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← 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1948 in Ireland → 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	1948 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1948 List of years in Ireland

Events from the year1948 in Ireland.

• President:Seán T. O'Kelly
• Taoiseach:
  • Éamon de Valera (FF) (until 18 February 1948)
  • John A. Costello (FG) (from 18 February 1948)
• Tánaiste:
  • Seán Lemass (FF) (until 18 February 1948)
  • William Norton (Lab) (from 18 February 1948)
• Minister for Finance:
  • Frank Aiken (FF) (until 18 February 1948)
  • Patrick McGilligan (FG) (from 18 February 1948)
• Chief Justice:Conor Maguire
• Dáil:
  • 12th (until 12 January 1948)
  • 13th (from 18 February 1948)
• Seanad:
  • 5th (until 12 March 1948)
  • 6th (from 21 April 1948)

• 8 January – The Council of State met for the first time whenPresidentSean T. O'Kelly tested the constitutionality of the Offences Against the State Bill.
• 15 January – Gas rationing ended inDublin for the first time since 1942.

• 4 February –1948 Irish general election: TheFianna Fáil party underÉamon de Valera remained the largest party, but lacked an overall majority.
• 15 February – At theMansion House, Dublin, a plan was drawn up which resulted inJohn A. Costello being electedtaoiseach.
• 18 February – Members of the13th 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-partygovernment of the 13th Dáil was formed, the first change of government since 1932.
• 25 February – TheMinister for Health,Noel Browne, announced his emergency drive againsttuberculosis.
• 27 February – The government asked theAerlínte Éireann airline to postpone its inaugural transatlantic service due to high costs.

• 7 March – TheMinister for External Affairs,Seán MacBride, recommended an economic or customs union between the two parts of Ireland,North andSouth.
• 11 March – A fire atShannon Airport destroyed the control tower.
• 16 March – Seán MacBride represented Ireland at theMarshall Aid conference in Paris.

• 3 April – British officer Captain Edo John Hitzen returned a Flag of Truce surrendered at theBoland's Mill garrison during the 1916Easter Rising. He also discussed his capture of Éamon de Valera, and returned his binoculars to him.^[1]

• 18 June – A 36-foot shark was spotted off the coast ofCounty Donegal.

• 22 August – The Dwyer McAllister Cottage at Dernamuck in theGlen of Imaal, County Wicklow (scene of rebel leaderMichael Dwyer's escape from British troops in 1799), 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.^[2]

• 7 September – InOttawa, Canada Taoiseach John A. Costello announced that the government intended to repeal the 1936External Relations Act, thus severing the last constitutional link with Britain.
• 13 September – Five hundred people attended a commemoration of theIrish Rebellion of 1798 on the hills overlookingBelfast.
• 17 September – The body of poetW. B. Yeats (died 1939) was carried home from France on the Irish navalcorvetteLÉ Macha for reburial inDrumcliff, County Sligo.^[3]
• 22 September – Taoiseach John A. Costello was presented with an honorary doctorate of law from theJesuitFordham University inNew York City.

• 17 October – At the request of the BritishPrime MinisterClement Attlee, the Minister for Finance, Seán MacBride, and theMinister 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 theSinn Féin Funds case decided that theSinn 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 theHigh Court.

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

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

• An Taisce, the National Trust for Ireland, was founded in June, withnaturalistRobert Lloyd Praeger as its first President.
• The "Blue Hussars", the ceremonial Mounted Escort of theIrish Army, were disbanded.
• TheIrish Farmers Journal was launched.^[4]

• May – theMusic Association of Ireland was established by a group of composers (includingBrian Boydell,Aloys Fleischmann, andFrederick May) and music lovers to promote classical music in Ireland.

• Brian Boydell's first major success,In MemoriamMahatma Gandhi, Opus 30, was premiered by theRadio Éireann Symphony Orchestra under the composer's baton at the Phoenix Hall, Dublin.^[5]
• Robert Farren published his critical work,The Course of Irish Verse in English.
• Patrick Kavanagh published his novelTarry Flynn.

League of Ireland

Winners:Drumcondra

FAI Cup

Winners:Shamrock Rovers 2 – 1Drumcondra.

• TheIrish Open was won byDai Rees from Wales.

• 1 January –Johnny Brady,Fianna Fáil partyTeachta Dála (TD) forMeath West.
• 29 January –Pat Kenny, presenter ofThe Late Late Show on television.
• 30 January –Paul Magee, IRA volunteer.

• 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 (2002–2024).
• 18 February –Sinéad Cusack, actress.

• 2 March –Rory Gallagher, guitarist (died 1995).
• 10 March –Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, Fianna Fáil TD forDonegal South-West,Minister of State and member of the European Parliament.
• 30 March –Eddie Jordan, racing driver, team owner and television presenter (died 2025).

• 7 April –Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster, peer.
• 21 April –Clare Boylan, author, journalist and critic (died 2006).^[6]

• 25 May –Seán FitzPatrick, banker (died 2021).^[7]
• 26 May –Kate Cruise O'Brien, writer (died 1998).

• 13 June –Darina Allen, chef and television personality.
• 14 June –John Connolly,Galway hurler.
• 24 June –Anita Reeves, actress (died 2016).

• 27 July –Moss Keane, international rugby player.

• 6 August –Mick Leech, association football player.
• 19 August –Christy O'Connor Jnr, golfer (died 2016).
• 20 August –Michael Halliday, cricketer.
• 30 August –Donnacha O'Dea, Olympic swimmer, professional poker player.
• 31 August –Tony Martin, politician in Canada.

• 14 September –Ned Byrne,Kilkenny hurler.
• 20 September –Tommy Peoples, fiddler (died 2018).

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

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

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

• 9 February –John M. O'Sullivan,Cumann na nGaedheal party TD and cabinet minister (born 1881).
• 12 February –Armar Lowry-Corry, 5th Earl Belmore,High Sheriff andDeputy Lieutenant ofCounty Fermanagh (born 1870).
• 21 February –Annie M. P. Smithson, nurse, novelist, poet and nationalist (born 1873).
• 23 February –John Robert Gregg, creator ofGregg Shorthand (born 1867).

• 12 March –George Noble Plunkett, nationalist, politician, museum curator (born 1851).
• 25 March –Bridget Sullivan, domestic housemaid for Borden family ofFall River, Massachusetts (born 1866).

• 7 May –James Nathaniel Halbert,entomologist (born 1871).
• 9 May –Eddie Doyle,Kilkenny hurler (born 1897).
• 15 May –Edward J. Flanagan, popularly known as Father Flanagan, founder ofBoys Town inNebraska (born 1886).

• 18 June –Conal Holmes O'Connell O'Riordan, dramatist and novelist (born 1874).

• 13 August –Edwin Maxwell, actor (born 1886).
• 27 August –Cissie Cahalan, trade unionist, feminist and suffragette (born 1876).

• 10 September –Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard, soldier and politician (born 1874).

• 30 October –Neal Blaney, Fianna Fáil TD and senator (born 1893).

• 21 November –James O'Mara,Irish Parliamentary Party andSinn Féin partymember of parliament (MP) (born 1873).
• 28 November –D. D. Sheehan, journalist, barrister, author, Irish Parliamentary Party MP representingMid Cork (1901–1918), one of four MPs to serve in the16th (Irish) Division in World War I (born 1873).
• 30 November –J. J. Walsh, Sinn Féin MP, member of theFirst Dáil, a founder-member of theCumann na nGaedheal party, and cabinet minister (born 1880).

• 9 December –Sir Tim O'Brien, 3rd Baronet, cricketer (born 1861).

• 1948 in Ireland
• 1940s in Ireland
• Years of the 20th century in Ireland
• 1948 in Europe
• 1948 by country

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