1956 in Ireland

Events

*February 15 - Senator Owen Sheehy-Skeffington introduces a motion calling for the prohibition of all corporal punishment for girls in Irish national schools.
*April 2 - President Seán T. O'Kelly unveils a bust of Countess Markiewicz in St. Stephen's Green, Dublin.
*May 1 - The Minister for Education Richard Mulcahy introduces the debate on a separate government department for the Gaeltacht.
*May 21 - President Seán T. O'Kelly opens the first Cork International Film Festival.
*May 29 - T. K. Whitaker is appointed new Secretary at the Department of Finance.
*August 12 - The Gaelic Athletic Association postpones the All-Ireland Hurling and Football Finals due to an outbreak of polio.
*November 21 - Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children is opened in Crumlin, Dublin.
*November 30 - Petrol rationing is due to be introduced from January 1 due to the crisis in the Suez.
*December 1 - At the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, Ronnie Delany wins Ireland's first gold medal for 24 years.

Date unknown

*Robert Briscoe becomes the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Dublin [cite web |url=http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/index.asp?locID=462&docID=2139 |title=Speech by the Taoiseach on visit to the Jewish Museum, Dublin |author=Department of the Taoiseach |date=2006 |work=The Irish Times |accessdate=2008-03-09]

Arts and literature

port

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 (d.2008).
*16 January - Denis Moran, former Kerry Gaelic footballer.
*11 February - Pat Carroll, Offaly hurler (d.1986).
*13 February - Liam Brady, international soccer player.
*21 February - Johnny Crowley, Cork hurler.
*13 April - Jim Lynagh, Provisional Irish Republican Army member killed in an ambush by the SAS during an attack on Loughgall RUC station (d.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 - Seán 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, RTE radio presenter.
*7 June - Marty Whelan, RTE radio and television presenter.

July to December

*10 July - Frank Stapleton, soccer player and manager.
*July - Liz O'Donnell, Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats, former TD and Minister of State.
*August - Denis Mulcahy, Cork hurler.
*5 September - Willie Mullins, former jockey, racehorse trainer.
*1 November - Charles Flanagan, Fine Gael TD for Laois-Offaly.

Full date unknown

*John Allen, Cork hurler and manager.
*Ciarán Brennan, singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist.
*Patrick Cassidy, composer.
*Marita Conlon-McKenna, children's writer.
*Joe Connolly, former Galway hurler.
*Dorothy Cross, sculptor and installation artist.
*Joe Duffy, radio presenter.
*Frankie Gavin, fiddle and flute player.
*Joe Hennessy, former Kilkenny hurler.
*Mary Kennedy, television presenter.
*Alice Maher, painter and sculptor.
*Tadhg Murphy, former Cork hurler.
*Cathal Ó Searcaigh, poet.
*Fran Rooney, businessman.

Deaths

January to June

*30 January - Sir John Keane, 5th Baronet, barrister, member of Seanad (b.1873).
*21 February - Louis Meldon, cricketer (b.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 (b.1882).
*18 March - Benjamin Glazer, Academy Award-winning writer, producer and director (b.1887).
*19 March - Matt Goff, Kildare Gaelic footballer (b.1901).
*24 March - Bob Lambert, cricketer (b.1874).
*17 May - John Tudor Gwynn, cricketer (b.1881).

July to December

*5 August - John Miller Andrews, second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (b.1871).
*19 November - Tomás Ó Deirg, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister (b.1897).
*25 November - Robert Bowers, cricketer (b.1897).
*11 December - Frederic Charles Dreyer, Royal Navy Admiral (b.1878).
*27 December - Lambert McKenna, Jesuit priest and writer (b.1870).

Full date unknown

*James Cousins, poet and writer (b.1873).
*Elizabeth Cronin, traditional singer (b.1879).
*Ella Young, poet (b.1867).

References