1896 in Ireland

Events

• February – the Broighter Gold hoard of prehistoric objects is discovered near Limavady by Tom Nicholl while ploughing.
• 29 March – the Royal College of St Patrick, Maynooth is granted the status of pontifical university by charter of the Holy See.
• 16 May – the first electric tram runs on the Dublin tramways system.
• May – James Connolly returns from Edinburgh to Ireland as paid organiser for the Dublin Socialist Club. He founds the Irish Republican Socialist Party.
• 28 March – Tom Gallaher incorporates the Gallaher tobacco business and opens the world's largest tobacco factory in Belfast.
• John Dillon assumes the leadership of the anti-Parnellite wing of the Home Rule Party.
• An extension is made to Arthur Balfour's Land Act. 1,500 bankrupt estates are made available for sale to tenants.
• Ireland's first motor vehicle laws are introduced.
• Restoration of the Church of Ireland's Kildare Cathedral is completed.

Arts and literature

• 20 April – first cinema show in Ireland, at Dan Lowry's Star of Erin Variety Theatre in Dublin.
• The lyrics of The Mountains of Mourne are written by Percy French with music adapted by Houston Collisson.
• Charles Villiers Stanford's comic opera Shamus O'Brien is first performed.

Sport

Cricket

• ;International
• :February: Tim O'Brien becomes the first Irish captain of the England cricket team in a match won against South Africa at Port Elizabeth

Football

• ;International
• :29 February Wales 6–1 Ireland (in Wrexham)
• :7 March Ireland 0-2 England (in Belfast)
• :28 March Ireland 3-3 Scotland (in Belfast)
• ;Irish League
• :Winners: Distillery
• ;Irish Cup
• :Winners: Distillery 3 - 1 Glentoran

Field hockey

• ;International
• :2 March: The Ireland women's national field hockey team defeat England 2–0 at Alexandra College in the first ever women's international field hockey match.

Tennis

• ;The Championships, Wimbledon
• :Harold Mahony wins the gentleman's singles Championship
• ;Olympic Games
• :John Pius Boland wins gold medals in the men's singles and doubles at the first modern Summer Olympics in Athens (Greece)

Births

• 15 February – Arthur Shields, actor (died 1970).
• March – Martin Joseph Sheehan, soldier and Royal Air Service Observer in World War I, killed in action (died 1918).
• 4 April – Sir Osmond Esmonde, 12th Baronet, diplomat and politician (died 1936).
• 24 April – F. R. Higgins, poet and theatre director (died 1941).
• 9 May – Austin Clarke, poet, playwright and writer (died 1974).
• 22 May – Cyril Fagan, astrologer (died 1970).
• 28 August – Liam O'Flaherty, novelist and short story writer (died 1984).
• 17 September – Oscar Heron, Irish World War I flying ace (died 1933).
• 10 November – Sophie Catherine Theresa Mary Peirce-Evans, later Mary, Lady Heath, aviator, athlete and writer (died 1939).
• 25 December – Sister Philippa Brazill, nurse in Australia (died 1988).
• ;Full date unknown
• :*Monk Gibbon, poet and author (died 1987).
• :*Fiona Plunkett, republican (died 1977).

Deaths

• 10 January – Denis Dempsey, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross (born 1826).
• 3 February – Jane Wilde, poet ("Esperanza"; born 1821).
• 4 March – Peter Richard Kenrick, first Catholic archbishop west of the Mississippi River (born 1806).
• 4 May – Timothy Anglin, politician in Canada and Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada (born 1822).
• 18 May – Patrick Buckley, soldier, lawyer, statesman, and judge in New Zealand (born 1841).
• 8 August – William Pery, 3rd Earl of Limerick, peer (born 1840).
• 10 August – Jeremiah O'Sullivan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Mobile (born 1842).
• 15 August – Patrick Duggan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Clonfert (born 1813).
• 22 September – Edward Selby Smyth, British General, commanded Militia of Canada from 1874 to 1880 (born 1819).
• 1 November – Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey, boxer (born 1862).
• 31 December – Leland Hone, cricketer (born 1853).
• ;Full date unknown
• :*Canon James Goodman, Irish music collector (born 1828).

References

References

1. Rescripts of the Sacred Congregation ''de Propaganda Fide''.
2. Robinson, Patrick. (2007). "Film Facts". Quantum Books.
3. De Burgh Daly, Mrs. (1973). "Prose, Poems and Parodies of Percy French". Talbot Press.
4. Siggins, Ger. (2011-08-27). "Timothy Carew O'Brien – the first Irishman to captain England". CricketEurope.
5. Hayes, Dean. (2006). "Northern Ireland International Football Facts". Appletree Press.
6. (6 February 2018). "125 Year Anniversary Of IHU Formation". www.hockey.ie.
7. (6 February 2018). "A history of the sport on the island as Hockey Ireland celebrates 125th anniversary". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
8. (27 February 2008). "Living for the days of the big finals Alexandra College". www.irishtimes.com.
9. (17 December 2016). "A History of Hockey – Part 2". www.wispsports.com.
10. (13 October 2014). "Hockey: Internationals Set For Three Rock Rovers & Alexandra College". www.sportireland.ie.
11. (13 October 2014). "Grange Road and Milltown to host Scotland series". www.hookhockey.com.