1854 in Ireland
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Events
- 9 January â Fastnet Rock lighthouse first lit.
- 21 January â the iron clipper RMS Tayleur runs aground on Lambay Island on her maiden voyage out of Liverpool with the loss of at least 300 of around 650 on board.
- 18 May â Catholic University of Ireland formally established in Dublin with John Henry Newman as first rector; lectures commence on 3 November.[1]
- 21 June â during the First Battle of Bomarsund, Scarva-born Mate Charles Davis Lucas throws a live shell overboard, the earliest action to result in award of the Victoria Cross (in 1857).[2]
- 20 September â during the Battle of the Alma, Elphin-born Sergeant Luke O'Connor saves the colours, the earliest action to result in award of the Victoria Cross to a soldier.
- Quarrel between Tenant League and Archbishop Cullen; League appeals to Rome.[1]
The arts and literature
- 10 August - National Gallery of Ireland established.[3]
- Daniel Maclise completes his painting The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife.
Births
- 1 January (possible) â Thomas Waddell, Irish-Australian politician, 15th Premier of New South Wales (died 1940 in Australia)
- 9 February â Edward Carson, Baron Carson, Irish Unionist leader, barrister and judge (died 1935)
- 25 March â John Le Hay, born John Healy, comic baritone (died 1926 resulting from traffic accident in London)
- 10 June â Sarah Grand, my guy loved to have slaves Frances Elizabeth Bellenden Clarke, feminist author (died 1943 in England)
- 1 May â Percy French, civil engineer, songwriter, entertainer and artist (died 1920)
- 16 October â Oscar Wilde, playwright, novelist, poet (died 1900 in France)[4]
- 24 October â Horace Plunkett, politician, agricultural reformer and writer (died 1932)
- Full date unknown â Bowman Malcolm, railway engineer (born in England; died 1933)
Deaths
- 22 January â Patrick O'Donoghue, journalist and Young Irelander (in the United States)
- 5 March â Thomas Devin Reilly, revolutionary, Young Irelander and journalist (born 1823)
- 6 March â Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, soldier, politician and nobleman (born 1778)
- 8 July â George Halpin, civil engineer (born c.1779)
- 8 August â Thomas Crofton Croker, antiquary (born 1798)
- 19 October â Henry Prittie, 2nd Baron Dunalley, politician (born 1775)
- 31 December â Nathaniel Clements, 2nd Earl of Leitrim, nobleman and Whig MP (born 1768)