See also: 1971 in Ireland, other events of 1972, 1973 in Ireland and the list of 'years in Ireland'.

Events

• January 22 - An Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, and Minister for External Affairs, Patrick Hillery, sign the Treaty of Accession to the European Communities .
• January 30 - Bloody Sunday: 13 unarmed civilians are shot dead in Derry as British paratroopers open fire on a banned civil rights march.
• January 31 - An Taoiseach Jack Lynch announces a national day of mourning following the events in Derry the previous day.
• February 1 - Rioting takes place in Dublin. The British Embassy is burned in Merrion Square.
• February 9 - A day of disruption takes place in Northern Ireland as people take to the streets in protest.
• February 10 - The IRA announces a ceasefire.
• February 12 - William Craig launches the Ulster Vanguard Movement in Lisburn.
• February 19 - The National Anti-EEC Committee organises a march along O'Connell Street.
• February 26 - Crowds turn out to see Pelé and his club, Santos, play at Dalymount Park.
• April 2 - Raidió na Gaeltachta goes on the air.
• April 17 - The government launches its EEC referendum campaign.
• May 5 - RTC, Carlow becomes the first Regional Technical College to install a computer - the computer is to be used for business and engineering courses and uses the Fortran and RPG languages and cost £10,000.
• May 10 - In the referendum on Ireland's membership of the EEC the poll is almost five to one in favour.
• June 13 - An Garda Síochána celebrates its 50th anniversary.
• July 6 - Dmitri Shostakovich is presented with an honorary DMus degree at a ceremony in Trinity College Dublin.
• July 12 - Over 2,000 refugees from Northern Ireland spend the Twelfth south of the border.
• July 21 - Bloody Friday: 9 eople die and over 100 are injured in a series of explosions in Belfast city centre.
• July 31 - Operation Motorman: British troops invade no-go areas in Belfast, Derry and Newry.
• August 20 - Commemorations are held at Béal na mBláth, County Cork, to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Michael Collins.
• December 13 - President de Valera signs documents covering Ireland's entry into the EEC.

Arts and literature

• William Trevor's collection of stories The Ballroom of Romance is published.

Sports

• Alex Higgins wins the World Professional Snooker Championship.

Births

• January 27 - Keith Wood, former International rugby player.

Deaths

• January 11 - Pádraic Colum , poet and dramatist.
• June 19 - John Blowick , co-founder St Columban’s Foreign Mission Society.
• May 22 - Cecil Day Lewis, poet.
• September 1 - Patricia Lynch , author.