1939 in Ireland

Events

*January 11 - The INTO Congress in Galway calls on the government to abolish the ban on married women teachers.
*February 12 - The Department of External Affairs announces that it recognises the government of General Francisco Franco.
*February - In his Lenten pastoral, Bishop Daniel Mageean refers to A Protestant Parliament for a Protestant People
*March 12 - An Taoiseach Éamon de Valera attends the coronation of Pope Pius XII in Rome.
*March 16 - Éamon de Valera is greeted by Benito Mussolini in Rome. A luncheon is held in honour of An Taoiseach.
*March 22 - Ireland's neutrality is discussed during a Dáil debate on defence estimates. The government considered the implications to the export market to Britain if a neutral stand is taken.
*March 30 - The Treason Bill passes its fifth and final stage in Dáil Éireann.
*April 9 - The Gaelic Athletic Association votes to keep the name of President Douglas Hyde off its list of patrons. The situation arose when the President attended an international soccer game.
*April 17 - The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Lord Craigavon, dismisses the Dublin government's position of neutrality as cowardly.
*April 19 - In a speech to Seanad Éireann An Taoiseach Éamon de Valera refers to the dropping of all references to the King and Great Britain from new Irish passports.
*May 4 - The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland announces that conscription will not be extended to Northern Ireland.
*May 18 - The Earl of Iveagh presents the Irish Government with his Dublin townhouse.
*June 2 - The Treason Act 1939 becomes law. A sentence of death may be passed on anyone convicted of "levying war against the State."
*September 1 - A state of emergency [http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZSI222Y1939.html is declared] by the government.
*September 2 - An Taoiseach Éamon de Valera tells the Dáil that Ireland will remain neutral in the European War.
*September 3 - The Emergency Powers Act 1939 comes into force today as Britain and France declare war on Germany.
*September 4 - SS "Athenia" torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. "Knut Nelson" (Norway) lands 450 survivors in Galway.
*September 11- The Irish-flagged tanker "Inverliffey" was shelled and sunk by U-38. The U-boat towed the lifeboats away from the blazing oil.
*September 13 - The Minister for Supplies, Seán Lemass, introduces petrol rationing.
*October 30 - More than two dozen air-raid sirens, acquired by the Corporation, are tested across Dublin City.
*December 23 - 1 million rounds of ammunition are stolen from the national arsenal at the Phoenix Park by pro-Nazi elements of the IRA.

port

Football

*League of Ireland::Winners: Shamrock Rovers

*FAI Cup::Winners: Shelbourne 1 - 1, 1 - 0 Sligo Rovers. English football goalscoring legend Dixie Dean plays in the final for Rovers.

Golf

*Irish Open is won by Arthur Lees (England).

Births

January to June

*25 January - Dermot Clifford, Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.
*2 February - Desmond O'Malley, former Fianna Fáil TD and founder of the Progressive Democrats.
*24 March - Joe McCartin, MEP, Senator.
*25 March - Tom Fitzgerald, former Fianna Fáil Senator.
*1 April - Joe Jacob, former Fianna Fáil TD and Minister of State.
*3 May - Ken Hope, former cricketer.
*9 May - Pádraig Flynn, former Fianna Fáil TD, Cabinet Minister and European Commissioner.
*19 May - John Sheahan, violinist, folk musician and composer, with The Dubliners.
*29 May - Mary Banotti, former Fine Gael politician.

July to December

*11 July - Mick Brown, football scout.
*16 August - Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.
*21 August - Ray McLoughlin, former international rugby player.
*5 September - Mark Killilea, Jnr, former Fianna Fáil TD and MEP.
*10 September - Edward Plunkett, 20th Baron of Dunsany, artist.
*12 September - Patrick Harrington, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, Kenya.
*20 September - Mike O'Donnell, film and television composer.
*11 October - Austin Currie, founder-member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and former Fine Gael TD.
*16 October - Joe Dolan, singer (d.2007).
*27 October - Thady Wyndham-Quin, 7th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl, peer.
*October - Frank Columb, writer.
*2 November - John Buckley, Bishop of Cork and Ross (1997 - ).
*November - Ollie Conmy, former international soccer player.
*16 December - Barney McKenna, musician.

Full date unknown

*Ted Carroll, former Kilkenny hurler.
*Paddy FitzGerald, former Cork hurler.
*Alice Hanratty, painter and printmaker.
*Paddy Moran, former Kilkenny hurler.
*Denis Murphy, former Cork hurler.

Deaths

*28 January - William Butler Yeats, poet and dramatist (b.1865).
*9 June - Owen Moore, actor (b.1886).
*28 June - James Dowdall, Independent member of the 1922 Seanad.
*19 July - John Cassidy, sculptor and painter (b.1860).
*20 August - Edward Bulfin, British general during World War I (b.1862).
*8 September - Maurice George Moore, Independent member of the 1922 Seanad.
*15 September - William MacCarthy-Morrogh, cricketer (b.1870).
*20 September - Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin, astronomer (b.1865).
*14 December - Samuel Lombard Brown, Independent member of 1922 Seanad.

Full date unknown

*Charlotte Despard, suffragist, novelist and Sinn Féin activist (b.1844).
*Lady Mary Heath, aviator, athlete and writer (b.1896).