1983 in Northern Ireland
Encyclopedia
Events
- 23 May - The Bushmills Distillery in County AntrimCounty AntrimCounty Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
celebrates its 350th anniversary. - 30 May - The inaugural meeting of the New Ireland ForumNew Ireland ForumThe New Ireland Forum was a forum in 1983–84 at which Irish nationalist political parties discussed potential political developments that might alleviate the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The Forum was established by Garret FitzGerald, then Taoiseach, under the influence of John Hume. The Forum was...
takes place at Dublin CastleDublin CastleDublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
. - 10 June - Gerry AdamsGerry AdamsGerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
of Sinn FéinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
is elected the new 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,...
for West 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...
. - 25 September - Maze Prison escapeMaze Prison escapeThe Maze Prison escape took place on 25 September 1983 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. HM Prison Maze was a maximum security prison considered to be one of the most escape-proof prisons in Europe, and held prisoners convicted of taking part in armed paramilitary campaigns during the Troubles...
: 38 prisoners hijack a lorry and escape from HM Prison Maze; one guard dies of a heart attack and twenty others are injured. Nineteen of the prisoners are later apprehended. - 21 November - Three elders shot dead during service in DarkleyDarkleyDarkley is a small village and townland near Keady in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 282 people.- History :Historically Darkley was a mill village and produced linen....
Pentecostal Church, County ArmaghCounty Armagh-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
. The shooting was claimed by the Catholic Reaction ForceCatholic Reaction ForceThe name Catholic Reaction Force was used to claim responsibility for attacks and threats against Protestants in Northern Ireland during "The Troubles". In 1983 it claimed responsibility for shooting dead three Protestant civilians at a church service near Darkley, County Armagh. That was claimed...
. - The airfield at Sydenham, Belfast is opened as the Belfast Harbour AirportGeorge Best Belfast City AirportGeorge Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Situated adjacent to the Port of Belfast it is from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Short Brothers/Bombardier aircraft manufacturing facility...
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Football
- Irish League
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- Winners: LinfieldLinfield F.C.Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
- Winners: Linfield
- 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: 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...
1 - 1, 2 - 1 LinfieldLinfield F.C.Linfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
- Winners: Glentoran
- Pat JenningsPat JenningsPatrick Anthony "Pat" Jennings OBE is a Northern Ireland former football player. He played 119 games for Northern Ireland as a goalkeeper, a figure which at the time was a world record and is still a Northern Ireland record, in an international career which lasted for over 22 years...
becomes the first footballer to play in 1,000 Football League matches.
Births
- 2 February - Bridget McKeeverBridget McKeeverBridget McKeever is a field hockey midfielder and defender from Northern Ireland, who made her international debut for the Ireland Women's National Team in 2003 against Japan.-International Senior Tournaments:...
, international hockey player. - 24 April - Patrick MaguirePatrick MaguirePatrick J. Maguire was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. A medical practitioner, he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for the Monaghan constituency at the 1948 general election, and was re-elected at the 1951 general election. He did not contest the 1954 general election.-References:...
, Legend. - 9 May - Alan CampbellAlan Campbell (sculler)Alan Campbell is a British scullerCampbell started rowing for his school, Coleraine Academical Institution for Boys, in Northern Ireland before moving to London and joining the Tideway Scullers School....
, sculler. - 17 June - Connie FisherConnie FisherConnie Fisher is a Welsh actress and singer, who won the BBC One talent contest, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?...
, actress and singer.
Deaths
- 20 April - Sarah MakemSarah MakemSarah Makem a native of Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, was a traditional Irish singer.She was the wife of fiddler Peter Makem, mother of musicians Tommy Makem and Jack Makem, and grandmother of musicians Shane Makem, Conor Makem and Rory Makem...
, traditional singer (b.19001900 in Ireland-Events:*January 16 — Three lion cubs reared by an Irish red setter go on view at Dublin Zoo.*January 17 — The different sections of the Nationalist Party meet in the Dublin Mansion House's Oak Room to promote national unity....
). - 4 July - John Bodkin AdamsJohn Bodkin AdamsJohn Bodkin Adams was an Irish-born British general practitioner, convicted fraudster and suspected serial killer. Between the years 1946 and 1956, more than 160 of his patients died in suspicious circumstances. Of these, 132 left him money or items in their will. He was tried and acquitted for...
, general practitionerGeneral practitionerA general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
in EastbourneEastbourneEastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
cleared of murdering one of his patients (b.18991899 in Ireland-Events:*6 September - The foundation stone of St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast is laid by the Countess of Shaftesbury.*The Second Boer War begins in South Africa...
). - 21 August - Francis Evans, British diplomat (b.18971897 in Ireland-Arts and literature:* Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula, is published for the first time.* Amanda McKittrick Ros publishes Irene Iddesleigh.-Football:*International*Irish Cup-Births:*1 March - Robert Bowers, cricketer ....
). - 15 November - John ReaJohn Rea (musician)John Rea was a hammered dulcimer player from Glenarm in County Antrim, Ireland.Born in 1915 , John was the youngest of ten children. His six older brothers were all taught to play the fiddle by his father...
, hammered dulcimerHammered dulcimerThe hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the hammered dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings...
player. - 23 December - Colin MiddletonColin MiddletonColin Middleton MBE was an Irish artist and surrealist.Middleton was born in 1910 in Belfast. He trained at Belfast College of Art, he was heavily influenced by the work of Vincent van Gogh. He regarded himself as the only surrealist working in Ireland in the 1930s.His work first appeared at the...
, artist (b.19101910 in Ireland-Events:*8 January - Sinéad Flanagan marries Éamon de Valera in Dublin.*21 February - Irish Unionist members of the Westminster Parliament elect Sir Edward Carson as party leader, replacing Walter Long....
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