1908 in Ireland
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Events in the year 1908 in Ireland.
Events
- February – Republican leader Tom Clarke opened a tobacconist shop in Dublin under the name of T. S. Ó'Cléirigh which became a centre for Irish Republican Brotherhood activity.
- 17 February – A statue of Queen Victoria was unveiled at Leinster House in Dublin.
- 19 April – The Guildhall in Derry was largely destroyed by fire.{{cite web|title=Guildhall History|url=http://www.derrycity.gov.uk/Guildhall/GuildhallHistory|publisher=Derry City Council|access-date=2012-07-23|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316045430/http://www.derrycity.gov.uk/Guildhall/GuildhallHistory|archive-date=2013-03-16}}
- 19 May – Work began on a monument to Charles Stewart Parnell in Upper Sackville Street, Dublin.
- 31 July – The Irish Universities Act 1908 received royal assent in the Parliament of the UK. This led to the establishment of the National University of Ireland and Queen's University of Belfast.{{cite journal|first=Aidan|last=O'Reilly|title=The role of Archbishop Walsh in the resolution of the Irish University Question|journal=Irish Educational Studies|volume=21|issue=2|date=Autumn 2002|pages=1–11|doi=10.1080/0332331020210205 |s2cid=143872291 |url=http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/707924_751304857_795145699.pdf}}
- 8 September – Patrick Pearse opened St. Enda's School {{lang|ga|(Scoil Éanna)}} to offer a bilingual secondary education for boys at Cullenswood House in Ranelagh. It later moved to the Hermitage, Rathfarnham.
- 11 November – The Irish Women's Franchise League was formed, with Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington as secretary.
- 29 December – The Irish Transport Workers' Union was formed, with James Larkin as general secretary.
Arts and literature
- January – Hugh Lane founded the Dublin City Gallery in Harcourt Street, the world's first to display only modern art.
- 1 December – Cuala Press produced its first publication, Poetry and Ireland: essays by W. B. Yeats and Lionel Johnson.{{cite book|title=Critical Companion to William Butler Yeats: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work|first=David A.|last=Ross|series=Facts on File Library of World Literature|location=New York|publisher=Facts on File|year=2009|isbn=978-0-8160-5895-2|page=605}}
- Terence MacSwiney, T. C. Murray, Con O'Leary and Daniel Corkery founded the Cork Dramatic Society.
- John Millington Synge's only comedic play, The Tinker's Wedding, was published.
- Filson Young's novel When the Tides Turn was published.
Sport
- 1908 Summer Olympics (London): Ireland competed as a separate country in field hockey and polo, and won silver medals in both.
=Association football=
- ; International
- 15 February – Ireland 1–3 England (in Belfast){{cite book|last=Hayes|first=Dean|year=2006|title=Northern Ireland International Football Facts|publisher=Appletree Press|location=Belfast|pages=159–160|isbn=0-86281-874-5}}
- 14 March – Ireland 0–5 Scotland (in Dublin)
- 11 April – Wales 0–1 Ireland (in Aberdare)
- ; Irish League
- : Winners: Linfield F.C.
- ; Irish Cup
- : Winners: Bohemian F.C. 1–1 draw; replay result 3–1 Shelbourne F.C.
=Golf=
- The golf course at Royal County Down Golf Club was modified by Harry Vardon, and Edward VII bestowed royal patronage on the club.
Births
- 20 February – Florence Wycherley, independent Teachta Dála (TD) (died 1969).
- 23 February – Jim Ware, Waterford hurler (died 1983).
- 10 March – Patrick Shanahan, Fianna Fáil party TD (died 2000).
- 27 April – Patrick Shea, Permanent Secretary in the Northern Ireland Civil Service (died 1986 in Northern Ireland).
- 5 May – Mary Elmes, humanitarian (died 2002 in France).
- 10 June – Gerard Sweetman, Fine Gael party TD and Cabinet minister (died 1970).
- 20 July – Mad Dog Coll, born Uinseann (Vincent) Ó Colla, mob hitman in New York (killed in 1932 in the United States).
- 24 July – Roger McHugh, professor, author, and playwright (died 1987).
- 18 August – Sam English, association football player (died 1967 in Scotland).
- 26 September – Hugh Delargy, British Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) (died 1976 in Northern Ireland).
- 6 December – Con Cremin, diplomat (died 1987).
- ;Full date unknown
- :*Frances Kelly, painter (died 2002).
- :*Niall Ó Dónaill, Irish language lexicographer and writer (died 1995).
- :*Mervyn Wall, novelist and dramatist (died 1997).
Deaths
- 17 January – Eyre Massey Shaw, Superintendent of the London Metropolitan Fire Brigade (born 1830; died in England).
- 3 February – Thomas Mellon, entrepreneur, lawyer, and judge, founder of Mellon Bank (born 1813; died in the United States).
- 23 March – Frederick Falkiner, lawyer, judge and author (born 1831).
- 10 June – John F. Finerty, U.S. Representative from Illinois (born 1846; died in the United States).
- 6 July – Thomas William Moffett, scholar, educationalist, and President of Queen's College Galway (born 1820).
- 5 August – Caesar Litton Falkiner, Irish Unionist Party politician, barrister, writer, and historian (born 1863).
- 30 August – Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse, 18th Chancellor of the University of Dublin (born 1840).
- 4 November – John Pinkerton, Irish Parliamentary Party MP (born 1845).
- 15 December – Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley, British military officer and MP (born 1831).
- 19 December – Thomas Cleeve, founder of Condensed Milk Company of Ireland, High Sheriff of Limerick (born 1844).