1959 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 that a Pay-As-You-Earn system of income tax should be introduced.
*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 12 female recruits are selected to join An Garda Síochána.
*July 29 - the new Department of Transport & 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 banghardaí, pass out of the training depot in the Phoenix Park.

Arts and literature

ports

Fotball

*St Patrick's Athletic won the FAI Cup
*Shamrock Rovers won the Football 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, Jnr, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin West and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
*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, Fianna Fáil TD for Meath East and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food.

July to December

*4 August - John Gormley, leader of the Green Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government and TD for Dublin South East.
*28 August - Lorcan Cranitch, actor.
*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 (b.1871).
*January - Patrick O'Connell, soccer player and manager (b.1887).
*4 February - Una O'Connor, actress (b.1880).
*7 March - T. C. Murray, dramatist (b.1873).
*13 March - Robert Forde, Antarctic explorer (b.1875).
*21 April - Sep Lambert, cricketer (b.1876).
*15 May - Liam de Roiste, company director, member 1st Dáil "(Pro Treaty)", representing Cork City.
*16 May - Elisha Scott, footballer (b.1894).
*13 June - Seán Lester, diplomat and last Secretary General of the League of Nations (b.1888).
*25 June - Mick Kenny, Galway hurler (b.1893).

Full date unknown

*Dick Doyle, Kilkenny hurler (b.1888).