1939 in Ireland facts for kids

Events from the year 1939 in Ireland. This was a very important year, especially because World War II started in Europe. Ireland decided to stay neutral, meaning it would not pick a side in the war.

Leaders of Ireland

In 1939, Ireland had two main leaders:

• President: Douglas Hyde was the first President of Ireland.
• Taoiseach (Prime Minister): Éamon de Valera was the head of the government. He belonged to the Fianna Fáil political party.

Key Events of 1939

Many interesting things happened in Ireland during 1939.

Important Decisions and Discussions

• 11 January – Teachers in Galway asked the government to let married women continue working as teachers. At the time, there was a rule against it.
• 12 March – Taoiseach Éamon de Valera travelled to Rome, Italy. He attended the special ceremony where Pope Pius XII became the new Pope.
• 16 March – While in Rome, Éamon de Valera met with Benito Mussolini, who was the leader of Italy at the time. They had a special lunch together.
• 22 March – People in the Dáil Éireann (Ireland's parliament) talked about Ireland staying neutral in any future wars. They thought about how this might affect trade with Britain.
• 9 April – The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) decided to remove President Douglas Hyde from their list of special supporters. This happened because he went to watch an international soccer game, which was against GAA rules at the time.
• 19 April – Éamon de Valera announced that new Irish passports would no longer mention the King or Great Britain. This showed Ireland's growing independence.

Culture and Sport Highlights

• 15 April – Famous Irish boxer Jack Doyle married Mexican film actress Movita Castaneda in Mexico.
• 30 April – The 1939 New York World's Fair opened in the USA. Ireland had its own special building there, designed by architect Michael Scott.
• 1 July – The Irish Red Cross Society was officially started. This group helps people in need, especially during emergencies.

Ireland and World War II

• 1 September – Germany invaded Poland, which started World War II. Because of this, the Irish government declared a "state of emergency."
• 2 September – Taoiseach Éamon de Valera told the Dáil that Ireland would remain neutral in the European War. This meant Ireland would not join either side.
• 3 September – The Emergency Powers Act 1939 became law. This gave the government special powers during the war.
• 3 September – The Marine and Coastwatching Service was created. This group helped protect Ireland's coasts.
• 3 September – A British ship called the SS Athenia was sunk by a German submarine. It was the first civilian ship to be attacked in the war. Many survivors were rescued and brought to Galway.
• 18 September – John F. Kennedy, who later became President of the USA, flew from Foynes in County Limerick for his first flight across the Atlantic Ocean. He had helped with arrangements for the SS Athenia survivors.
• 11 September – An Irish oil tanker, the Inverliffey, was sunk by a German submarine. The submarine even helped tow the lifeboats away from the burning oil.
• 13 September – Seán Lemass, a government minister, introduced petrol rationing. This meant people could only buy a limited amount of petrol.
• 30 October – Air-raid sirens were tested across Dublin. These sirens would warn people if enemy planes were coming.

Notable People and Events

• 6 October – Erwin Schrödinger, a very famous scientist from Austria, moved to Dublin. He was invited by Éamon de Valera.
• November – A young Brendan Behan, who later became a famous writer, was arrested in England. He was involved with the Irish Republican Army.
• 10 December – A German radio station began broadcasting propaganda to Ireland in the Irish language.
• 23 December – A large amount of ammunition was stolen from the national army base in Phoenix Park by the Irish Republican Army.

Arts and Literature

• 31 January – Lord Longford started showing plays by the famous writer Anton Chekhov at the Gate Theatre in Dublin.
• 13 March – Flann O'Brien's famous book, At Swim-Two-Birds, was published.
• 4 May – James Joyce's very long and complex book, Finnegans Wake, was published.
• 18 May – Louis MacNeice's long poem, Autumn Journal: a poem, was published.
• July – After his death, W. B. Yeats's book Last Poems and Two Plays was published.
• 10 October – Robert Collis's play Marrowbone Lane was first shown at the Gate Theatre in Dublin.

Sport

Football

• The League of Ireland winners were Shamrock Rovers.
• The FAI Cup winners were Shelbourne. They beat Sligo Rovers after a replay. The famous English footballer Dixie Dean played for Rovers in the final.

Golf

• The Irish Open golf tournament was won by Arthur Lees from England.

Births

Many people who became famous were born in Ireland in 1939:

• 7 January – Tom Kiernan, a well-known rugby player and coach.
• 2 February – Desmond O'Malley, an important politician who led a political party.
• 13 April – Seamus Heaney, who became a world-famous poet and won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• 19 May – John Sheahan, a violinist and composer, famous for being part of the band The Dubliners.
• 16 August – Seán Brady, who became a very important leader in the Catholic Church in Ireland.
• 16 December – Barney McKenna, a musician also famous for being in The Dubliners.
• Full date unknown – Joe Dolan, who became a very popular singer.

Deaths

• 28 January – W. B. Yeats, one of Ireland's most famous poets and writers, died in France. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• 9 May – Mary Williams, a pioneering aviator (pilot) and athlete.