1947 in Ireland

Incumbents

• President: Seán T. O'Kelly
• Taoiseach: Éamon de Valera

  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

  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

Gaelic Games

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

  Golf

• The Irish Open was won by Harry Bradshaw.

  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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 20 July – Joe O'Toole, President of the Irish Trades Union Congress and Senator.
• 30 July – Pete Mahon, soccer manager.
• 31 July – Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael TD representing Dublin South.
• 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.
• 25 August – Anne Harris, journalist.
• 2 September – Kevin Farrell, Bishop of Dallas, Texas.
• 7 September – Roger Bolton, trade unionist in UK.
• 2 October – Damien Martin, Offaly hurler.
• 9 October – Frank Dunlop, public relations consultant, planning advisor, Fianna Fáil Government Press Secretary.
• 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.
• * Steve Heighway, soccer player.
• 1 December – Jimmy Dunne, soccer player.
• 4 December
• * Moosajee Bhamjee, physician, Ireland's first Muslim Teachta Dála, 27th Dáil.
• * Terry Woods, folk musician.
• 5 December
• * Tony Gregory, independent politician and TD for Dublin Central.
• * Seán Quinn, businessman.
• ;Full date unknown

  Deaths

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