1855 in Ireland

← 1854 1853 1852 1851 1850 1855 in Ireland → 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1830s 1840s 1850s 1860s 1870s
See also:	1855 in the United Kingdom Other events of 1855 List of years in Ireland

Events from the year 1855 in Ireland.

Events

• 5 April – opening of Boyne Viaduct at Drogheda by the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway completes permanent through rail communication between the two principal cities of Ireland. ^[1]
• 22 August – The Roman Catholic St Mary's Cathedral, Killarney, is consecrated.
• October – Charles Gavan Duffy, founder of the Tenant Right League, emigrates to Australia. ^[2]
• Charlemont Bridge over the River Blackwater, between Moy and Charlemont is constructed.
• Dublin Zoo buys its first pair of lions. ^[3]
• Approximate date – the Corraghy Heads and Corleck Head are discovered. ^[4]

Arts and literature

• The Society for the Preservation and Publication of the Melodies of Ireland publishes The Ancient Music of Ireland edited by George Petrie, including the first publication of the Londonderry Air as collected from a local fiddle player by Miss Jane Ross of Limavady.

Births

• 27 April – Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, novelist (died 1897).^{[ citation needed ]}
• 17 May – Timothy Michael Healy, Nationalist politician, journalist, author, barrister and first Governor-General of the Irish Free State (died 1931). ^[5]
• 17 August – Andrew Jameson, public servant, businessman and Seanad member (died 1941). ^[6]
• 25 August – Paddy Glynn, Attorney General of Australia and Minister for External Affairs (died 1931). ^[7]
• 11 September – William Mulholland, water service engineer in Southern California (died 1935). ^[8]
• Full date unknown – James Nowlan, President of the Gaelic Athletic Association (1901–1921) (died 1924). ^[9]

Deaths

• 14 March – Edward Ffrench Bromhead, mathematician (born 1789) ^[10]
• 12 August – Richard Bourke, soldier and Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1831 to 1837 (born 1777). ^[11]
• 13 November – James Hardiman, lawyer, librarian and historian (born 1782). ^[12]

See also

• 1855 in Scotland
• 1855 in Wales

References

1. Share, Bernard, ed. (2005). Crossing the Boyne: the great Viaduct 1855–2005. Drogheda: Iarnród Éireann; Old Drogheda Society.
2. Moody, T.W.; Martin, F.X., eds. (1967). The Course of Irish History. Cork: Mercier Press. p. 376.
3. "Zoo History". Dublin Zoo. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
4. Waddell, John (1998). The Prehistoric Archaeology of Ireland. Galway University Press. ISBN   1-8698-5739-9. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023.
5. "T.M. Healy | Irish statesman, nationalist, lawyer | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
6. Oireachtas, Houses of the (1 January 1970). "Hon Andrew Jameson – Houses of the Oireachtas". www.oireachtas.ie. Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
7. Hourican, Bridget (2009). "Glynn, Patrick McMahon". Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.003500.v1.
8. "From the Archives: William Mulholland of Aqueduct Fame Dies". Los Angeles Times. 23 July 1935. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
9. White, Lawrence William (25 October 2026). "Nowlan, James | Dictionary of Irish Biography".
10. .Edward Bromhead – Oxford Biographical Index entry
11. "SIR RICHARD BOURKE, K.C.B. - The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) - 20 Nov 1855". Trove. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
12. Kenny, Tom (13 November 2025). "James Hardiman, historian". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 25 October 2026.