1897 in Ireland

Events from the year 1897 in Ireland.

Events

 * October – Scottish evangelist William Irvine begins preaching independently, origin of the "Two by Twos" ("The Truth") Christian movement.
 * St Kevin's Pauper Lunatic Asylum opens in Cork.
 * The Irish Motor Car and Cycle Company is established.

Arts and literature

 * 26 May – Bram Stoker's novel Dracula is first published, in London.
 * 13 December – The third Theatre Royal opens in Dublin.
 * The first Feis Ceoil musical and cultural festival is organised in Dublin by Dr. Annie Patterson, Edward Martyn and Dr. George Sigerson.
 * George Sigerson's translated anthology Bards of the Gael and Gall and his daughter Dora Sigerson Shorter's The Fairy Changeling, and Other Poems are published.
 * Amanda McKittrick Ros publishes Irene Iddesleigh.

Football

 * International
 * 20 February England 6–0 Ireland (in Nottingham)
 * 6 March Ireland 4–3 Wales (in Belfast)
 * 27 March Scotland 5–1 Ireland (in Glasgow)


 * Irish League
 * Winners: Glentoran


 * Irish Cup
 * Winners: Cliftonville 3–1 Sherwood Foresters

Births

 * 1 February – Eddie Doyle, Kilkenny hurler (died 1948).
 * 15 January – Mark Killilea Snr, Fianna Fáil TD, member of the Seanad (died 1970).
 * 1 March – Robert Bruce Bowers, cricketer (died 1956).
 * 23 March – John Lighton Synge, mathematician and physicist (died 1995).
 * 4 April – Francis Evans, British diplomat (died 1983).
 * 29 April – Mainie Jellett, abstract painter (died 1944).
 * 26 May – Ernie O'Malley, prominent officer in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence and on anti-Treaty side in the Irish Civil War and a writer (died 1957).
 * 10 June – Moss (Maurice) Twomey, chief of staff of the Irish Republican Army (died 1978).
 * 1 July – Tom Barry, guerrilla leader in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence (died 1980).
 * 18 August – Enid Starkie, literary critic and biographer (died 1970).
 * 1 September – Andy Kennedy, footballer (died 1963).
 * 17 September – Bob Fullam, soccer player (died 1974).
 * 26 November – Thomas Derrig, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister (died 1956).
 * 3 December – Kate O'Brien, novelist (died 1974).
 * Full date unknown – Ed Reavy, fiddle player and songwriter (died 1988).

Deaths

 * 21 January – Anthony O'Grady Lefroy, government official in Western Australia (born 1816).
 * 24 January – Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, novelist (born 1855).
 * 3 March – Garrett Byrne, Irish nationalist and MP (born 1829).
 * 19 March – Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie, geographer (born 1810).
 * 1 April – William Plunket, 4th Baron Plunket, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin (born 1828).
 * 9 August – William R. Roberts, diplomat, Fenian Society member and United States Representative from New York (born 1830).
 * 11 October – Charles W. Jones, lawyer and United States Senator in Florida (born 1834).
 * 31 October – Samuel Haughton, scientific writer (born 1821).
 * 25 November – John Coleman, United States Marine, recipient of Medal of Honor for his actions in 1871 during the Korean Expedition (born 1847).
 * 8 December – Mary O'Connell, nurse during the American Civil War (born 1814).