1956 in Ireland

Events from the year 1956 in Ireland.

Incumbents

Events

15 February – Senator Owen Sheehy-Skeffington introduced a motion calling for the prohibition of all corporal punishment for girls in Irish national schools.
2 April – President Seán T. O'Kelly unveiled a bust of politician, revolutionary, and suffragist Constance Markievicz in St Stephen's Green, Dublin.
1 May – the Minister for Education Richard Mulcahy introduced the debate on a separate government department for the Gaeltacht.
21 May – President Seán T. O'Kelly opened the first Cork International Film Festival.
29 May – T. K. Whitaker was appointed new Secretary at the Department of Finance.
12 August – The Gaelic Athletic Association postponed the All-Ireland Hurling and Football Finals due to an outbreak of polio.
21 November – Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children was opened in Crumlin.
30 November – Petrol rationing was due to be introduced from next January 1 due to the Suez Crisis.
1 December – At the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, Ronnie Delany won Ireland's first Olympic gold medal for 24 years.
12 December – The Irish Republican Army launched its Border Campaign in Northern Ireland with the bombing of a BBC relay transmitter in County Londonderry, burning of a courthouse in Magherafelt by a unit led by 18-year-old Seamus Costello, and of an Ulster Special Constabulary post near Newry and blowing up of a half-built British Army barracks at Enniskillen. A raid on Gough Barracks in Armagh was beaten off after a brief exchange of fire.
Undated
* The second Coimisiún na Gaeltachta redefined the boundaries of the Gaeltacht.
* Robert Briscoe became the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Dublin.

Arts and literature

June – Painter Louis le Brocquy represented Ireland at the Venice Biennale.
Samuel Beckett's novel Malone Dies was published in English.

Sport

Association football

;League of Ireland
;FAI Cup

Births

1 January – John O'Donohue, poet and philosopher.
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.
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 the Special Air Service during an attack on Loughgall RUC station.
16 April – Paul Drechsler, businessman.
29 April – Kevin Moran, Gaelic footballer and soccer player.
30 April – Liam T. Cosgrave, Fine Gael politician, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann 1996-1997
4 May – Steve Barron, film director and producer.
5 May – Mary Coughlan, singer.
9 May – Brendan Howlin, national school teacher, Labour Party Teachta Dála for Wexford 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 for Kerry South and Cabinet Minister.
1 June – Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan–Monaghan and Minister of State.
4 June – Gerry Ryan, RTÉ radio presenter.
7 June – Marty Whelan, RTÉ radio and television presenter.
1 July – Liz O'Donnell, Deputy Leader of the Progressive 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 for Laois–Offaly.
5 November – Marita Conlon-McKenna, children's writer.
4 December – Nia Griffith Welsh Labour Member of Parliament.
19 December – Shane McEntee, Fine Gael TD for Meath East.
; Undated

Deaths

30 January – Sir [John Keane, 5th Baronet], barrister, member of Seanad Éireann.
20 February – James Cousins, poet and writer.
21 February – Louis Meldon, cricketer.
13 March – Alfie Byrne, Irish Nationalist politician, served both as a Member of parliament in the British House of Commons and as a Teachta Dála in Dáil Éireann.
18 March – Benjamin Glazer, Academy Award-winning writer, film producer and director.
19 March – Matt Goff, Kildare Gaelic footballer.
24 March – Bob Lambert, cricketer.
20 April – Ida Mary Costello, wife of Taoiseach John A. Costello.
17 May – John Tudor Gwynn, cricketer.
22 May – Elizabeth Cronin, traditional singer.
11 June – Seán Óg Murphy, Cork hurler, Gaelic Athletic Association administrator.
23 July – Ella Young, poet.
5 August – J. M. Andrews, second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
23 September – Arthur Duff, composer and conductor.
6 November – Leo Whelan, painter.
19 November – Thomas Derrig, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister.
25 November – Robert Bruce Bowers, cricketer.
11 December – Frederic Charles Dreyer, British Royal Navy Admiral.
27 December – Lambert McKenna, Jesuit priest and writer.
Undated – Geoffrey Taylor, born Jeoffrey Phibbs, poet.