1878 in Ireland

Events

*August - The narrow gauge Ballymena and Larne Railway starts passenger operations in County Antrim, the first on the Irish narrow gauge.cite book |last= Baker |first= Michael HC |title= Irish Narrow Gauge Railways. A View from the Past|publisher= Ian Allan Publishing|year= 1999 |isbn= 0-7110-2680-7 ]
*December - construction of the narrow gauge Ballycastle Railway begins.

Arts and literature

port

Births

January to June

*8 January - Frederic Charles Dreyer, Royal Navy Admiral (d.1956).
*1 February - Thomás MacDonagh, nationalist, poet, rebel and Easter Rising leader, executed (d.1916).
*14 February - Daniel Corkery, writer, teacher and Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil TD (d.1964).
*23 February - Pádraic Ó Máille, Sinn Féin MP and TD, Fianna Fáil Senator (d.1946).
*13 March - Patrick McCartan, Sinn Féin MP and TD, member of 1st Dáil, a founder member of Clann na Poblachta (d.1966).
*19 March - Michael James O'Rourke, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in 1917 at Hill 70 near Lens, France (d.1957).
*11 April - Kathleen Clarke, widow of Tom Clarke, Sinn Féin and later Fianna Fáil TD, Seanad member, first female Lord Mayor of Dublin (d.1972).
*17 April - Thomas Harvey, cricketer and rugby player (d.1966).
*3 June - Sinéad de Valera, writer and wife of third President of Ireland, Éamon de Valera (d.1975).

July to September

*24 July - Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany, writer and dramatist (d.1957).
*9 August - Eileen Gray, architect and designer (d.1976).
*15 August - Harry Corley, cricketer (d.1936).
*17 August - Oliver St. John Gogarty, physician, poet and writer (d.1957).
*27 November - William Orpen, painter (d.1931).

Full date unknown

*Helena Concannon, Fianna Fáil politician and historian (d.1952).
*Jamesy Kelleher, Cork hurler (d.1943).
*Margaret M. Pearse, Fianna Fáil TD and Seanad Éireann member, sister of Patrick Pearse (d.1968).
*Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, suffragist, pacifist and writer, murdered by British Army (d.1916).
*Geoffrey Taylour, 4th Marquess of Headfort, peer (d.1943).
*Dick Walsh, Kilkenny hurler (d.1958).

Deaths

*2 April - William Clements, 3rd Earl of Leitrim, nobleman and landowner (b.1806).
*22 September - Sir Richard John Griffith, 1st Baronet, geologist (b.1784).
*24 October - Paul Cardinal Cullen, Cardinal and Catholic Primate of Ireland (b.1803).
*21 November - John Deyell, founder of Millbrook, Ontario (b. c1775)
*22 December - Patrick Mylott, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in 1857 in India (b.1820).

Full date unknown

*Henry MacManus, artist (b. c1810).
*Richard Smyth, Presbyterian minister, academic and politician (b.1826).

References