1931 In Ireland

Events from the year 1931 in Ireland.

Incumbents

* Governor-General: James McNeill
* President of the Executive Council: W. T. Cosgrave ( CnaG)

Events

*9 January – Ulster Canal abandoned.
*12 February – sixteen members of the Ennis Dalcassian Gaelic Athletic Association club are expelled for attending the Ennis-Nenagh rugby match.
*17 March – first St. Patrick's Day parade held in the Irish Free State, reviewed by Desmond FitzGerald, Minister of Defense.
*3 April – persistent rainfall causes the banks of the River Lee to burst. Half the houses in Cork are flooded.
*7 May – the Irish Youth Hostel Service, An Óige, is established.
*17 May – Muintir na Tíre, the rural organisation, is founded by Canon John Hayes.
*9 July – Dublin-born racing driver Kaye Don breaks the world water speed record at Lake Garda, Italy.
*13 August – law books return to the rebuilt Four Courts where High Court business resumes after its destruction during the Civil War.
*5 September – the first issue of ''The Irish Press'', the newspaper of Fianna Fáil, goes on sale for 1 d.
*27 September – Saor Éire's first National Congress takes place in the Iona Hall in Dublin.
*4 December – the derelict aerodrome at Collinstown in north County Dublin is considered as the site for a new civil airport.

Arts and literature

* 13 October – Orson Welles makes his first professional stage debut, age 16, at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, with a leading rôle in an adaptation of '' Jew Süss''.
* 25 October – Ireland's first all-concrete Art Deco church, the Church of Christ the King, is opened at Turners Cross, Cork, designed by Chicago architect Barry Byrne with sculptor John Storrs.
* 'Æ' (George William Russell) publishes ''Vale, and Other Poems''.
* Samuel Beckett's ''Proust'' is published.
* Cecil Day-Lewis's poetry ''From Feathers To Iron'' is published.
* Lord Dunsany's '' The Travel Tales of Mr. Joseph Jorkens'' is published.
* Kate O'Brien's first novel, ''Without My Cloak'', is published.
* Frank O'Connor's first short story collection, ''Guests of the Nation'', is published.
* Francis Stuart's first novel, ''Women and God'', is published.

Sport

Football

*;League of Ireland
*:Winners: Shelbourne
*;FAI Cup
*:Winners: Shamrock Rovers 1–1, 1–0 Dundalk

Golf

* Irish Open is won by Bob Kenyon (England).

Births

*1 January – Jimmy Smyth, Clare hurler (died 2013).
*7 February – Cyril Haran, priest and Gaelic football manager (Sligo) (died 2014).
*2 March – Paddy Cooney, solicitor, Fine Gael TD, Cabinet Minister and MEP.
*9 March – Jackie Healy-Rae, Fianna Fáil. TD for Kerry South (died 2014).
*9 April – Patrick Walsh, Bishop of Down and Connor (1991–2008).
*30 May – John O'Brien, Catholic priest and musician (died 2008).
*5 June – Laurence Forristal, Bishop of Ossory (1981–2007) (died 2018).
*8 July – Thomas Flynn, Bishop of Achonry (1976–2007) (died 2015).
*26 July – Paddy Harte, Fine Gael TD and Minister of State (died 2018).
*29 July – Tom Mitchell, IRA activist and politician (died 2020).
*1 August – Seán Ó Riada, composer and musician (died 1971).
*11 August – Thomas Meaney, Fianna Fáil TD and Minister of State (died 2022).
*8 September – Desmond Guinness, architectural conservationist (died 2020).
*20 September – Malachy McCourt, actor, writer and politician.
*13 October – Jimmy O'Neill, soccer player (died 2007).
*27 October – Seán Calleary, Fianna Fáil TD and Minister of State (died 2018).
*28 November – Dervla Murphy, travel writer (died 2022).
*10 December
**Gustavus Hamilton-Russell, 10th Viscount Boyne, Irish peer, soldier and banker (died 1995).
** Tom MacIntyre, poet and playwright (died 2019).
*28 December – Mervyn Taylor, Labour Party TD and cabinet minister (died 2021).
*;Full date unknown
*:* Mick Cashman, Cork hurler (died 1988).
*:*Seán Kinsella, chef and restaurateur (died 2013).

Deaths

*6 January – Harry Clarke, stained glass artist and book illustrator (born 1889).
*19 January – Mary Elizabeth Byrne, literary scholar (born 1880).
*7 March – Hamilton Lyster Reed, recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in 1899 at the Battle of Colenso, South Africa (born 1869).
*26 March – Timothy Michael Healy, Nationalist politician, journalist, author, barrister and first Governor-General of the Irish Free State (born 1855).
*22 March – James Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy, lawyer, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, first Chairman of Seanad Éireann (born 1851).
*2 April – Katharine Tynan, novelist and poet (born 1861).
*13 April – William Dowler Morris, mayor of Ottawa (born 1857).
*22 April – Patrick Kenny, Independent member of the Seanad for 12 years from 1922. Leas Ceann Comhairle 1928.
*25 June – Con Lucid, Major League Baseball player (born 1874).
*17 August – Pretty Polly, racehorse (born 1901).
*27 August – Frank Harris, author, editor, journalist and publisher (born 1856).
*29 September – William Orpen, painter (born 1878).
*18 October – Reginald Clare Hart, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in 1879 in the Bazar Valley, Afghanistan (born 1848).
*23 October – Peter de Loughry, member of 1922 Seanad, TD representing Carlow–Kilkenny from 1927 to 1931.
*28 October – Paddy Glynn, Attorney General of Australia and Minister for External Affairs (born 1855).
*27 December – Alfred Perceval Graves, writer (born 1846).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1931 in Ireland

1930s in Ireland
Ireland
Years of the 20th century in Ireland