1908 in Ireland

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Events

• 19 April - The Guildhall, Londonderry, is largely destroyed by fire.^[1]
• 19 May - Work begins on a monument to Charles Stewart Parnell in Upper Sackville Street, Dublin.
• 31 July - Irish Universities Act receives Royal Assent in the Parliament of the UK. This ultimately leads to the establishment of the National University of Ireland and Queen's University of Belfast.^[2]
• 8 September - Padraic Pearse opens Scoil Eanna (St. Enda's) school for boys in Cullenswood House, Ranelagh. It would be later moved to the Hermitage, Rathfarnham.
• 11 November - Irish Women's Franchise League is formed with Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington as secretary.
• 29 December - Irish Transport Workers' Union is formed with James Larkin as general secretary.

Arts and literature

• Terence MacSwiney, T. C. Murray, Con O'Leary and Daniel Corkery found the Cork Dramatic Society
• J. M. Synge's only comedic play, The Tinker's Wedding, is published
• Filson Young's novel When the Tides Turn is published.
• Cuala Press is set up as an independent private press connected with the Irish Literary Revival and Arts and Crafts movement by Elizabeth "Lolly" Yeats with editorial support from her brother W. B. Yeats at Churchtown, Dublin; their sister Lily runs an embroidery workshop as part of Cuala Industries.

Sport

Football

• International

15 February Ireland 1 - 3 England (in Belfast)^[3]

14 March Ireland 0 - 5 Scotland (in Dublin)^[3]

11 April Wales 0 - 1 Ireland (in Aberdare)^[3]

• Irish League

Winners: Linfield

• Irish Cup

Winners: Bohemians 1 - 1, 3 - 1 Shelbourne

Golf

• The course at Royal County Down Golf Club is modified by Harry Vardon, and Edward VII bestows royal patronage on the club.

Births

• 10 March - Patrick Shanahan, Fianna Fáil TD (died 2000).
• 27 April - Patrick Shea, former Permanent Secretary in the Northern Ireland Civil Service (died 1986).
• 10 June - Gerard Sweetman, former Fine Gael TD and Cabinet Minister (died 1970).
• 20 July - Mad Dog Coll, mob hitman in New York (died 1932).
• 24 July - Roger McHugh, professor, author and playwright (died 1987).
• 18 August - Sam English, soccer player (died 1967).
• 6 December - Con Cremin, diplomat (died 1987).

Full date unknown

• Hugh Delargy, British Labour Party politician and MP (died 1976).
• Frances Kelly, painter (died 2002).
• Niall Ó Dónaill, Irish language lexicographer and writer (died 1995).
• Mervyn Wall, novelist and dramatist (died 1997).
• Jim Ware, Waterford hurler (died 1983).

Deaths

• 3 February - Thomas Mellon, entrepreneur, lawyer, and judge, founder of Mellon Bank (born 1813).
• 23 March - Frederick Falkiner, lawyer, judge and author (born 1831).
• 10 June - John F. Finerty, U.S. Representative from Illinois (born 1846).
• 6 July - Thomas William Moffett, scholar, educationalist and President of Queen's College Galway (born 1820).
• 5 August - Caesar Litton Falkiner, Irish Unionist Party politician, barrister, writer and historian (born 1863).
• 30 August - Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse, eighteenth Chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin (b.(1840).
• 4 November - John Pinkerton, Irish Parliamentary Party MP (born 1845).
• 15 December - Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley, British military officer and MP (born 1831).
• 19 December - Thomas Cleeve, founder of Condensed Milk Company of Ireland, High Sheriff of Limerick (born 1844).

Full date unknown

• Eyre Massey Shaw, Superintendent of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (now renamed the London Fire Brigade) (born 1830).

References