← 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1956 in Ireland → 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	1956 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1956 List of years in Ireland

Events from the year1956 in Ireland.

• President:Seán T. O'Kelly
• Taoiseach:John A. Costello (FG)
• Tánaiste:William Norton (Lab)
• Minister for Finance:Gerard Sweetman (FG)
• Chief Justice:Conor Maguire
• Dáil:15th
• Seanad:8th

• 15 February – SenatorOwen Sheehy-Skeffington introduced a motion calling for the prohibition of all corporal punishment for girls in Irishnational schools.
• 2 April – PresidentSeán T. O'Kelly unveiled a bust of politician, revolutionary, and suffragistConstance Markievicz inSt Stephen's Green,Dublin.
• 1 May – theMinister for EducationRichard Mulcahy introduced the debate on a separate government department for theGaeltacht.
• 21 May – PresidentSeán T. O'Kelly opened the firstCork International Film Festival.
• 29 May –T. K. Whitaker was appointed new Secretary at the Department of Finance.
• 12 August – TheGaelic Athletic Association postponed theAll-Ireland Hurling andFootball Finals due to an outbreak of polio.
• 21 November –Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children was opened inCrumlin.
• 30 November – Petrol rationing was due to be introduced from next January 1 due to theSuez Crisis.
• 1 December – At theOlympic Games inMelbourne, Australia,Ronnie Delany won Ireland's first Olympic gold medal for 24 years.
• 12 December – TheIrish Republican Army launched itsBorder Campaign in Northern Ireland^[1] with the bombing of aBBC relay transmitter inCounty Londonderry, burning of a courthouse inMagherafelt by a unit led by 18-year-oldSeamus Costello,^[1] and of anUlster Special Constabulary post nearNewry and blowing up of a half-builtBritish Army barracks atEnniskillen. A raid onGough Barracks inArmagh was beaten off after a brief exchange of fire.
• Undated
  • The secondCoimisiún na Gaeltachta redefined the boundaries of theGaeltacht.
  • Robert Briscoe became the first JewishLord Mayor of Dublin.^[2]

• June – PainterLouis le Brocquy represented Ireland at theVenice Biennale.
• Samuel Beckett's novelMalone Dies was published in English.

League of Ireland

Winners:St Patrick's Athletic

FAI Cup

Winners:Shamrock Rovers 3–2Cork Athletic.

• 1 January –John O'Donohue, poet andphilosopher (died in 2008).
• 16 January –Denis Moran,Kerry Gaelic footballer.
• 17 January –Joe Hennessy,Kilkenny hurler.
• 27 January –Joe Duffy, radio presenter.
• 11 February –Pat Carroll,Offaly hurler (died1986).
• 13 February –Liam Brady, international soccer player.
• 21 February –Johnny Crowley,Cork hurler.
• 4 March –Ciarán Brennan, singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist.
• 13 April –Jim Lynagh,Provisional Irish Republican Army member killed in an ambush by theSpecial Air Service during an attack onLoughgall RUC station (died in 1987).
• 16 April –Paul Drechsler, businessman.
• 29 April –Kevin Moran, Gaelic footballer and soccer player.
• 30 April –Liam T. Cosgrave,Fine Gael politician,Cathaoirleach ofSeanad Éireann 1996–1997
• 4 May –Steve Barron, film director and producer.
• 5 May –Mary Coughlan, singer.
• 9 May –Brendan Howlin,national school teacher,Labour PartyTeachta Dála (TD) forWexford and cabinet minister.
• 15 May –Pat Byrne, soccer player and manager.
• 18 May –Pat Fleury,Offaly hurler, manager.
• 21 May –Sean Kelly, cyclist and broadcaster.
• 24 May –Michael Jackson,Church of Ireland Bishop of Clogher.
• 28 May –John O'Donoghue,Fianna Fáil TD forKerry South and Cabinet Minister.
• 1 June –Brendan Smith,Fianna Fáil TD forCavan–Monaghan andMinister of State.
• 4 June –Gerry Ryan,RTÉ radio presenter. (Died in 2010)
• 7 June –Marty Whelan, RTÉ radio and television presenter.
• 1 July –Liz O'Donnell, Deputy Leader of theProgressive Democrats, TD and Minister of State.
• 10 July –Frank Stapleton, soccer player and manager.
• 12 July –Cathal Ó Searcaigh, poet.
• August –Denis Mulcahy,Cork hurler.
• 26 August –Dick Hooper, long-distance runner.
• 5 September –Willie Mullins, jockey, racehorse trainer.
• 4 October –Mary Kennedy, television presenter.
• 13 October –Joe Connolly,Galway hurler.
• 1 November –Charles Flanagan,Fine Gael TD forLaois–Offaly.
• 5 November –Marita Conlon-McKenna, children's writer.
• 4 December –Nia GriffithWelsh LabourMember of Parliament.
• 19 December –Shane McEntee,Fine Gael TD forMeath East.

  Undated

• Patrick Cassidy, composer.
• Dorothy Cross, sculptor and installation artist.
• Frankie Gavin, fiddle and flute player.
• Alice Maher, painter and sculptor.
• Valerie Mulvin, architect.
• Tadhg Murphy,Cork hurler.
• Richie Reid,Kilkenny hurler.
• Fran Rooney, businessman.

• 30 January –Sir John Keane, 5th Baronet, barrister, member ofSeanad Éireann (born in 1873).
• 20 February –James Cousins, poet and writer (born in 1873).
• 21 February –Louis Meldon, cricketer (born in 1886).
• 13 March –Alfie Byrne,Irish Nationalist politician, served both as aMember of parliament in theBritish House of Commons and as aTeachta Dála inDáil Éireann (born in 1882).
• 18 March –Benjamin Glazer,Academy Award-winning writer, film producer and director (born in 1887).
• 19 March –Matt Goff,Kildare Gaelic footballer (born in 1901).
• 24 March –Bob Lambert, cricketer (born in 1874).
• 20 April –Ida Mary Costello, wife of TaoiseachJohn A. Costello (born in 1891).
• 17 May –John Tudor Gwynn, cricketer (born in 1881).
• 22 May –Elizabeth Cronin, traditional singer (born in 1879).
• 11 June –Seán Óg Murphy,Cork hurler,Gaelic Athletic Association administrator (born in 1892).
• 23 July –Ella Young, poet (born in 1867).
• 5 August –J. M. Andrews, secondPrime Minister of Northern Ireland (born in 1871).
• 23 September –Arthur Duff, composer and conductor (born in 1899).
• 6 November –Leo Whelan, painter (born in 1892).
• 19 November –Thomas Derrig,Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister (born in 1897).
• 25 November –Robert Bruce Bowers, cricketer (born in 1897).
• 11 December –Frederic Charles Dreyer, BritishRoyal NavyAdmiral (born in 1878).
• 27 December –Lambert McKenna,Jesuit priest and writer (born in 1870).
• Undated –Geoffrey Taylor, born Jeoffrey Phibbs, poet (born 1900 in England).

• 1956 in Ireland
• 1950s in Ireland
• Years of the 20th century in Ireland
• 1956 in Europe
• 1956 by country

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