1949 in Ireland

Events from the year 1949 in Ireland.

• President: Seán T. O'Kelly
• Taoiseach: John A. Costello (FG)
• Tánaiste: William Norton (Lab)
• Minister for Finance: Patrick McGilligan (FG)
• Chief Justice: Conor Maguire
• Dáil: 13th
• Seanad: 6th

• 22 March – The Irish Government leased a residence in the Phoenix Park in Dublin to the United States government for a period of 99 years. It will be the residence of the United States ambassador.
• 17 April – At midnight, the 26 counties officially left the British Commonwealth under the terms of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948. A 21-gun salute on O'Connell Bridge, Dublin, ushered in the Republic of Ireland.
• 29 April – Major de Courcy Wheeler, the man who accepted the surrender of Patrick Pearse in 1916, presented President Seán T. O'Kelly with Pearse's revolver at a special function at the President's residence, Áras an Uachtaráin.
• 3 May – The Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the Ireland Act guaranteeing the position of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom as long as a majority of its citizens want it to be. The government also recognised the existence of the Republic of Ireland.
• 10 May – Dáil Éireann passed a motion, "Protest Against Partition", which placed on record its "indignant protest against the introduction in the British Parliament of legislation purporting to endorse and continue the existing partition of Ireland".^[1]
• 13 May – John A. Costello, Éamon de Valera, William Norton, and Seán MacBride shared a platform to protest against the British government's attitude to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland.
• 25 May – Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and the Duke of Edinburgh received the freedom of Belfast during a visit to the city.
• 26 June – Eighty thousand members of the teetotal Pioneer Total Abstinence Society gathered in Croke Park in Dublin to affirm the pledge of abstinence from alcohol.
• 9 July – The last tram in Dublin ran from Nelson's Pillar to Blackrock and was the last tram in Dublin until the Luas tram service was inaugurated in 2004.
• 12 July – Douglas Hyde, first President of Ireland and founder of the Gaelic League, died in Dublin, aged 89.
• 24 August – Tánaiste William Norton told the European Consultative Assembly in Strasbourg that Ireland would not agree to a customs union of western European states.
• 8 November – Street names in any language other than English were prohibited by an Amendment to a Bill passed in the Senate of Northern Ireland.
• 20 November – Students and academic staff celebrated the centenary of University College Galway.
• The Electricity Supply Board completed its Liffey scheme, providing hydroelectricity generating stations at Poulaphouca, Golden Falls, and Leixlip, and a water supply reservoir for Dublin at Poulaphouca Reservoir.^[2]

• The Golden Vale Creameries company was founded in Charleville, County Cork.^{[citation needed]}
• At this year's Convention, Irish Republican Army members were ordered to join Sinn Féin.^[3]

• Publication of Máirtín Ó Cadhain's first novel, Cré na Cille ("Churchyard Clay", written 1944–45), illustrated by Charles Lamb.
• Publication of Máirtín Ó Direáin's first poetry collection, Rogha Dánta.
• Publication of Séamus Ó Néill's poetry for children, Dánta do Pháistí.
• Daniel O'Neill painted Place du Tertre and The Blue Skirt.

League of Ireland

Winners: Drumcondra

FAI Cup

Winners: Dundalk 3–0 Shelbourne.

Friendly matches ^[4]

• 24 April – Ireland 0–2 Belgium.

• 22 May – Ireland 1–0 Portugal.

• 12 June – Ireland 1–4 Spain.

• 21 September – England 0–2 Ireland. This was England's first home defeat by a non-British side.

World Cup 1950 qualifiers ^[4]

• 2 June – Sweden 3–1 Ireland.

• 8 September – Ireland 3–0 Finland.

• 9 October – Finland 1–1 Ireland.

• 13 November – Ireland 1–3 Sweden.

• Irish Open was won by Harry Bradshaw (Ireland).

• 10 January – Michael Byrne (Old Man Belfield), a homeless man who lived on the campus of University College Dublin for the last 30, possibly 40 years of his life.^[5][6]
• 11 January – Billy Roche, playwright and writer.
• 16 January – R. F. Foster, historian.
• 20 January – Michael Ahern, Fianna Fáil party Teachta Dála (TD) and Minister of State.
• 30 January – Joe Callanan, Fianna Fáil TD.
• 1 February – Joan Burton, Labour Party deputy leader, TD for Dublin West.
• 2 February – John McAreavey, Bishop of Dromore.
• 5 February – Nuala Ahern, Green Party Member of the European Parliament representing Leinster.
• 6 February – Jim Sheridan, film director.
• 12 February – Fergus Slattery, international rugby player.
• 3 March
  • Frank Chambers, Fianna Fáil senator.
  • Ben Dunne, chief executive of Dunnes Stores.
• 9 April – Sorcha Cusack, actress.
• 18 April – Peter Caffrey, actor (died 2008).
• 18 April – Avril Doyle, Fine Gael party Member of the European Parliament representing Leinster.
• 1 May – Joe Higgins, Socialist Party TD.
• 18 May – Pat Rabbitte, Leader of the Labour Party.
• 23 May – Martin Cahill, Dublin criminal (shot and killed 1994).
• 10 June – Daniele Formica, Irish-Italian actor, director and playwright (died 2011)
• 11 July – Shane Ross, journalist, member of the 22nd Seanad representing Dublin University.
• 13 July – Bryan Murray, actor.
• 18 August – John O'Leary, golfer.
• 20 August – Phil Lynott, rock music singer-songwriter (died 1986).
• 26 August – Thomas Murphy, Irish republican.
• 27 August – Ann Murray, mezzo-soprano.
• 1 September – Liam Fitzgerald, Fianna Fáil TD and senator.
• 4 September – Michael McKevitt, Irish republican convicted of directing terrorism as leader of the Real IRA (died 2021).
• 9 September – Charlie Bird, journalist and broadcaster, Chief News Correspondent with broadcaster RTÉ (died 2024).
• 29 September – Gabriel Rosenstock, poet.
• 30 September – Charlie McCreevy, Fianna Fáil TD and cabinet minister, European Commissioner.
• October – Enda Bonner, Fianna Fáil councillor and senator.
• 3 October – Jim McDaid, Fianna Fáil TD representing Donegal North-East and cabinet minister.
• 20 October – Eddie Macken, show jumper.
• 29 October – Seán Foley, Limerick hurler.
• 12 November – Dermot Gleeson, barrister, businessman, Attorney General.

  Full date unknown

• Sean Delaney, association football player and coach (died 2004).
• Pat Moylan, Cork hurler.
• Liam O'Brien, Kilkenny hurler (died 2021).
• Nicky Ryan, music producer.

• 18 January – James Magee, cricketer (born 1872).
• 2 March – Cecil Lowry-Corry, 6th Earl Belmore, high sheriff and councillor (born 1873).
• 29 April – Timothy J. Murphy, Labour Party TD.
• 23 May – Dan Comyn, cricketer (born 1872).
• 12 July – Douglas Hyde, member of the Seanad (Senate) in 1922 and 1938; first President of Ireland, and Irish language scholar (born 1860).
• 10 September – Brian Brady, Fianna Fáil TD.
• 6 October – Robert Wilson Lynd, writer (born 1879).
• 8 October – Edith Anna Somerville, novelist (born 1858).
• 14 November – Jimmy Dunne, association football player (born 1905).