublin.
*July 12 - Over 2,000 refugees from Northern Ireland spend "the marching season" south of the border.
*July 21 - Bloody Friday: 9 people die and over 100 are injured in a series of IRA explosions in Belfast city centre.
*July 31 - "Operation Motorman:" British troops invade no-go areas in Belfast, Derry and Newry.
*August 20 - Commemorations are held at Béal na mBláth, County Cork, to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Michael Collins.
*December 13 - President Éamon de Valera signs documents covering Ireland's entry into the EEC.

Arts and literature

* William Trevor's collection of stories "The Ballroom of Romance" is published.
* Gilbert O'Sullivan's song Alone Again (Naturally) hits the No 1 spot in the US singles chart.

ports

*Olympics:Mary Peters becomes the first Irish woman to win a gold medal at the olympics

* Snooker:Alex Higgins wins the World Professional Snooker Championship.

Births

January to June

*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.
*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.

July to December

*2 July - Darren Shan, author.
*11 July - Cormac Battle, radio DJ.
*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 (d.2000).
*15 October - Gary Murphy, golfer.
*1 December - David Higgins, golfer.
*6 December - Seán Sherlock, Labour Party (Ireland) TD for Cork East.
*14 December - Jason Barry, actor.
*15 December - Stuart Townsend, actor.
*30 December - Paul Keegan, soccer player.

Full date unknown

*Julia Bradbury, television presenter.
*John Carney, film and television writer and director.
*Andy Comerford, former Kilkenny hurler, manager.
*Arlene Hunt, novelist.
*Mark Landers, Cork hurler.
*Seánie McMahon, Clare hurler.
*Kevin Murray, Cork hurler.
*Joe Quaid, former Limerick hurler.

Deaths

*11 January - Padraic Colum, poet, novelist and dramatist (b.1881).
*18 January - Harry Colley, Fianna Fáil TD, Seanad member (b.1891).
*22 February - Eva McGown, Official Hostess of Fairbanks and Honorary Hostess of Alaska (b.1883).
*22 May - Cecil Day-Lewis, poet and writer, British Poet Laureate from 1967 to 1972, (b.1904).
*28 May - Edward, Duke of Windsor, former King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (b. 1894).
*31 May - Alexander McCabe, Sinn Féin MP, member of 1st Dáil, Cumann na nGaedhael TD (b.1886).
*19 June - John Blowick, co-founder St Columban’s Foreign Mission Society.
*1 September - Patricia Lynch, children's writer (b.1898).
*29 September - Kathleen Clarke, widow of Tom Clarke, Sinn Féin and later Fianna Fáil TD, Seanad member, first female Lord Mayor of Dublin (b.1878).
*10 November - Charles Cuffe, cricketer (b.1914).

Full date unknown

*Wattie Dunphy, Kilkenny hurler (b. c1895).