1940 in Ireland

Events

*February 7 - "Munster" (Capt. R. Paisley) mined and sunk in Irish Sea entering Liverpool
*March 9 - Trawler "Leukos" sunk by gunfire from "U-38", NW of Tory Island - 11 dead. (She may have moved between the surfacing U-boat and English trawlers, in the hope that the tricolour would protect her while the English escaped)
*March 10 - "City of Bremen" rescues crew of "Amor" (Dutch) in the North Sea - 33 saved
*March 29 - Fire destroys the roof and upper rooms of St. Patrick's College, Maynooth.
*June 12 - U-38 lands a German spy, Karl Simon, in Dingle. He was promptly arrested and interned for the duration.
*June 19 - Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies established.
*June 23 - Minister Frank Aiken encourages everyone to store food and water and to prepare a shelter in case of a direct hit.
*July 4 - Taoiseach Éamon de Valera announces that the policy of neutrality adopted the previous September will not be reversed.
*July 11 - "Moyalla" rescues survivors from "Athellaird" (British) off Cape Clear - 20 saved.
*July 15 - "City of Limerick" (Capt. R. Ferguson) bombed by aircraft and sunk in Bay of Biscay, 700 miles west of Ushant - 2 dead.
*July 20 - "City of Waterford" (Capt. T. Freehill) shelled by submarine in North Atlantic - escaped
*July 30 - "Kyleclare" rescues survivors from "Clan Menzies" (British) off Mayo coast - 52 saved.
*August 1 - Collier "Kerry Head" bombed off Kinsale - survived this attack, but see October 22.
*August 15 - "Meath" (Capt. T. MacFariane) mined and sunk off the South Stack, Holy Island, Anglesey - crew rescued by a local fishing trawler - 700 cattle lost
*August 16 - "Lock Ryan" (Capt. J. Nolan) bombed off Land's End - survived
*August 24 - "City of Waterford" (Capt. T. Freehill) bombed in Irish Sea - survived.
*August 27 - "Lanahrone" rescues survivors from "Goathland" (British) off Kerry coast - 18 saved
*September 4 - "Luimneach" (Capt. E. Jones) sunk by gunfire from U-46 in Bay of Biscay.
*September 4 - "Edenvale" (Capt. N. Gillespie) macine-gunned by German plane off Waterford coast.
*October 3 - The German news agency announces that the German government is willing to pay compensation for dropping bombs on Dublin.
*October 22 - "Kerry Head" (Capt. C. Drummond) bombed again, all 12 hands lost, in full view of watchers on Cape Clear Island
*November - The " Murder of Marlhill" took place in Knockgraffon near New Inn, County Tipperary
*November 7 - Éamon de Valera, speaking in response to Winston Churchill's statement, says that there can be no question of handing over Irish ports for use by British forces while they retain control of Northern Ireland.
*November 11 - "Ardmore" (Capt. T. Ford) struck a mine off the Saltee Islands - 24 died
*November 24 - James Craig, the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, dies suddenly. He was the longest continually serving Prime Minister in Europe.
*December 19 - "Isolda" (Capt. A. Bestic) a lightship tender, was sunk by German bombers, within sight of Carnsore Point - six killed, seven wounded
*December 21 - "Innisfallen" (Capt. G. Firth) - while leaving Liverpool she hit a mine off Wirral shore near New Brighton and sank - four died.
*December 27 - Dr. John Charles McQuaid is consecrated as Archbishop of Dublin.

port

Football

*League of Ireland::Winners: St James' Gate

*FAI Cup::Winners: Shamrock Rovers 3 - 0 Sligo Rovers.

Golf

*Irish Open is not played due to The Emergency.

Births

January to March

*25 January - Bishop Philip Boyce, Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Raphoe.
*26 January - Séamus Hegarty, Bishop of the Diocese of Raphoe, later Bishop of the Diocese of Derry.
*2 February - Brendan Daly, former Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister, Senator.
*27 March - Lorcan Allen, farmer and former Fianna Fáil TD for Wexford, and the youngest person ever elected to Dáil Éireann (at the 1961 general election)

April to June

*12 April - Dermot Fitzpatrick, former Fianna Fáil TD.
*13 April - Frank O'Neill, soccer player.
*20 April - Alfie Linehan, cricketer.
*23 April - Timothy Carroll, Roman Catholic bishop serving as Apostolic Vicar in the Titular See of Tipasa in Mauretania.
*11 May - Mary Henry, member of the Seanad (1993–2007) representing University of Dublin.
*15 May - Proinsias De Rossa, former leader of the Workers' Party & Democratic Left, former Cabinet Minister and an MEP.
*28 May -Maeve Binchy, novelist and columnist.
*29 May - Donal Murray, Bishop of Limerick (1996 - ).
*6 June - Willie John McBride, international rugby player.
*6 June - Michael Smith, Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath.
*24 June - Adrian FitzGerald, 24th Knight of Kerry.

July to December

*26 July - Tom Enright, former Fine Gael politician.
*5 September - Aideen O'Kelly, actress.
*10 September - Dickie Rock, singer and songwriter.
*12 September - Desmond Foley, Gaelic footballer and hurler and Fianna Fáil TD (d.1995).
*19 October - Michael Gambon, actor.
*1 November - Michael Collins, former Fianna Fáil TD.
*6 November - Johnny Giles, former international footballer and broadcaster.
*17 November - Luke Kelly, singer, folk musician and member of The Dubliners (d.1984).
*1 December - Brendan Toal, former Fine Gael TD.

Full date unknown

*Séamus Cleere, former Kilkenny hurler.
*Martin Coogan, former Kilkenny hurler.
*Phil Flynn, former vice-president of Sinn Féin, businessman.

Deaths

*2 January - William Harrington, cricketer (b.1869).
*24 January - John Doogan, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in 1881 at Laing's Nek, South Africa (b.1853).
*9 February - Edward Joseph Byrne, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin (b. 1872)
*21 July - John Brunskill, cricketer (b.1875).
*22 July - Peter Maher, boxer (b.1869).
*14 August - Seán Russell, Irish republican and a chief of staff of the Irish Republican Army (b.1893).
*21 September - Mick O'Brien, soccer player and manager (b.1893).
*24 November - James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (b.1871).

Full date unknown

*Dr. Mark F. Ryan, nationalist and author (b.1844).
*Samuel Shumack, farmer and author in Australia (b.1850).