1955 in Northern Ireland

Events during the year 1955 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

• Governor - The Lord Wakehurst
• Prime Minister - Basil Brooke

Events

• 21 July – The BBC brings into service its Divis transmitter, its first permanent facility serving Northern Ireland, marking the launch of a television service for Northern Ireland; the 35 kW transmissions can also be readily received in much of the Republic of Ireland.

Arts and literature

• 22 March – A fire destroys much of the original rococo interior of Florence Court.
• Brian Moore's novel Judith Hearne is published.

Sport

Football

• Irish League

:Winners: Linfield

• Irish Cup

:Winners: Dundela 3 - 0 Glenavon

Births

• 11 January – Brian Gregory, footballer.
• 20 January – Joe Doherty, volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
• 25 February – Davy Hyland, Sinn Féin, later independent, MLA.
• 28 March – John Alderdice, Baron Alderdice, Alliance Party politician and Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly 1998–2004.
• 2 April – Michael Stone, Ulster loyalist paramilitary.
• 30 April – BJ Hogg, actor (died 2020).
• 23 June – Ken Reid, television journalist.
• 6 July – Michael Boyd, theatre director (died 2023).
• 1 August – Adrian Logan, television sports presenter and reporter.
• 27 September
• Gerry Convery, Canadian darts player.
• Felix Healy, footballer and football manager.
• 30 September – Frankie Kennedy, traditional flute and tin whistle player and co-founder of Altan (died 1994).
• 16 October – Kieran Doherty, volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (died 1981 on hunger strike).
• 7 December – John McClelland, footballer.
• Undated
• Bríd Brennan, actress.
• Billy Hutchinson, Progressive Unionist Party leader.
• Paddy McKillen, property investor.

Deaths

• 22 January – Moira O'Neill, poet (born 1864).
• 11 April – Margaret McCoubrey, suffragette and pacifist (born 1880 in Scotland).
• 14 May – Robert Quigg, soldier, recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in 1916 at the Battle of the Somme (born 1885).
• 18 July – Billy McCandless, footballer and football manager (born 1893).
• 14 December – Paddy Mayne, international rugby union footballer and decorated soldier (born 1915).
• Undated – Unsinkable Sam, ship's cat (born before 1941 in Germany).

See also

• 1955 in Scotland
• 1955 in Wales

References