See also: 1888 in Ireland, other events of 1889, 1890 in Ireland and the list of 'years in Ireland'.

Events

• A religious group of the Order of Carmelite leave Dublin for the United States at the invitation of the New York Archbishop later establishing the Provence of St. Elias .
• The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is founded.
• The Land League builds a house for recently evicted tennant Tom Kelly in Kiltimagh , County Mayo.
• Poet William Butler Yeats is introduced by John O'Leary to Irish nationalist Maude Gonne .
• Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) leader Thomas James Clarke , upon his return to Ireland, becomes a freeman of Limerick.
• Union leader James Connolly is married to Lillie Reynolds in Dublin.
• Union leader James Connolly deserts the British Army and flees to Perth, Scotland.
• Industrialist Horace Plunkett returns to Ireland after his fathers death.
• December 24 - Irish nationalist Charles Stewart Parnell is accused of adultery after Captain Willy O'Shea files for divorce on the grounds his wife Kitty O'Shea had an affair with Parnell. The scandal would late result in the dismissal of Parnell as leader of the Irish Parlementary Party .

Arts and literature

• Richard Davis publishes .
• John T. Gilbert 's Calendar of Ancient Records of the Corporation of Dublin is published.
• Arthur Graves 's writes the lyrics of Father O'Flynn
• Douglas Hyde publishes Beside the Fire .
• George Moore's publishes Mike Fletcher .
• Standish James O'Grady 's publishes Red Hugh's Captivity .
• Whitworth Porter publishes History of the Corps of Royal Engineers .
• Amye Reade 's Ruby is published.
• Dr. G.T. Stokes publishes Ireland and the Anglo-Norman Church .
• Oscar Wilde's dialog Decay of Lying and Portrait of Mr WH are published.
• William Butler Yeats publishes The Wanderings of Oisen and Crossways.

Sports

• The Royal County Down Golf Course is founded.
• The Royal Dublin Golf Club moves from Sutton to its present home on Bull Island.
• Golf is first played at the Dooks Golf Club in Killorglin, County Kerry.
• The first GAA Armagh Championship is held.
• Members of the Irish Catholic Church , including Archbishop Logue , condemn the GAA for its violence and demoralising influences as well as charging the association as a recruiting ground of radical nationalist organizations.
• March 24 - The first Cavan Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) convention in Armagh is held.
• July 8 - The last official bare knuckles title fight ever held as Heavyweight Champion John L. Sullivan defeats Jack Kilrain in a world championship bout lasting 75 rounds.
• September 8 - The Cavan Gaelic Athletic Association holds a football game between Killinkere and Crosserlough . The game is reported by the Anglo-Celt as "..More like a contest between 42 dangerous and ferocious wire haired lunatics than any competition."

Births

• Ernest Blythe, writer
• Ina Boyle , conductor
• Arthur Duff , conductor
• Sean Keating, artist
• Sean Moylan , Sinn Fein leader
• Hellen Waddell , writer
• January 1 - Patrick McGill , writer
• November 20 - Donn Byrne (born Brian Oswald Patrick Donn-Byrne), writer

Deaths

• Michael Joseph Barry , poet
• Arthur Gerald Geoghegan , poet
• Dr. Henry Hudson , magazine editor
• Edmund O'Rourke , dramatist
• February 29 - Richard Pigott , newspaper editor
• November 18 - William Allingham, poet