April – Dinny McGinley, Fine Gael TD for Donegal South-West. 4 May – Jim Higgins, Fine Gael TD, Senator and Member of the European Parliament. 7 May Susan Denham (née Gageby), Chief Justice of Ireland. Alexis FitzGerald Jnr, Fine Gael TD and Senator. Christy Moore, folk singer. 21 May – Éamonn Cregan, Limerick Gaelic footballer and hurler, manager. 1 June Niamh Bhreathnach, Labour Party politician, TD and Minister for Education (died 2023) Jarlath McDonagh, Fine Gael politician. 6 June – Denis Coughlan, Cork Gaelic footballer and hurler. 11 June – Patrick Joseph McGrath, Irish-American bishop. 17 June – Pat Hickey, judoka and Olympic sports administrator. 20 June – Denis Brennan, Bishop of Ferns (2006– ). 30 June – Sean Scully, painter. June – Nora Owen, Fine Gael TD and Minister for Justice. 1 July – Jack Wall, Labour Party TD for Kildare South. 11 July – Patrick Joseph McGrath, second Roman Catholic Bishop of San Jose in California. July – John Dardis, Progressive Democrats Senator. 3 August – Eamon Dunphy, footballer, commentator and broadcaster. 14 August - Tony Scannell, actor. 12 September – Maria Aitken, actress, writer and director. 13 September – Niall FitzGerald, businessman. 15 September – Donie Cassidy, Fianna Fáil TD representing Longford–Westmeath, businessman. 20 September – Eamonn Walsh, Labour Party TD, local councillor. September – Gerald McCarthy, Cork hurling manager and player. 19 November – Christie Hennessy, folk singer songwriter (died 2007). 6 December – Noel Skehan, Kilkenny hurler. 8 December – John Banville, novelist. 14 December – Bernard O'Donoghue, poet and academic. 17 December – John Neill, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Bishop of Glendalough, Primate of Ireland and Metropolitan. 24 December – Noel Davern, Fianna Fáil TD representing Tipperary South, Cabinet Minister, Member of the European Parliament. Full date unknown Richie Bennis, Limerick hurling manager. Justin McCarthy, Cork hurler, Waterford hurling manager. Philip Pettit, philosopher and political theorist. Kieran Purcell, Kilkenny hurler. Pad Joe Whelehan, Offaly hurler, manager. Deaths 30 January – Patrick Belton, Fianna Fáil and Cumann na nGaedheal TD, President of the anti-communist Irish Christian Front (born 1885). 4 April – Henry Guinness, engineer, banker and independent member of the Seanad 1922–34 (born 1858). 5 May – Frederick Crowley, Fianna Fáil politician (born 1890). 20 July – Paddy Mahon, golfer (born c. 1907). 24 July – Kitty Kiernan, fiancée of the assassinated Michael Collins (born 1893). 3 October – Dermod O'Brien, painter