1956 in Ireland

Incumbents

• President: Seán T. O'Kelly
• Taoiseach: John A. Costello

  Events

• 15 February – Senator Owen Sheehy-Skeffington introduces a motion calling for the prohibition of all corporal punishment for girls in Irish national schools.
• 2 April – President Seán T. O'Kelly unveils a bust of Countess Markievicz in St Stephen's Green, Dublin.
• 1 May – the Minister for Education Richard Mulcahy introduces the debate on a separate government department for the Gaeltacht.
• 21 May – President Seán T. O'Kelly opens the first Cork International Film Festival.
• 29 May – T. K. Whitaker is appointed new Secretary at the Department of Finance.
• 12 August – the Gaelic Athletic Association postpones the All-Ireland Hurling and Football Finals due to an outbreak of polio.
• 21 November – Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children is opened in Crumlin, Dublin.
• 30 November – petrol rationing is due to be introduced from 1 January due to the crisis in the Suez.
• 1 December – at the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, Ronnie Delany wins Ireland's first gold medal for 24 years.
• 12 December – the Irish Republican Army launches its Border Campaign in Northern Ireland with the bombing of a BBC relay transmitter in County Londonderry, burning of a courthouse in Magherafelt by a unit led by 18-year-old Seamus Costello and of an Ulster Special Constabulary post near Newry and blowing up of a half-built British Army barracks at Enniskillen. A raid on Gough Barracks in Armagh is beaten off after a brief exchange of fire.
• Undated
• *The second Coimisiún na Gaeltachta redefines the boundaries of the Gaeltacht.
• *Robert Briscoe becomes the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Dublin.

  Arts and literature

• June – Painter Louis le Brocquy represents Ireland at the Venice Biennale.
• Samuel Beckett's novel Malone Dies is published in English.

  Sport

Football

Births

• 1 January – John O'Donohue, poet and philosopher.
• 16 January – Denis Moran, Kerry Gaelic footballer.
• 17 January – Joe Hennessy, Kilkenny hurler.
• 27 January – Joe Duffy, radio presenter.
• 11 February – Pat Carroll, Offaly hurler.
• 13 February – Liam Brady, international soccer player.
• 21 February – Johnny Crowley, Cork hurler.
• 4 March – Ciarán Brennan, singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist.
• 13 April – Jim Lynagh, Provisional Irish Republican Army member killed in an ambush by the SAS during an attack on Loughgall RUC station.
• 16 April – Paul Drechsler, businessman.
• 29 April – Kevin Moran, Gaelic footballer and soccer player.
• 30 April – Liam T. Cosgrave, Fine Gael politician, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann 1996-1997
• 4 May – Steve Barron, film director and producer.
• 5 May – Mary Coughlan, singer.
• 9 May – Brendan Howlin, national teacher, Labour Party Teachta Dála for Wexford and Cabinet Minister.
• 15 May – Pat Byrne, soccer player and manager.
• 18 May – Pat Fleury, Offaly hurler, manager.
• 21 May – Sean Kelly, cyclist and broadcaster.
• 24 May – Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland Bishop of Clogher.
• 28 May – John O'Donoghue, Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry South and Cabinet Minister.
• 1 June – Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan–Monaghan and Minister of State.
• 4 June – Gerry Ryan, RTÉ radio presenter.
• 7 June – Marty Whelan, RTÉ radio and television presenter.
• 1 July – Liz O'Donnell, Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats, TD and Minister of State.
• 10 July – Frank Stapleton, soccer player and manager.
• 12 July – Cathal Ó Searcaigh, poet.
• August – Denis Mulcahy, Cork hurler.
• 26 August – Dick Hooper, long-distance runner.
• 5 September – Willie Mullins, jockey, racehorse trainer.
• 4 October – Mary Kennedy, television presenter.
• 13 October – Joe Connolly, Galway hurler.
• 1 November – Charles Flanagan, Fine Gael TD for Laois–Offaly.
• 5 November – Marita Conlon-McKenna, children's writer.
• 4 December – Nia Griffith Welsh Labour Member of Parliament.
• 19 December – Shane McEntee, Fine Gael TD for Meath East.
• ;Undated

  Deaths

• 30 January – Sir John Keane, 5th Baronet, barrister, member of Seanad.
• 20 February – James Cousins, poet and writer.
• 21 February – Louis Meldon, cricketer.
• 13 March – Alfie Byrne, Irish Nationalist politician, served both as an MP in the British House of Commons and as a TD in Dáil Éireann.
• 18 March – Benjamin Glazer, Academy Award-winning writer, producer and director.
• 19 March – Matt Goff, Kildare Gaelic footballer.
• 24 March – Bob Lambert, cricketer.
• 20 April – Ida Mary Costello, wife of Taoiseach John A. Costello.
• 17 May – John Tudor Gwynn, cricketer.
• 22 May – Elizabeth Cronin, traditional singer.
• 11 June – Seán Óg Murphy, Cork hurler, Gaelic Athletic Association administrator.
• 23 July – Ella Young, poet.
• 5 August – John Miller Andrews, second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
• 23 September – Arthur Duff, composer and conductor.
• 6 November – Leo Whelan, painter.
• 19 November – Thomas Derrig, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister.
• 25 November – Robert Bruce Bowers, cricketer.
• 11 December – Frederic Charles Dreyer, British Royal Navy Admiral.
• 27 December – Lambert McKenna, Jesuit priest and writer.
• Undated – Geoffrey Taylor, born Jeoffrey Phibbs, poet.