1955 in Ireland

Events from the year 1955 in Ireland.

Incumbents

Events

6 January – The National Farmers' Association was formed during a meeting of 1,200 people in Dublin.
17 March – The Church of Ireland hallowed Trim Cathedral.
4 July – Denis Larkin was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin, defeating 73-year-old Alfie Byrne.
21 July – The BBC brought its Divis television transmitter into service, marking the launch of a television service for Northern Ireland; the 35-kilowatt transmissions could also be readily received in much of Ireland.
September – United States Senator John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline visited Dublin for two days.
29 November – Publication of the Greyhound Industry Bill paved the way for the establishment of the greyhound board, Bord na gCon.
14 December – Ireland was admitted to the United Nations. Frederick Boland was appointed as its first ambassador.

Arts and literature

March – English language publication of Beckett's novel Molloy.
14 Apri1 – Soap opera The Kennedys of Castleross debuted on Radio Éireann.
3 August – English language première of Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, directed by Peter Hall, at the Arts Theatre in London.
28 October – Irish première of Waiting for Godot at the Pike Theatre in Dublin.
12 December – The Cork Opera House at Emmet Palace was destroyed by fire.
Sigerson Clifford published his poetry collection, Ballads of a Bogman.
Michael Sheehy's modern history Divided We Stand: A Study In Partition was published.

Sports

Association football

;League of Ireland
;FAI Cup

Rugby union

14 January – Tony O'Reilly named in the Irish rugby squad for his first cap in an international match against France.

Births

15 January – Paddy Burke, Fine Gael Senator.
18 January – Fergus Martin, artist.
29 January – Liam Reilly, rock singer-songwriter.
2 February – Dermot Ahern, Fianna Fáil TD for Louth and Cabinet Minister.
15 March – John McGuinness, Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow–Kilkenny.
27 March – Patrick McCabe, novelist.
29 March – Brendan Gleeson, actor.
1 April
* Bobby Aylward, Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow–Kilkenny.
* Joe O'Reilly, Fine Gael Senator.
7 April – Kevin Fennelly, Kilkenny hurler.
14 April – Simon Crowe, drummer with The Boomtown Rats.
17 April - Austin Brady, footballer.
24 April – Eamon Gilmore, Labour Party TD for Dún Laoghaire, leader of the Labour Party.
28 April – Mae Sexton, Progressive Democrats TD.
16 May – Páidí Ó Sé, Kerry Gaelic footballer and manager.
23 May
*Mary Black, folk singer.
*Luka Bloom, singer-songwriter and guitarist.
30 May – Colm Tóibín, novelist and critic.
7 June - Peter Wyse Jackson, Director of the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin.
20 June – Aonghus McAnally, broadcast producer and presenter, actor, guitar player, billiards champion and magician.
25 June - Paula Meehan, poet, playwright and teacher.
5 July – Sebastian Barry, playwright, novelist and poet.
6 July – William Wall, novelist, poet and short story writer.
20 July – Jem Finer, musician and composer.
16 August – James Reilly, Fine Gael TD for Dublin North and Minister for Health.
15 September – Brendan O'Carroll, comedian.
24 November – Jerry Holland, Munster rugby union player and coach.
1 December – Pat Spillane, Kerry Gaelic footballer.
2 December – Joachim Kelly, Offaly hurler.
11 December – John Fenton, Cork hurler.
29 December – Pat Loughrey, Controller of BBC Northern Ireland, Director of BBC Nations and Regions and academic.
;Full date unknown

Deaths

22 January
* Rosie Garcias de Cadiz, suffragette and VAD nurse.
* Moira O'Neill, poet.
February – John Dulanty, diplomat.
12 February – Thomas J. Moore, actor.
13 March – Evie Hone, painter and stained-glass artist.
26 March – Thomas Farren, elected to Seanad Éireann in 1922 and 1931, member of the Labour Party.
4 May – Michael Colivet, manager Shannon Foundry, member of 1st Dáil, representing Limerick.
14 May – Robert Quigg, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in 1916 at the Battle of the Somme.
16 June – Stanislaus Joyce, scholar and writer, brother of James Joyce.
11 July – Frank Duffy, labour leader in the United States.
15 July – James Dolan, merchant, member of 1st Dáil, representing Leitrim.
16 July – May Guinness, painter.
18 July – Billy McCandless, footballer and football manager.
14 September – Kathleen Lynn, physician and politician.
26 October – Michael Staines, Sinn Féin TD, member of 1st Dáil, first Commissioner of the Garda Síochána.