Events from the year 1959 in Ireland. Incumbents President: Seán T. O'Kelly (until 24 June 1959) Éamon de Valera (from 25 June 1959) Taoiseach: Éamon de Valera (FF) (until 23 June 1959) Seán Lemass (FF) (from 23 June 1959) Tánaiste: Seán Lemass (FF) (until 23 June 1959) Seán MacEntee (FF) (from 23 June 1959) Minister for Finance: James Ryan (FF) Chief Justice: Conor Maguire Dáil: 16th Seanad: 9th Events 7 January – Dáil Éireann debated a motion that Éamon de Valera's position as controlling director of the Irish Press could be regarded as incompatible with his duties as Taoiseach. 23 January – The government was considering the introduction of a pay-as-you-earn system of income tax. 10 February – Unions voted to end the 15-year split in the Irish trade union movement. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions resulted from the merger of the TUC and the CIU. 8 April – James Dillon of the Fine Gael party wanted to abolish compulsory Irish at school as he felt it was counter-productive. 25 June – Éamon de Valera was inaugurated at Dublin Castle as the third President of Ireland. 9 July – The first twelve female recruits were selected to join the Garda Síochána. 29 July – The new Department of Transport and Power was established. Erskine Childers was the first Minister, and Thekla Beere was departmental Secretary, the first woman to achieve this grade in the Irish Civil Service. 22 September – At its inaugural conference the Irish Congress of Trade Unions attacked the government of Northern Ireland for not recognising the new organisation. 4 October – Three men collapsed and died at Croke Park during the All-Ireland Hurling Final Replay. 21 October – James Dillon was elected leader of the Fine Gael Party. He replaced Richard Mulcahy as leader and John A. Costello as parliamentary leader. 4 December – Twelve new female members of the Garda Síochána, known as , passed out of the training depot in the Phoenix Park. Figures released on 4 February 1960 showed that 118 million telephone calls were made in 1959. Arts and literature 2 February – John B. Keane's play Sive was premiered at Walsh's Ballroom, Listowel, by an amateur group. 12 February – The first edition of the Irish Music Charts Top 10 was printed in the Evening Herald newspaper. Elvis Presley's "One Night" became the first song to top the charts. (The