1956 in Ireland

←

1956
in
Ireland

→

Centuries:

18th
19th
20th
21st

Decades:

1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s

Events

15 February - Senator Owen Sheehy-Skeffington introduces a motion calling for the prohibition of all corporal punishment for girls in Irish national schools.
2 April - President Seán T. O'Kelly unveils a bust of Countess Markievicz in St Stephen's Green, Dublin.
1 May - The Minister for Education Richard Mulcahy introduces the debate on a separate government department for the Gaeltacht.
21 May - President Seán T. O'Kelly opens the first Cork International Film Festival.
29 May - T. K. Whitaker is appointed new Secretary at the Department of Finance.
12 August - The Gaelic Athletic Association postpones the All-Ireland Hurling and Football Finals due to an outbreak of polio.
21 November - Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children is opened in Crumlin, Dublin.
30 November - Petrol rationing is due to be introduced from 1 January due to the crisis in the Suez.
1 December - At the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, Ronnie Delany wins Ireland's first gold medal for 24 years.
12 December - The Irish Republican Army launches its Border Campaign in Northern Ireland^[1] with the bombing of a BBC relay transmitter in County Londonderry, burning of a courthouse in Magherafelt by a unit led by 18-year-old Seamus Costello^[1] and of an Ulster Special Constabulary post near Newry and blowing up of a half-built British Army barracks at Enniskillen. A raid on Gough Barracks in Armagh is beaten off after a brief exchange of fire.
Undated
- The second Coimisiún na Gaeltachta redefines the boundaries of the Gaeltacht.
- Robert Briscoe becomes the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Dublin.^[2]

Arts and literature

June - Painter Louis le Brocquy represents Ireland at the Venice Biennale.
Samuel Beckett's novel Malone Dies is published in English.

Sport

Football

League of Ireland

Winners: St Patrick's Athletic

FAI Cup

Winners: Shamrock Rovers 3 - 2 Cork Athletic.

Births

January to June

1 January - John O'Donohue, poet and philosopher (died 2008).
16 January - Denis Moran, former Kerry Gaelic footballer.
27 January - Joe Duffy, radio presenter.
11 February - Pat Carroll, Offaly hurler (died 1986).
13 February - Liam Brady, international soccer player.
21 February - Johnny Crowley, Cork hurler.
4 March - Ciarán Brennan, singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist.
13 April - Jim Lynagh, Provisional Irish Republican Army member killed in an ambush by the SAS during an attack on Loughgall RUC station (died 1987).
29 April - Kevin Moran, Gaelic footballer and soccer player.
30 April - Liam T. Cosgrave, Fine Gael politician, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann 1996–1997
4 May - Steve Barron, film director and producer.
5 May - Mary Coughlan, singer.
9 May - Brendan Howlin, national teacher, Labour Party Teachta Dála for Wexford and former Cabinet Minister.
15 May - Pat Byrne, soccer player and manager.
18 May - Pat Fleury, Offaly hurler, manager.
21 May - Sean Kelly, cyclist and broadcaster.
24 May - Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland Bishop of Clogher.
28 May - John O'Donoghue, Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry South and Cabinet Minister.
1 June - Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan–Monaghan and Minister of State.
4 June - Gerry Ryan, RTÉ radio presenter. (Died 30 April 2010)
7 June - Marty Whelan, RTÉ radio and television presenter.

July to December

1 July - Liz O'Donnell, Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats, former TD and Minister of State.
10 July - Frank Stapleton, soccer player and manager.
12 July - Cathal Ó Searcaigh, poet.
August - Denis Mulcahy, Cork hurler.
26 August - Dick Hooper, long-distance runner
5 September - Willie Mullins, former jockey, racehorse trainer.
4 October - Mary Kennedy, television presenter.
1 November - Charles Flanagan, Fine Gael TD for Laois–Offaly.
19 December - Shane McEntee, Fine Gael TD for Meath East.

Undated

John Allen, Cork hurler and manager.
Patrick Cassidy, composer.
Marita Conlon-McKenna, children's writer.
Joe Connolly, former Galway hurler.
Dorothy Cross, sculptor and installation artist.
Frankie Gavin, fiddle and flute player.
Joe Hennessy, former Kilkenny hurler.
Alice Maher, painter and sculptor.
Tadhg Murphy, former Cork hurler.
Fran Rooney, businessman.

Deaths

January to June

30 January - Sir John Keane, 5th Baronet, barrister, member of Seanad (born 1873).
20 February - James Cousins, poet and writer (born 1873).
21 February - Louis Meldon, cricketer (born 1886).
13 March - Alfred Byrne, Irish Nationalist politician, served both as an MP in the British House of Commons and as a TD in Dáil Éireann (born 1882).
18 March - Benjamin Glazer, Academy Award-winning writer, producer and director (born 1887).
19 March - Matt Goff, Kildare Gaelic footballer (born 1901).
24 March - Bob Lambert, cricketer (born 1874).
17 May - John Tudor Gwynn, cricketer (born 1881).

July to December

23 July - Ella Young, poet (born 1867).
5 August - John Miller Andrews, second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (born 1871).
23 September - Arthur Duff, composer and conductor (born 1899).
6 November - Leo Whelan, painter (born 1892).
19 November - Thomas Derrig, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister (born 1897).
25 November - Robert Bowers, cricketer (born 1897).
11 December - Frederic Charles Dreyer, Royal Navy Admiral (born 1878).
27 December - Lambert McKenna, Jesuit priest and writer (born 1870).

Undated

Elizabeth Cronin, traditional singer (born 1879).
Seán Óg Murphy, Cork hurler, Gaelic Athletic Association administrator (born 1897).
Geoffrey Phibbs ('Geoffrey Taylor', born 1900 in England).

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 Hanley, Brian; Miller, Scott (2009). The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers' Party. Dublin: Penguin Ireland. p. 14.
↑ Department of the Taoiseach (2006). "Speech by the Taoiseach on visit to the Jewish Museum, Dublin". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2008-03-09.