of the Ulster Special Constabulary. 1 December – Fianna Fáil paid tribute to Seán Lemass as his forty-five years of public life came to an end. December – The Irish Republican Army split into Official and Provisional wings. 31 December – The half crown coin was permanently withdrawn from circulation. Undated Date of full implementation of the 1967 policy of free secondary education for all in the Irish Republic. The last permanent residents left the island of Inis Cathaigh in the Shannon Estuary in County Clare. The first Penney's store opened. Arts and literature 5 October – Samuel Beckett was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. December – Rock band Thin Lizzy was formed in Dublin. Donagh MacDonagh's poems A Warning to Conquerors are published in Dublin. Sports Gaelic Football Finals: Kerry 0–10 Offaly 0–7 Hurling Finals: Kilkenny 2–15 Cork 2–9 Births 6 January – Jonathan Philbin Bowman, journalist and radio presenter (died 2000). 19 January – Steve Staunton, former international association football player, former manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team. 8 February – Earl McCarthy, freestyle swimmer 15 March – Pat Fenlon, association football player and manager. 26 March – Billy Dooley, Offaly hurler. 31 March – Lawrence Patrick Parsons, Lord Oxmantown. 2 April – Ann Leonard, former Fianna Fáil party politician. 1 May – Mary Lou McDonald, Leader of Sinn Féin. 10 June – Breandán de Gallaí, Irish dancer. 13 June – Abe Elkinson, businessman. 16 June – Tommy Tiernan, comedian. 1 July – Séamus Egan, musician. 10 August – Arthur Edward Rory Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh. 23 August – Brian Hayes, Fine Gael party Teachta Dála (TD) for Dublin South-West. 7 September – Barry Ferguson, association football player. 17 September – Ken Doherty, snooker player. 22 October – Owen Casey, tennis player. 24 October – Emma Donoghue, playwright, literary historian, and novelist. 29 October – Anthony Daly, Clare hurler and manager. 28 November – Sonia O'Sullivan, runner, World and European Championship gold medallist. 30 November – Catherina McKiernan, athlete. 16 December – Michelle Smith, swimmer and triple Olympic gold medallist. Full date unknown Liz Allen, journalist and writer. Kevin Barry, fiction writer. Ciarán Farrell, composer. Deaths 24 January – Patrick Hogan, Labour Party TD, Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann (born 1885). 30 March – James Foley, cricketer (born 1898). 1 April – Francis de Groot, member of the right-wing New Guard of Australia