1898 in Ireland

Events

• By March – Dr. John F. Colohan of Dublin imports the first petrol driven car into Ireland, a Benz Velo.
• 6 July – Guglielmo Marconi conducts a test radio telegraph transmission for Lloyd's between Ballycastle, County Antrim, and Rathlin Island.
• 12 August – James Connolly launches the first issue of the Workers' Republic newsletter.
• September – Tom Clarke released after serving 15 years in Pentonville Prison.
• 20 October – George Curzon is created Baron Curzon of Kedleston, the last appointment to the Peerage of Ireland.
• The Local Government Act is introduced. It establishes popularly elected local authorities and gives qualified women a vote for the first time. County Tipperary is divided administratively into North Tipperary and South Tipperary.
• The Mary Immaculate College in Limerick is founded to train Roman Catholic national school teachers.
• The Gaelic League holds its first feis at Macroom, County Cork.
• Work starts on the building of Belfast City Hall.
• Donegal Carpets established.

  Arts and literature

• Eleanor Hull publishes .
• Peadar Ua Laoghaire's story novel.
• Oscar Wilde publishes The Ballad of Reading Gaol.

  Sport

Football

• ;International
• :19 February Wales 0–1 Ireland
• :5 March Ireland 2–3 England
• :26 March Ireland 0–3 Scotland
• ;Irish League
• :Winners: Linfield
• Irish Cup
• :Winners: Linfield 2–0 St Columb's Hall Celtic

  Births

• 6 January – James Fitzmaurice, pilot and aviation pioneer.
• 7 February – Reginald N. Webster, businessman in America and Thoroughbred racehorse owner.
• 13 February – Frank Aiken, Fianna Fáil TD and founding member, Cabinet Minister and Tánaiste.
• 28 February – Hugh O'Flaherty, Catholic priest, saved about 4,000 Allied soldiers and Jews in the Vatican during World War II.
• 18 April – Patrick Hennessy, industrialist.
• 6 June – Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet.
• 4 October – Charles McCausland, cricketer.
• 1 November – James Foley, cricketer.
• 25 November – E. Chambré Hardman, photographer.
• 29 November – C. S. Lewis, novelist, author of The Chronicles of Narnia.
• Full date unknown – Liam Deasy, Irish Republican Army officer in the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War.

  Deaths

• 12 January – Daniel Connor, convict transported to Western Australia, businessman.
• 25 January – Frederick Dobson Middleton, British general noted for his service particularly in the North-West Rebellion.
• 14 February – Arthur Gwynn, cricketer and rugby player.
• 13 March – Richard Quain, physician.
• 17 March – John Thomas Ball, lawyer, politician and Lord Chancellor of Ireland, 1875–1881.
• 24 March – George Thomas Stokes, ecclesiastical historian.
• 28 March – Sir John Arnott, businessman.
• 1 April – Samuel Davidson, biblical scholar.
• 11 May – Dalton McCarthy, lawyer and politician in Canada.
• 29 June – William Knox Leet, recipient of the Victoria Cross for gallantry in 1879 at Inhlobana, Zululand, South Africa.
• 13 August – Charles Frederick Houghton, soldier and politician in Canada.
• 24 November – George James Allman, naturalist, Emeritus Professor of Natural History in Edinburgh.
• 1 December – Charles Magill, member of the 1st Canadian Parliament and mayor of Hamilton.