1959 in Ireland

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««« 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954	1959 in Ireland	»»» 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964
Decades: 1930s • 1940s • 1950s • 1960s • 1970s Centuries: 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st See also: 1959 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1959 List of years in Ireland

Events

• January 7 - Dáil Éireann debates a motion that Éamon de Valera's position as controlling director of the Irish Press could be regarded as incompatible with his duties as Taoiseach.
• January 23 - The government is considering introduction of a pay-as-you-earn system of income tax.
• February 10 - Unions vote to end the 15-year split in the Irish trade union movement. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions results from the merger of the TUC and the CIU.
• April 8 - Fine Gael's James Dillon wants to abolish compulsory Irish as he feels it is counter-productive.
• June 25 - Éamon de Valera is inaugurated at Dublin Castle as the third President of Ireland.
• July 9 - The first twelve female recruits are selected to join An Garda Síochána.
• July 29 - The new Department of Transport and Power is established. Erskine H. Childers is the first Minister.
• September 22 - At its inaugural conference the Irish Congress of Trade Unions attacks the government of Northern Ireland for not recognising the new organisation.
• October 4 - Three men collapse and die at Croke Park during the All-Ireland Hurling Final Replay.
• October 21 - James Dillon is elected leader of the Fine Gael Party. He replaces Richard Mulcahy as leader and John A. Costello as parliamentary leader.
• December 4 - Twelve new female members of An Garda Síochána, known as bhanghardaí, pass out of the training depot in the Phoenix Park.
• Figures released on February 4, 1960 show that 118 million telephone calls were made in 1959.

Arts and literature

• The film of Mise Éire, made by George Morrison with music by Seán Ó Riada for Gael Linn, is premiered at the Cork Film Festival, the first feature-length Irish language film.
• The film Home Is the Hero, based on the play by and starring Walter Macken, is released.

Sports

Football

• St Patrick's Athletic won the FAI Cup
• Shamrock Rovers won the League of Ireland

Births

January to June

• 20 February - Patrick Walker, soccer player and manager.
• 22 February - Matthew Dwyer, cricketer.
• 21 March - Rachel Allen, celebrity chef.
• 21 May - Brian Lenihan, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin West and Minister for Finance. (died 2011)
• 2 June - Gerry Hannan, broadcaster and writer.
• 13 June - Mairead McGuinness, journalist, Member of the European Parliament for the East constituency.
• 13 June - Mary Wallace, former Fianna Fáil TD for Meath East and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food.

July to December

• 4 August - John Gormley, former leader of the Green Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and TD for Dublin South–East.
• 28 August - Lorcan Cranitch, actor.
• 1 October - Billy Timmins, Fine Gael TD.
• 8 October - Gavin Friday, singer, songwriter, composer and painter.
• 20 October - Niamh Cusack, actress.
• 7 November - John Anderson, soccer player.
• 28 November - Stephen Roche, road racing cyclist, in 1987 won Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the World Cycling Championship.
• 4 December - Paul McGrath, Irish international soccer player.

Full date unknown

• Dermot Bolger, novelist, playwright and poet.
• Hugh R. Brady, President and Chief Officer of University College Dublin.
• Fergus Johnston, composer.
• Lorcan O'Herlihy, architect and artist.
• Michael Scott, author.
• Davy Spillane, uillean piper.

Deaths

• 9 January - A. M. Sullivan, lawyer (born 1871).
• January - Patrick O'Connell, soccer player and manager (born 1887).
• 4 February - Una O'Connor, actress (born 1880).
• 7 March - T. C. Murray, dramatist (born 1873).
• 13 March - Robert Forde, Antarctic explorer (born 1875).
• 21 April - September Lambert, cricketer (born 1876).
• 15 May - Liam de Róiste, company director, member 1st Dáil (Pro Treaty), representing Cork City.
• 16 May - Elisha Scott, footballer (born 1894).
• 13 June - Seán Lester, diplomat and last Secretary General of the League of Nations (born 1888).
• 25 June - Mick Kenny, Galway hurler (born 1893).

Full date unknown

• Dick Doyle, Kilkenny hurler (born 1888).