1959 in Northern Ireland

Events during the year 1959 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

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

Events

• 10 February – Unions vote to end the 15-year split in the Irish trade union movement. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions results from the merger of the TUC and the CIU.
• 22 September – At its inaugural conference the Irish Congress of Trade Unions attacks the government of Northern Ireland for not recognising the new organisation.
• Manufacture of Spot-On models (1:42 scale die-cast model cars) by Lines Bros at Castlereagh in Belfast begins.

Arts and literature

• 31 October – Ulster Television, the ITV franchise for Northern Ireland, goes on air.

Sport

Football

• Irish League

:Winners: Linfield

• Irish Cup

:Winners: Glenavon 1–1, 2–0 Ballymena United

Births

January to June

• 25 February – Stephen Moutray, Democratic Unionist Party MLA.
• 31 March – Ali McMordie, punk rock bass guitarist.
• 26 April – Alex Attwood, SDLP MLA.
• 12 May – Mark Robinson, Democratic Unionist Party MLA.
• 20 May – Gregory Gray, born Paul Lerwill, singer-songwriter (died 2019).

July to December

• 6 July – Danny Kennedy, Ulster Unionist Party MLA.
• 11 July – Stephen Warke, cricketer.
• 3 September
• Dolores Kelly, SDLP MLA.
• Dick Strawbridge, engineer and television presenter.
• 17 September – Charles Lawson, actor.
• 11 October – David Morgan, television presenter and journalist (died 2016).
• 13 November
• Trevor Ringland, Irish rugby international.
• Davy Tweed, Irish rugby international, unionist councillor (died 2021).
• 17 November – Kate Thompson, actress and romantic novelist.
• 18 November – Jimmy Quinn, footballer and football manager.
• 3 December – Eamonn Holmes, television and radio presenter.
• 9 December – Paul Jackson, cricketer.
• 15 December – Hugh Russell, boxer (died 2023).

Full date unknown

• Willie Doherty, installation and video artist.

Deaths

• January – William Forbes Marshall, Presbyterian minister and poet (born 1888).
• 4 February – Una O'Connor, actress (born 1880).
• 16 May – Elisha Scott, footballer (born 1894).
• 13 June – Seán Lester, diplomat and last Secretary General of the League of Nations (born 1888).

See also

• 1959 in Scotland
• 1959 in Wales

References