1980 in Northern Ireland

Centuries:	20th ; 21st ;
Decades:	1960s ; 1970s ; 1980s ; 1990s ; 2000s ;
See also:	1980 in the United Kingdom ; 1980 in Ireland ; Other events of 1980 ; List of years in Northern Ireland ;

Last updated November 20, 2024

Incumbents

Secretary of State - Humphrey Atkins

Events

1 January – First national anti-H-Block march.^[1]
27 October – Seven Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners go on hunger strike in Long Kesh.^[1]
8 December – Taoiseach Charles Haughey meets with the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at Dublin Castle, the first visit by a British prime minister since independence.
15 December – Thirty more IRA prisoners join the hunger strike.^[1]
18 December – Hunger striker Sean McKenna critically ill. Belief that settlement is imminent brings an end to the hunger strike.^[1]
Work begins on the building of the Foyle Bridge in Derry.
W. A. McCutcheon's official survey The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland is published.

Arts and literature

23 September – Field Day Theatre Company presents its first production, the premiere of Brian Friel's Translations at the Guildhall, Derry.
Crescent Arts Centre is founded in Belfast.
Annual Enniskillen Drama Festival revived.
Ron Hutchinson's The Irish Play is first performed, in London.
Medbh McGuckian publishes the first collections of her poems in two pamphlets, Portrait of Joanna and Single Ladies: Sixteen Poems and wins an Eric Gregory Award.
Bernard MacLaverty publishes his novel Lamb.

Sport

Boxing

Hugh Russell wins Flyweight Bronze medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Football

Irish League

Winners: Linfield

Irish Cup

Winners: Linfield 2 – 0 Crusaders

Motorcycling

Robert Dunlop makes first appearance at the Cookstown 100.

Births

7 January – Zöe Salmon, Blue Peter presenter and former Miss Northern Ireland in 1999.
17 January – Gareth McLearnon, flautist.
11 February – Cormac McAnallen, Tyrone Gaelic footballer (died 2004).
3 April – Adrian McCoubrey, cricketer.
14 April – Grant McCann, footballer.
11 June – Pete Snodden, radio DJ.
3 July – Andrew White, cricketer.
9 July – Michael Ingham, footballer.
23 September – Malachi Cush, singer-songwriter.
6 October – Stephen Carson, footballer.

Deaths

5 July – A. J. Potter, composer (born 1918).
22 November – Norah McGuinness, artist (born 1901).

Full date unknown

Ronnie Bunting, Official IRA member and a founder member of the Irish National Liberation Army, assassinated.
Sam Cree, playwright (born 1928).
Jimmy McCambridge, footballer (born 1905).
Johnny McKenna, footballer (born 1926).

Related Research Articles

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Laurence McKeown is an Irish author, playwright, screenwriter, and former volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who took part in the 1981 Irish hunger strike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Sands</span> Irish Provisional IRA member (1954–1981)

Robert Gerard Sands was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze in Northern Ireland. Sands helped to plan the 1976 Balmoral Furniture Company bombing in Dunmurry, which was followed by a gun battle with the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Sands was arrested while trying to escape and sentenced to 14 years for firearms possession.

References

1 2 3 4 "Larkspirit Irish History". Archived from the original on 23 April 2009.

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[LS-1] 1 2 3 4 "Larkspirit Irish History". Archived from the original on 23 April 2009.

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