1944 in Ireland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids ← 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1944 in Ireland → 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
Centuries:
Decades:
See also:	Other events of 1944 List of years in Ireland

The year 1944 in Ireland was a time when the country remained neutral during World War II. This period was known in Ireland as The Emergency. Even though Ireland was neutral, events happening around the world still affected daily life. People faced challenges like rationing, but also saw new things begin, like the first Dunnes Stores.

Leaders of Ireland

In 1944, Ireland had two main leaders:

• The President was Douglas Hyde. The President is like the head of state, representing the country.
• The Taoiseach was Éamon de Valera. He was the head of the government, leading the main political party, FF.

Important Events

• 26 January – W. T. Cosgrave, a well-known politician, stepped down as the leader of the Fine Gael party.
• 10 March – The United States suggested that Ireland's neutrality was actually helping the Axis Powers (like Germany and Italy) during the war.
• 13 March – The British government stopped all travel between Great Britain and Ireland. This was due to the ongoing war.
• 30 March – The very first Dunnes Stores opened its doors. This was a big moment for shopping in Ireland.
• 1 June – Ireland held a general election. Éamon de Valera's Fianna Fáil party won a clear majority of seats. This meant they had more power than all other parties combined.
• 7 June – Seán Lemass, who was in charge of supplies, announced that electricity would be rationed even more. This meant people had to use less power.
• 22 August – People from Tyrone and Fermanagh in Northern Ireland formed a group in Dublin. They called it the Anti-Partition League. They wanted to see all of Ireland united.
• 29 November – County Dublin was given its own special coat of arms. This was a unique symbol for the county, and it was the first county to receive one.
• 30 November – General Eoin O'Duffy, a famous figure who used to lead the Blueshirts, passed away in Dublin at age 52.
• Dr. James Deeny was chosen as the new Chief Medical Officer for Ireland. This is a very important job in public health.

Arts and Books

• January – A group called The White Stag group held an art show in Dublin. They showed off a new style of art called Subjective Art.
• 28 August – A play by Joseph Tomelty called The End House was first performed at the famous Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The play talked about a law in Northern Ireland called the Special Powers Act.
• John M. Feehan started a successful book publishing company in Cork called Mercier Press.
• A very old book, De praesulibus Hiberniae, written by John Lynch way back in 1672, was finally published in Dublin.
• Frank O'Connor published a collection of his short stories called Crab Apple Jelly.

Sports Highlights

Football

GAA All Ireland Football

• The winners of the All-Ireland Football Championship were Roscommon.

League of Ireland

• The team that won the League of Ireland was Shelbourne.

FAI Cup

• The FAI Cup final was a match between Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne. Shamrock Rovers won 3–2.

Golf

• The Irish Open golf tournament was not played in 1944. This was because of The Emergency, which was the name for World War II in Ireland.

Notable Births

Many people who would become important figures were born in Ireland in 1944. Here are a few:

• 5 January – Ivan Cooper, who later helped start a political party in Northern Ireland called the SDLP.
• 21 May – Mary Robinson, who would later become the first female President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997. She also worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
• 1 June – Colm Wilkinson, who became a famous singer and actor.
• 31 July – David Norris, who became a member of the Seanad (part of the Irish parliament). He also started a group to change laws for gay people.
• 9 August – Seán Barrett, who became a politician for the Fine Gael party and a government minister.
• 24 September – Eavan Boland, who grew up to be a very well-known poet.
• 16 October – Paul Durcan, another famous poet.

Notable Deaths

Some important people passed away in 1944:

• 16 February – Mainie Jellett, a talented abstract painter.
• 10 June – Frank Ryan, who was involved with the Irish Republican Army and fought in the Spanish Civil War.
• 19 September – David Lord, a brave pilot in the Royal Air Force who received a special medal for his courage during the war.
• 30 November – Eoin O'Duffy, who was the first leader of the Fine Gael political party and also led a group called the Blueshirts. He also led Irish volunteers who fought in the Spanish Civil War.
• 1 December – Charlie Kerins, who was a leader of the IRA.