1981 in Northern Ireland
Encyclopedia
Events
- 16 January- Northern Ireland civil rights campaigner and former Westminster MP, Bernadette McAliskey is shot and injured by Loyalist paramilitaries at her home in County TyroneCounty TyroneHistorically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. - 1 March - Bobby SandsBobby SandsRobert Gerard "Bobby" Sands was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze....
begins a hunger strike at the Long Kesh prison in BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. - 10 April - Bobby SandsBobby SandsRobert Gerard "Bobby" Sands was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze....
is elected Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Fermanagh and South TyroneFermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a Parliamentary constituency in the British House of Commons. The current MP for the constituency is Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Féin....
. - 5 May - Bobby SandsBobby SandsRobert Gerard "Bobby" Sands was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze....
dies on the 66th day of his hunger strike in the Maze PrisonMaze (HM Prison)Her Majesty's Prison Maze was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000....
in BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. - 12 May - Francis HughesFrancis HughesFrancis Hughes was an Irish volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army . Hughes was the most wanted man in Northern Ireland until his arrest following a shoot-out with the Special Air Service in which an SAS soldier was killed...
, previously the most wanted man in the North, dies on the 59th day of his hunger strike in BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
(joined hungerstrike March 15). - 12 May - British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
sniperSniperA sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
kills INLAIrish National Liberation ArmyThe Irish National Liberation Army or INLA is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group that was formed on 8 December 1974. Its goal is to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a socialist united Ireland....
member Emmanuel McClarnon from the top of Divis TowerDivis TowerDivis Tower is a 61m tall tower in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 20 floors tall, it was built in 1966 as part of the now-demolished Divis Flats complex. It is named after the nearby Divis Mountain. The complex of 850 flats, housing 2400 residents was designed by architect Frank Robertson for the...
, on the night Francis HughesFrancis HughesFrancis Hughes was an Irish volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army . Hughes was the most wanted man in Northern Ireland until his arrest following a shoot-out with the Special Air Service in which an SAS soldier was killed...
died on hunger strike. - 21 May - Raymond McCreeshRaymond McCreeshRaymond Peter "Ray" McCreesh was an Irish republican hunger striker and a volunteer in the South Armagh Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army .-Background:...
and Patsy O'HaraPatsy O'HaraPatsy O'Hara was an Irish republican hunger striker and member of the Irish National Liberation Army .He was born in Bishop Street, Derry, Northern Ireland. O'Hara joined Na Fianna Éireann in 1970, and in 1971 his brother Sean was interned in Long Kesh. In late 1971, he was shot and wounded by a...
both die on the 61st day of their hunger strike in the Maze PrisonMaze (HM Prison)Her Majesty's Prison Maze was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000....
(joined hungerstrike March 22). - 8 July - IRAIrish Republican ArmyThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
hunger striker Joe McDonnell dies (joined hungerstrike May 9). - 13 July - Hunger striket Martin HursonMartin HursonEdward Martin Hurson was an Irish republican hunger striker and a volunteer in the East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army .-Background:...
dies (joined hungerstrike May 29). - 1 August - Hunger striker Kevin Lynch dies (joined hungerstrike May 23).
- 2 August - Kieran DohertyKieran DohertyKieran Doherty TD was an Irish republican hunger striker, Teachta Dála and a volunteer in the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army ....
, TDTeachta DálaA Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
for CavanCavanCavan is the county town of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the north central part of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland...
-MonaghanMonaghanMonaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
, dies on the 73rd day of his hunger strike (joined hungerstrike May 22). - 8 August - Hunger striker Thomas McElweeThomas McElweeThomas McElwee was an Irish republican hunger striker and a volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army .-Early life:...
dies (joined hungerstrike June 8). - 20 August - Hunger striker Micky Devine dies (joined hungerstrike June 22).
- 3 October - Hunger strike officially ends.
- 22 October – The case of Dudgeon v United Kingdom is decided by the European Court of Human RightsEuropean Court of Human RightsThe European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
, which rules that the continued existence of laws in Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
criminalising consensual gay sex is in contravention of the European Convention on Human RightsEuropean Convention on Human RightsThe Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
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Football
- Irish League
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- Winners: GlentoranGlentoran F.C.Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
- Winners: Glentoran
- Irish CupIrish CupFor the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world...
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- Winners: Ballymena UnitedBallymena United F.C.Ballymena United, is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club hails from the town of Ballymena, County Antrim and plays its home matches at Ballymena Showgrounds. Club colours are sky blue and white. Away Colours are Red and BlackThe club was...
1 - 0 GlenavonGlenavon F.C.Glenavon F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1889, hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park...
- Winners: Ballymena United
Motorcycling
- Robert DunlopRobert DunlopRobert Dunlop was a Northern Irish motorcycle racer, the younger brother of fellow road racer, the late Joey Dunlop, and like Joey he died after a crash while racing.-Biography:...
enters his first professional race, where he was fully sponsored, at AghadoweyAghadoweyAghadowey is a village and townland in east County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in Aghadowey civil parish, and is part of Coleraine Borough Council...
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Births
- 17 January - Warren FeeneyWarren FeeneyWarren Feeney is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Plymouth Argyle as a forward. He is the third generation of his family to have been capped at international level by Northern Ireland, after his father Warren and his grandfather Jim.-Early career:Feeney, who comes from a particularly...
, international soccer player. - 20 January - Christine BleakleyChristine BleakleyChristine Louise Bleakley is a television presenter from Northern Ireland. She joined Daybreak on ITV as co-presenter with Adrian Chiles in September 2010...
, television presenter. - 20 January - Nathan ConnollyNathan ConnollyNathan Connolly is a Northern Irish musician, who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Snow Patrol.-Early life:...
, musician with Snow PatrolSnow PatrolSnow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
. - 27 March - Terry McFlynnTerry McFlynnTerence Martin "Terry" McFlynn is a football player from Swatragh, Northern Ireland. He plays as a central midfielder for the Australian A-League team Sydney FC. He is the current captain.-Club career:...
, soccer player. - 31 March - Gerard McCarthyGerard McCarthyGerard McCarthy is an actor, best known to television viewers for his award-winning performance as Kris Fisher on the British soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 to 2010, to theatres-goers for his performances on the West End and at Shakespeare's Globe, and to film geeks for his role in Belonging to...
, actor. - 23 April - Jenny McDonoughJenny McDonoughJenny McDonough is a field hockey forward from Ireland, who made her international debut for Ireland Women's National Team in 2001 against England. She plays club hockey for the Belfast Harlequins. McDonough is employed in Sports Promotions...
, hockey player. - 29 April - George McCartneyGeorge McCartneyGeorge McCartney is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for West Ham United on loan from Sunderland. He began his youth career at Sunderland, moving to West Ham before returning to Sunderland at the start of Roy Keane's time at charge...
, soccer player. - 17 July - Andy MaxwellAndy MaxwellAndy Maxwell is a former Irish rugby union player, previously of Ulster and Edinburgh Rugby. Maxwell joined the Ulster squad at the start of the 2003-04 season and made his Ulster debut against Edinburgh Rugby in September 2004 which he capped with a try....
, rugby player. - 10 September - Alan BlayneyAlan BlayneyAlan Blayney is a professional footballer from Belfast, Northern Ireland, currently with Linfield. Blayney plays as a goalkeeper.-Footballing career:...
, soccer player.
Deaths
- 21 January - Norman StrongeNorman StrongeCaptain Sir Charles Norman Lockhart Stronge, 8th Baronet, MC, PC , JP was a senior Unionist politician in Northern Ireland....
, Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
politician and SpeakerSpeaker (politics)The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Northern Ireland House of Commons for 23 years (b.18941894 in Ireland-Events:* The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom William Ewart Gladstone retires from politics. In his career he introduced land reform to Ireland and also attempted to grant Home Rule.* The first meeting of the Irish Trade Union Congress takes place....
). - 5 May - Bobby SandsBobby SandsRobert Gerard "Bobby" Sands was an Irish volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and member of the United Kingdom Parliament who died on hunger strike while imprisoned in HM Prison Maze....
, Provisional Irish Republican ArmyProvisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
volunteerVolunteer (Irish republican)Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
and MP who died on hunger strikeHunger strikeA hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
(b.19541954 in Northern Ireland-Events:* April 6 - Flags and Emblems Act is introduced, making it illegal to interfere with the display of a Union Flag and giving the Royal Ulster Constabulary the right to remove any other flag or emblem if it is thought that it might lead to a breach of peace.* June 12 - An IRA unit carries...
). - 8 July - Joe McDonnell, volunteerVolunteer (Irish republican)Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
in the Provisional Irish Republican ArmyProvisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
, who died in the 1981 Irish hunger strike1981 Irish hunger strikeThe 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during The Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government withdrew Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary prisoners...
(b.19511951 in Northern Ireland-Events:*2 February - Éamon de Valera visits Newry for the first time since his arrest there in 1924.*17 March -Free Presbyterian Church formed in Crossgar Co...
). - 2 August - Kieran DohertyKieran DohertyKieran Doherty TD was an Irish republican hunger striker, Teachta Dála and a volunteer in the Belfast Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army ....
, Irish republicanIrish RepublicanismIrish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
hunger strikeHunger strikeA hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
r and volunteerVolunteer (Irish republican)Volunteer, often abbreviated Vol., is a term used by a number of Irish republican paramilitary organisations to describe their members. Among these have been the various forms of the Irish Republican Army and the Irish National Liberation Army...
in the Provisional Irish Republican ArmyProvisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(b.19551955 in Northern Ireland-Football:*Irish League*Irish Cup-Births:*11 January - Brian Gregory, footballer.*20 January - Joe Doherty, former volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army.*25 February - Davy Hyland, former Sinn Féin, now independent, MLA....
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Full date unknown
- Muriel BrandtMuriel BrandtMuriel Brandt was an Irish artist. She studied at the Belfast College of Art and at the Royal College of Art in London, where she was elected Associate Royal College of Art in 1937...
, artist (b.19091909 in Ireland-Events:*31 October - The Royal University of Ireland is dissolved.*14 December - In the large hall of the National University in Dublin, Ernest Shackleton delivers a lecture entitled 'Nearest the South Pole.'...
) - Jackie VernonJackie Vernon (footballer)John Joseph Vernon also referred to as Jackie Vernon, is a former Irish footballer who played for, amongst others, Belfast Celtic and West Bromwich Albion. Vernon was a dual international and played for both Ireland teams - the IFA XI and the FAI XI...
, footballer (b.19181918 in Ireland-Events:*January 18 - Count Plunkett, Seán T. O'Kelly and others protest at the forcible feeding of Sinn Féin prisoners in Mountjoy Prison.*March 2 - In Skibbereen, County Cork Ernest Blythe is arrested for non-compliance with a military rule directing him to reside in Ulster.*March 6 - In the...
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