Centuries: 20th21st | ||
Decades: 1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s | ||
Events during the year 1959 in Northern Ireland.
Contents
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).