1908 in Ireland

Events

• February – Tom Clarke opens a tobacconist shop in Dublin under the name of T. S. Ó'Cléirigh which becomes a centre for Irish Republican Brotherhood activity.
• 17 February – Statue of Queen Victoria unveiled at Leinster House, Dublin.
• 19 April – the Guildhall, Londonderry, is largely destroyed by fire.
• 19 May – work begins on a monument to Charles Stewart Parnell in Upper Sackville Street, Dublin.
• 31 July – Irish Universities Act receives Royal Assent in the Parliament of the UK. This ultimately leads to the establishment of the National University of Ireland and Queen's University of Belfast.
• 8 September – Patrick Pearse opens St. Enda's School to offer a bilingual secondary education for boys at Cullenswood House, Ranelagh. It will be later moved to the Hermitage, Rathfarnham.
• 11 November – Irish Women's Franchise League is formed with Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington as secretary.
• 29 December – Irish Transport Workers' Union is formed with James Larkin as general secretary.

  Arts and literature

• January – Hugh Lane founds the Dublin City Gallery in Harcourt Street, the world's first to display only modern art.
• 1 December – Cuala Press, set up at Churchtown, Dublin, as a private press independent of the former Dun Emer Press in connection with the Irish Literary Revival and Arts and Crafts movement by Elizabeth "Lolly" Yeats with editorial support from her brother W. B. Yeats, produces its first publication, Poetry and Ireland: essays by W. B. Yeats and Lionel Johnson; the siblings' sister Lily runs an embroidery workshop as part of Cuala Industries.
• Terence MacSwiney, T. C. Murray, Con O'Leary and Daniel Corkery found the Cork Dramatic Society
• J. M. Synge's only comedic play, The Tinker's Wedding, is published
• Filson Young's novel When the Tides Turn is published.

  Sport

• 1908 Summer Olympics : Ireland competes as a separate country in field hockey and polo, winning silver medals in both.

  Football

• ;International
• :15 February Ireland 1–3 England
• :14 March Ireland 0–5 Scotland
• :11 April Wales 0–1 Ireland
• ;Irish League
• :Winners: Linfield
• ;Irish Cup
• :Winners: Bohemians 1–1, 3–1 Shelbourne

  Golf

• The course at Royal County Down Golf Club is modified by Harry Vardon, and Edward VII bestows royal patronage on the club.

  Births

• 20 February – Florence Wycherley, independent TD.
• 23 February – Jim Ware, Waterford hurler.
• 10 March – Patrick Shanahan, Fianna Fáil TD.
• 27 April – Patrick Shea, Permanent Secretary in the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
• 5 May – Mary Elmes, humanitarian.
• 10 June – Gerard Sweetman, Fine Gael TD and Cabinet Minister.
• 20 July – Mad Dog Coll, born Uinseann Ó Colla, mob hitman in New York.
• 24 July – Roger McHugh, professor, author and playwright.
• 18 August – Sam English, soccer player.
• 26 September – Hugh Delargy, Labour Party politician and MP.
• 6 December – Con Cremin, diplomat.
• ;Full date unknown
• :*Frances Kelly, painter.
• :*Niall Ó Dónaill, Irish language lexicographer and writer.
• :*Mervyn Wall, novelist and dramatist.

  Deaths

• 17 January – Eyre Massey Shaw, Superintendent of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade .
• 3 February – Thomas Mellon, entrepreneur, lawyer, and judge, founder of Mellon Bank.
• 23 March – Frederick Falkiner, lawyer, judge and author.
• 10 June – John F. Finerty, U.S. Representative from Illinois.
• 6 July – Thomas William Moffett, scholar, educationalist and President of Queen's College Galway.
• 5 August – Caesar Litton Falkiner, Irish Unionist Party politician, barrister, writer and historian.
• 30 August – Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse, eighteenth Chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin.
• 4 November – John Pinkerton, Irish Parliamentary Party MP.
• 15 December – Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley, British military officer and MP.
• 19 December – Thomas Cleeve, founder of Condensed Milk Company of Ireland, High Sheriff of Limerick.