1920 in Ireland

Events

*27 February - The text of the Home Rule Bill to be introduced in the British House of Commons is published. It provides for the establishment of a 128-member parliament in Dublin and a 52-member parliament in Belfast.
*20 March - The Lord Mayor of Cork, Thomas MacCurtain, is murdered when armed Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) men broke into his house.
*22 March - Thousands gather to pay their respects to the murdered Tomás MacCurtain. Over 8,000 Irish Republican Army (IRA) Volunteers line the route to St. Fionnbar's Cemetery.
*2 May - Viscount Fitzalan is sworn in as the Lord-Lieutenant. He is the first Catholic to hold the viceroyalty since the reign of King James II.
*22 May - In Rome, Pope Benedict XV beatifies Oliver Plunkett.
*19 August - Following his arrest the Lord Mayor of Cork, Terence MacSwiney, goes on hunger strike in Brixton Prison.
*28 September - There are disturbances at Mallow, County Cork when a raid on a military barracks by Liam Lynch and Ernie O'Malley is followed by a sack of the town by British soldiers.
*25 October - Terence MacSwiney, Lord Mayor of Cork, dies at Brixton Prison on the 74th day of his hunger strike.
*31 October - Terence MacSwiney is buried in St. Finbarr's Cemetery in his native Cork City. Arthur Griffith delivers the graveside oration.
*1 November - An 18-year-old medical student, Kevin Barry, is executed in Mountjoy Prison for the killing of a British soldier.
*12 November - The hunger strike in Cork Jail is called off after the Sinn Féin President, Arthur Griffith, intervenes.
*21 November - Bloody Sunday: The Irish Republican Army, on the instructions of Michael Collins, shoot dead 14 British undercover agents in Dublin, most in their homes. Later that day the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary open fire on a crowd at a Gaelic Athletic Association Football match in Croke Park, killing 12 people and wounding 60. Three men are shot that night in Dublin Castle "while trying to escape".
*28 November - The flying column of the 3rd Cork Brigade IRA, led by Tom Barry, ambushes and kills 16 Auxiliaries at Kilmichael, County Cork which led to a system of martial law and official reprisals.
*11 December - British forces set fire to some five acres of the centre of Cork City, including the City Hall, in reprisal attacks after a British auxiliary is killed in a guerilla ambush.

Arts and literature

port

Football

*International::14 February Ireland 2 - 2 Wales (in Belfast)cite book | last=Hayes, Dean| year=2006 |title=Northern Ireland International Football Facts | publisher=Appletree Press | location= Belfast | pages=p 162-163|isbn=0-86281-874-5] ::13 March Scotland 3 - 0 Ireland (in Glasgow)::23 October England 2 - 0 Ireland (in Sunderland)

*Irish League::Winners: Belfast Celtic

*Irish Cup::Winners: Shelbourne (final not played). Disorder at the other semi-final which is abandoned means both potential opponents are excluded from the competition and the Irish Football Association award the cup to Shelbourne.

Gaelic Games

*The All-Ireland Champions are Dublin (hurling) and Tipperary (football)

Golf

*British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship is held at Royal County Down Golf Club, (winner: Cecil Leitch.

Births

January to June

*15 February - Bill Collins, footballer.
*13 April - Liam Cosgrave, former Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael.
*30 April - Duncan Hamilton, motor racing driver (d.1994).
*19 May - Joe Cahill, former Chief of Staff of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (d.2004).
*22 May - Oliver J. Flanagan, former Fine Gael TD and Cabinet Minister (d.1987).
*27 May - Joseph Caprani, cricketer.
*15 April - Jim McFadden, ice hockey player (d.2002).
*2 June - Michael O'Hehir, sports commentator and journalist (d.1996).
*5 June - Cornelius Ryan, journalist and author (d.1974).
*12 June - Eoin Ryan, Fianna Fáil Seanad Éireann member (d.2001).

July to December

*17 August - Maureen O'Hara, actress.
*21 August - Rinty Monaghan, boxer (d.1984).
*27 August - James Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, Unionist politician and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party from 1979 to 1995.
*12 October - Christy Ring, Cork hurler (d.1979).
*16 October - Paddy Finucane, RAF fighter pilot, youngest Wing Commander in RAF history, killed in action (d.1942).
*17 October - John Godley, 3rd Baron Kilbracken, author and journalist (d.2006).
*18 October - Alec Cooke, Baron Cooke of Islandreagh, businessman and politician (d.2007).
*24 October - Robert Greacen, poet (d.2008).
*25 November - Patrick J. Reynolds, Fine Gael TD and Senator, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann 1983–1987 (d.2003).
*10 December - Michael Russell, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore (1965 - 1993).

Full date unknown

*Eilís Dillon, author (d.1994).
*Emma Groves, blinded by a rubber bullet in 1971, became a leading campaigner for banning the use of plastic bullets, co-founder of the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets (d.2007).
*Mike Hoare, soldier and mercenary.
*John V. Luce, classicist.
*Charles Mitchel, actor and television newsreader, read the first Telefís Éireann news bulletin in 1961 (d.1996).
*Daniel O'Neill, artist (d.1974).

Deaths

*24 January - Percy French, civil engineer, songwriter, entertainer and artist (b.1854).
*20 March - Tomás Mac Curtain, Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork, murdered on his 36th birthday by the Black and Tans (b.1884).
*21 May - James Plunkett, novelist, author of "Strumpet City". (d.2003)
*10 August - James O'Neill, actor, father of the American playwright Eugene O'Neill (b.1847).
*11 August - Joe Murphy, member of Irish Republican Army, died on 76 day hunger strike during the Irish War of Independence (b.1895).
*17 October - Michael Fitzgerald, Irish Republican Army member, died after 67 days Hunger strike at Cork Jail.
*25 October - Terence MacSwiney, playwright and poet, member of 1st Dáil, Sinn Féin Lord Mayor of Cork, died on 74th day of hunger strike (b.1879).
*1 November - Kevin Barry, executed for his part in an Irish Republican Army operation resulting in the deaths of three British soldiers (b.1902).
*6 November - James Gildea, soldier and philanthropist, founded the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association (b.1838).
*9 November - Daniel Gallery, politician in Canada (b.1859).
*21 November - Dick McKee, Irish Republican Army member in Easter Rising, shot by Crown forces (b.1893).

Full date unknown

*George J. Gaskin, singer (b. 1850s).
*Denis Grimes, Limerick hurler (b.1864).
*T. W. Rolleston, writer, poet and translator (b.1857).

References