1940 in Northern Ireland
Encyclopedia
Events
- 4 July - TaoiseachTaoiseachThe Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Éamon de ValeraÉamon de ValeraÉamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
announces that the policy of neutrality adopted the previous September will not be reversed. - 7 November - Éamon de ValeraÉamon de ValeraÉamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
, speaking in response to Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's statement, says that there can be no question of handing over Irish ports for use by BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces while they retain control of Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. - 24 November - James CraigJames Craig, 1st Viscount CraigavonJames Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, PC, PC , was a prominent Irish unionist politician, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland...
, the first Prime Minister of Northern IrelandPrime Minister of Northern IrelandThe Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was the de facto head of the Government of Northern Ireland. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920. However the Lord Lieutenant, as with Governors-General in other Westminster Systems such as in Canada, chose to appoint someone...
, dies suddenly. He was the longest continually serving Prime Minister in EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. - Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay RailwayBallymena, Cushendall and Red Bay RailwayThe Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway was a narrow gauge railway between Ballymena and Retreat, both in County Antrim, in what is now Northern Ireland. It operated from 1875 to 1940.-History:...
(part of Belfast and Northern Counties Railway) ceases operations.
Football
- Irish League
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- Winners: Belfast CelticBelfast CelticBelfast Celtic Football Club was a football club in Northern Ireland that was founded in 1891, and was one of the most successful teams in Ireland until forced to withdraw from the Irish League in 1949.-History:...
- Winners: Belfast Celtic
- Irish CupIrish CupFor the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world...
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- Winners: Ballymena UnitedBallymena United F.C.Ballymena United, is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club hails from the town of Ballymena, County Antrim and plays its home matches at Ballymena Showgrounds. Club colours are sky blue and white. Away Colours are Red and BlackThe club was...
2 - 0 GlenavonGlenavon F.C.Glenavon F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1889, hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park...
- Winners: Ballymena United
Births
- 26 January - Séamus HegartySéamus Hegarty (Roman Catholic Bishop)The Most Rev. Dr. Séamus Hegarty, D.D. , is an Irish Catholic prelate. He served as the Bishop of Raphoe from 1982 to 1994, and served as the Bishop of Derry from 1994 to 2011.-Early life and ministry:...
, Bishop of Derry (1994 - ). - 7 February - Harold McCuskerHarold McCuskerJames Harold McCusker was a Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Party politician who served as his party's deputy leader....
, Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
MP (d.19901990 in Northern Ireland-Events:*1 January - The Northern Ireland Fair Employment Act becomes law.*24 July - The IRA kills three policemen and a nun in a bomb attack near Armagh.*24 August - Brian Keenan is released after 1574 days in captivity in Beirut....
). - 11 February - Anne GreggAnne GreggAnne Deirdre Gregg was a travel writer and TV presenter from Northern Ireland. She is perhaps best known for presenting the BBC's travel programme Holiday throughout the 1980s. She was one of the first people from Northern Ireland to become a national British television personality.-Early...
, travel writer and TV presenter (d.20062006 in Northern Ireland- Events :*30 January - Postal workers enter a 20 day wildcat strike disrupting most of Belfast's delivery service.*25 February - Rioting in Dublin as Republican protesters organise counter protests to a "Love Ulster" parade in the city, which subsequently become violent.*17 March - New Oncology...
). - 24 March - Sam GardinerSam GardinerAlderman Samuel Gardiner MBE JP MLA is a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland for the Ulster Unionist Party who is an MLA for Upper Bann...
, Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
MLAMember of the Legislative AssemblyA Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
. - 6 June - Willie John McBrideWillie John McBrideWilliam James McBride, MBE, better known as Willie John McBride is a former rugby union footballer who played as a lock for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. He played 63 Tests for Ireland including eleven as captain, and toured with the Lions five times — a record that gave him 17...
, international rugby player. - 31 July - Roy WalkerRoy WalkerRobert "Roy" Walker is a television personality and comedian from Northern Ireland, who worked for many years as both a television presenter and comedy actor...
, comedian and television presenter. - 29 August - P. J. BradleyP. J. BradleyP. J. Bradley MLA is a Social Democratic and Labour Party politician in Northern Ireland.He was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly between 1998 and 2011 for the South Down Constituency...
, SDLPSocial Democratic and Labour PartyThe Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
MLAMember of the Legislative AssemblyA Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
. - 26 November - Charles CorryCharles CorryCharles Victor Corry is a former Irish cricketer. A right-handed batsman, he made his debut for the Ireland cricket team against Scotland in June 1959, and played for them five times in all, his last match also coming against Scotland in July 1966. Four of his matches for Ireland had first-class...
, cricketer.
Full date unknown
- Seamus DeaneSeamus DeaneSeamus Deane is an Irish poet, novelist, and critic.Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, Deane was born into a Catholic nationalist family. He attended St. Columb's College in Derry, Queen's University Belfast and Pembroke College, Cambridge University . At St...
, poet, critic and novelist. - Anthony Farquhar, Auxiliary BishopAuxiliary bishopAn auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Diocese of Down and Connor.
Deaths
- 24 November - James Craig, 1st Viscount CraigavonJames Craig, 1st Viscount CraigavonJames Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon, PC, PC , was a prominent Irish unionist politician, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland...
, first Prime Minister of Northern IrelandPrime Minister of Northern IrelandThe Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was the de facto head of the Government of Northern Ireland. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920. However the Lord Lieutenant, as with Governors-General in other Westminster Systems such as in Canada, chose to appoint someone...
(b.18711871 in Ireland-Events:*1 January - Church of Ireland disestablished.*J. P. Mahaffy appointed to the Chair of Ancient History at Trinity College, Dublin at the age of 32.*16 June - The Westmeath Act is enacted allowing arrest and detention without trial.-Births:...
).