Ireland 1963: a year of marvels, mysteries, merriment and misfortune

1963 was a remarkable year in the history of Ireland.

It was notable not for any one monumental of transformative event, but for an astonishing sequence of occurrences - triumphs and tragedies, joys and sorrows - spanning all 12 months.

Here, Kevin C. Kearns makes sense of a year which featured freak weather, the 'bingo craze', a UFO sighting, a macabre murder mystery, collapsing tenements and President Kennedy's four-day visit to the country in June.