{{short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive --> {{YearInIrelandNav | 1896 }} Events from the year '''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.<ref>Rescripts of the Sacred Congregation ''de Propaganda Fide''.</ref> *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.<ref>{{cite book|first=Patrick|last=Robinson|title=Film Facts|location=Wigston|publisher=Quantum Books|year=2007|isbn=978-1-84573-235-6|page=7}}</ref> *The lyrics of ''The Mountains of Mourne'' are written by Percy French with music adapted by Houston Collisson.<ref>{{cite book|last=De Burgh Daly|first=Mrs|year=1973|title=Prose, Poems and Parodies of Percy French|pages=vii-xv|location=Dublin|publisher=Talbot Press|isbn=0-85452-107-0}}</ref> *Charles Villiers Stanford's comic opera ''Shamus O'Brien'' is first performed.
==Sport== <!--These are description lists; please see Help:List before changing-->
===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<ref>{{cite web|title=Timothy Carew O'Brien – the first Irishman to captain England|first=Ger|last=Siggins|date=2011-08-27|url=http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES4/articles/000022/002241.shtml|work=CricketEurope|access-date=2012-03-20}}</ref>
===Football=== *;International *:29 February Wales 6–1 Ireland (in Wrexham)<ref name="DH">{{cite book|last=Hayes|first=Dean|year=2006|title=Northern Ireland International Football Facts|publisher=Appletree Press|location=Belfast|pages=154–155|isbn=0-86281-874-5}}</ref> *:7 March Ireland 0-2 England (in Belfast)<ref name="DH"/> *:28 March Ireland 3-3 Scotland (in Belfast)<ref name="DH"/> *;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.<ref name="hockeyie060218">{{cite news|url=http://www.hockey.ie/news-detail/10034968/|title=125 Year Anniversary Of IHU Formation|publisher=www.hockey.ie|access-date=8 September 2018|date=6 February 2018|archive-date=28 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328215044/https://www.hockey.ie/news-detail/10034968/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="belfasttelegraph060218">{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/hockey/a-history-of-the-sport-on-the-island-as-hockey-ireland-celebrates-125th-anniversary-36573115.html|title=A history of the sport on the island as Hockey Ireland celebrates 125th anniversary|publisher=www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk|access-date=8 September 2018|date=6 February 2018}}</ref><ref name="irishtimes270208">{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/living-for-the-days-of-the-big-finals-alexandra-college-1.897904?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fliving-for-the-days-of-the-big-finals-alexandra-college-1.897904|title=Living for the days of the big finals Alexandra College|publisher=www.irishtimes.com|access-date=8 September 2018|date=27 February 2008}}</ref><ref name="wispsports171216">{{Cite news|url=http://www.wispsports.com/womens-sport-feature-articles/womens-sports-history/history-hockey-part-2/|title=A History of Hockey – Part 2|publisher=www.wispsports.com|access-date=10 September 2018|date=17 December 2016|archive-date=15 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915192159/http://www.wispsports.com/womens-sport-feature-articles/womens-sports-history/history-hockey-part-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="sportireland131014">{{Cite news|url=https://www.sportireland.ie/Media/Latest_News/2014/October/Hockey_Internationals_Set_For_Three_Rock_Rovers_Alexandra_College_.html|title=Hockey: Internationals Set For Three Rock Rovers & Alexandra College|publisher=www.sportireland.ie|access-date=10 September 2018|date=13 October 2014|archive-date=15 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915155245/https://www.sportireland.ie/Media/Latest_News/2014/October/Hockey_Internationals_Set_For_Three_Rock_Rovers_Alexandra_College_.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="hookhockey160313">{{cite news|url=http://www.hookhockey.com/index.php/2014/10/grange-road-and-milltown-to-host-scotland-series/#.W5bikvZFxy0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915155041/http://www.hookhockey.com/index.php/2014/10/grange-road-and-milltown-to-host-scotland-series/#.W5bikvZFxy0|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 15, 2018|title=Grange Road and Milltown to host Scotland series|publisher=www.hookhockey.com|access-date=8 September 2018|date=13 October 2014}}</ref>
===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). *;Full date unknown<!--This is a description list; please see Help:List before changing--> *:*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<!--This is a description list; please see Help:List before changing--> *:*Canon James Goodman, Irish music collector (born 1828).
==See also== *1896 in Scotland *1896 in Wales
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Years in Ireland}}
Category:1896 in Ireland Category:1890s in Ireland Ireland Category:Years of the 19th century in Ireland Ireland