Events in the year 1909 in Ireland. Events 31 October – The Royal University of Ireland was dissolved. 14 December – Ernest Shackleton delivered a lecture entitled Nearest the South Pole in the large hall of the National University in Dublin. 31 December – Harry Ferguson became the first person to fly an aircraft in Ireland, in a monoplane he designed and built himself. The Mater Infirmorum Hospital in Belfast was officially recognised as a university teaching hospital. Fieldwork for the multidisciplinary Clare Island Survey commenced under the direction of Robert Lloyd Praeger. Arts and literature 1 April – Lennox Robinson's first play, The Cross Roads, was performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin; he became the theatre manager later in the year. 22 July – Widowed Irish painter John Lavery married Irish American painter Hazel Martyn. 20 August – The tenor Enrico Caruso performed at the Theatre Royal in Dublin. 20 December – The first dedicated cinema in Ireland, the Volta Cinematograph, opened in Dublin under the management of writer James Joyce. Herbert Hughes' collection of folk songs, Irish Country Songs, was published, including "She Moved Through the Fair" with words largely composed by Padraic Colum. Ella Young's first work of Irish folklore, The Coming of Lugh, was published. Sport Association football International 13 February – England 4–0 Ireland (in Bradford) 15 March – Scotland 5–0 Ireland (in Glasgow) 20 March – Ireland 2–3 Wales (in Belfast) Irish League Winners: Linfield F.C. Irish Cup Winners: Cliftonville F.C. 0–0 draw; replay result 2-1 Bohemian F.C. Births 9 January – Patrick Peyton, priest who promoted the Rosary (died 1992). 30 January – George Crothers, cricketer (died 1982 in Northern Ireland). 1 February – Timothy McAuliffe, Labour Party politician (died 1985). 8 March – Francis MacManus, novelist (died 1965). 3 April – Knox Cunningham, barrister, businessman, and Ulster Unionist politician (died 1976). 19 April – Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander, cryptanalyst, chess player, and chess writer (died 1974). 24 April – Robert Farren (Roibeárd Ó Faracháin), poet (died 1984). David Beers Quinn, historian (died 2002). 30 April – F. E. McWilliam, sculptor (died 1992). 4 June – Robert Dudley Edwards, historian (died 1988). 7 July – Cecilia Thackaberry, Presentation Sisters nun, killed in Nigeria performing relief work (died 1969). 24 July – Geoffrey Bing, lawyer and Labour politician in UK (died 1977 in Northern Ireland). 31 July – Martin White, Kilkenny hurler (died