1974 in Ireland

Incumbents

• President:
• * Erskine H. Childers
• * Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh
• Taoiseach: Liam Cosgrave
• Tánaiste: Brendan Corish
• Minister for Finance: Richie Ryan
• Chief Justice:
• * William FitzGerald
• * Tom O'Higgins
• Dáil: 20th
• Seanad: 13th

  Events

• 2 January – the Northern Ireland Executive had its first day in office.
• 15 February – a 600-pound bomb exploded in Dungannon.
• 24 April – the Electricity Supply Board announced that Carnsore Point on the Wexford coast would be the site of its planned nuclear power station.
• 26 April – nineteen Old Master paintings from the Beit collection were stolen from Russborough House by a Provisional Irish Republican Army gang that included English heiress Rose Dugdale.
• 8 May – the great hall of University College Dublin was to become a 900-seat concert hall and home of the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra.
• 14 May – Northern Ireland ground to a halt as the Ulster Workers' Council called a strike following the defeat of an anti-Sunningdale Agreement motion.
• 17 May – Dublin and Monaghan bombings: Thirty-three civilians were killed and almost 300 wounded in four car-bomb explosions in Dublin and Monaghan by the Ulster Volunteer Force, the highest number of casualties in any one day during The Troubles. The UVF was widely suspected of receiving technical assistance from British security forces.
• 21 May – in Northern Ireland, the Ulster Workers' Council Strike came to an end.
• 28 May – the five-month-old Northern Ireland Executive collapsed.
• Late May – President Erskine Childers paid the first state visit by an Irish head of state to Europe when he visited Belgium with his wife, Rita. This followed the three-day state visit to Ireland by King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium in May 1968.
• 14 June – Anatoli Kaplin, the first Soviet Ambassador to Ireland, visited President Childers at Áras an Uachtaráin.
• 17 July – the National Coalition's Contraceptive Bill was defeated in a vote in Dáil Éireann. The Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave, was one of seven Fine Gael Teachtaí Dála who voted against their own bill.
• 20 July – about ten women, styled as the "Dublin City Women's Invasion Force", including journalist Nell McCafferty, politician and activist Nuala Fennell, and poet Mary D'Arcy, entered the Forty Foot bathing place in Sandycove in Dublin, historically a men-only nude bathing area. The women were claiming their right to swim there. From that time forward, women swam at the Forty Foot.
• 1 September – Transition Year was introduced on a pilot basis in three schools.
• 21 September – Leader of the Opposition Jack Lynch said that the Fianna Fáil party would not support any proposal to repeal Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.
• 4 November – Powerscourt House in Enniskerry was destroyed by fire.
• 17 November – President Erskine Childers died suddenly, aged 69, having served less than 17 months of his seven-year term.
• 10 December – Seán MacBride was presented with the Nobel Prize for Peace.
• 19 December – Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh was sworn in as the fifth President of Ireland.
• First Michelin Guide to cover Ireland. The first restaurants awarded stars were The Russell Hotel on St Stephen's Green in Dublin and Arbutus Lodge in Cork.

  Arts and literature

• 25 August – the first Kilkenny Arts Festival opened.
• November – The O'Brien Press published its first book.
• 19 December – Tom Murphy's adaptation of The Vicar of Wakefield opened at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin.
• Jennifer Johnston's novel How Many Miles to Babylon? was published.

  Births

• 1 January – Eva Birthistle, actress.
• 12 January – Thomas FitzGerald, Earl of Offaly.
• 29 January – Niall Blaney, Teachta Dála representing Donegal North-East.
• 31 March – Victoria Smurfit, actress.
• 4 April – Kieran Collins, "The Golden Drifter", Gaelic footballer.
• 23 May – Maria McCool, singer.
• 28 May – Ryan Tubridy, RTÉ radio and television broadcaster.
• 17 May – Brídín Brennan, singer.
• 17 May – Andrea Corr, lead vocalist with The Corrs.
• 1 July
• * John Davy, cricketer.
• * Peter Davy, cricketer.
• * Olwyn Enright, Fine Gael TD representing Laois–Offaly.
• 9 July – Gary Kelly, international soccer player.
• 10 July – Imelda May, musician.
• 19 July – Malcolm O'Kelly, international rugby player.
• 10 August – Gus Joyce, cricketer.
• 11 September – Karl Gannon, soccer player.
• 16 September – John McAdorey, relay sprinter.
• September – Liam Donoghue, Galway hurler.
• 1 October – Keith Duffy, singer and actor.
• 15 October – Barry McCrea, novelist.
• 21 October – Tony Sheridan, soccer player.
• 5 November – Gráinne Seoige, television broadcaster.
• 12 November – T. J. Ryan, Limerick hurler.
• 18 November – Graham Coughlan, soccer player.
• 22 November – Finian Maynard, four time speed windsurfing world champion, winner of a world speed record for sailing.
• 24 November – Peter Barry, Kilkenny hurler.
• 27 November – Roy O'Brien, soccer player.
• 3 December – Andrew Maxwell, comedian.
• 4 December – Jason Molins, cricketer.
• 7 December – Brendan Kennedy, soccer player.
• 8 December – Ian Malone, member of British Army's Irish Guards.
• 30 December – Camille O'Sullivan, singer.

Deaths

• 1 January – Bob Fullam, soccer player.
• 4 January – Phelim Calleary, Fianna Fáil TD.
• 24 January – Cornelius O'Callaghan, Fianna Fáil senator 1970–1974.
• 15 February – Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander, cryptanalyst, chess player and chess writer.
• 9 March – Daniel O'Neill, painter.
• 19 March – Austin Clarke, poet, playwright and writer.
• 10 April – Patricia Collinge, actress and writer.
• 28 May – Richard Belton, medical doctor, member of the 12th Seanad.
• 3 June – Michael Gaughan, Provisional Irish Republican Army hunger striker.
• 10 June – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, member of the British royal family, last surviving knight of the Order of St Patrick.
• 30 June – Frank McKelvey, painter.
• 5 July – James Young, comedian.
• 13 August – Kate O'Brien, novelist.
• 9 October – Padraic Fallon, poet.
• 17 November – Erskine Childers, Fianna Fáil TD, cabinet minister and fourth Irish President.
• 23 November – Cornelius Ryan, journalist and author.
• 1 December – Dick Grace, Kilkenny hurler.
• 24 December – Michael F. Kitt, Fianna Fáil TD.
• 25 December – Harry Kernoff, painter.
• 27 December – Denis Farrelly, Fine Gael TD and senator.