1949 in Ireland

Centuries:	18th; 19th; 20th; 21st; ;
Decades:	1920s; 1930s; 1940s; 1950s; 1960s;
See also:	1949 in Northern Ireland; Other events of 1949; List of years in Ireland

Events from the year 1949 in Ireland.

Incumbents

President: Seán T. O'Kelly
Taoiseach: John A. Costello (FG)
Tánaiste: William Norton (Lab)
Minister for Finance: Patrick McGilligan (FG)
Chief Justice: Conor Maguire
Dáil: 13th
Seanad: 6th

Events

22 March – the Irish Government leases a residence in the Phoenix Park to the United States government for a period of 99 years. It will be the residence of the U.S. ambassador.
17 April – at midnight 26 counties officially leave the British Commonwealth under terms of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948. A 21-gun salute on O'Connell Bridge, Dublin, ushers in the Republic of Ireland.
29 April – Major de Courcy Wheeler, the man who accepted the surrender of Patrick Pearse in 1916, presents President Seán T. O'Kelly with Pearse's revolver at a special function at Áras an Uachtaráin.
3 May – the Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the Ireland Act guaranteeing the position of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom as long as a majority of its citizens want it to be. The government also recognises the existence of the Republic of Ireland.
10 May – the Oireachtas motion calls a "Protest Against Partition" because of the UK's Ireland Act provisions.
13 May – John A. Costello, Éamon de Valera, William Norton and Seán MacBride share a platform to protest the British government's attitude to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland.
25 May – Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and The Duke of Edinburgh receive the freedom of Belfast during a visit to the city.
26 June – 80,000 people gather in Croke Park to affirm the pledge as members of the teetotal Pioneer Total Abstinence Society.
9 July – the last tram runs from Nelson Pillar to Blackrock and will be the last tram run in Dublin until the Luas.
12 July – Douglas Hyde, first President of Ireland and founder of the Gaelic League, dies in Dublin aged 89.
24 August – Tánaiste William Norton tells the European Consultative Assembly in Strasbourg that Ireland would not agree to a customs union of western European states.
8 November – street names in any language other than English are prohibited by an Amendment to a Bill passed in the Senate of Northern Ireland.
20 November – students and academic staff celebrate the centenary of University College Galway.
The Electricity Supply Board completes its Liffey scheme, providing hydroelectricity generating stations at Poulaphouca, Golden Falls and Leixlip and a water supply Reservoir for Dublin at the former location.^[1]

Unknown date

Golden Vale Creameries founded in Charleville.^{[citation needed]}
At this year's Convention, Irish Republican Army members are ordered to join Sinn Féin.^[2]

Arts and literature

Publication of Máirtín Ó Cadhain's first novel, Cré na Cille ("Churchyard Clay", written 1944–45), illustrated by Charles Lamb.
Publication of Máirtín Ó Direáin's first poetry collection, Rogha Dánta.
Publication of Séamus Ó Néill's poetry for children, Dánta do pháistí.
Daniel O'Neill paints Place du Tertre and The Blue Skirt.