1980 in Wales

1980 in Wales

Other years

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1980 in: The United Kingdom • Ireland

Other events of 1980

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1980 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
• Princess of Wales - vacant
• Secretary of State for Wales - Nicholas Edwards
• Archbishop of Wales - Gwilym Owen Williams
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Geraint

Events

• 2 January - Workers at British Steel go on strike over pay.
• May - Plaid Cymru leader Gwynfor Evans announces his intention to go on hunger strike in protest against the government's failure to honour its promise of a fourth Welsh-language television channel. The government backs down on September 17, a few weeks before Evans's deadline.
• 8 June - Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches for the last time, at Barcombe Baptist Chapel.
• John Maddox becomes editor of Nature.
• The Church in Wales votes to ordain women deacons.

Arts and literature

• Richard Burton makes one of his last stage appearances, in the musical Camelot.
• Michael Bogdanov becomes Associate Director of the Royal National Theatre.
• Bobi Jones is appointed to the professorial Chair in Welsh at University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Gorseinon)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Donald Evans
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Donald Evans
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - R. Gerallt Jones

New books

• Irma Chilton - Yr Iâr Goch
• D. Tecwyn Lloyd - Bore Da, Lloyd
• Alan Wilson - Arthur, King of Glamorgan and Gwent

Music

• Edward H. Dafis - Plant Y Fflam (album)

Works of art

• Andrew Vicari - La Marianne

Film

• The Mouse and the Woman, based on a novel by Dylan Thomas, written by Vincent Kane and directed by Karl Francis, co-stars Huw Ceredig, Beti Lloyd-Jones and Dafydd Hywel.

Broadcasting

English-language television

• Ruth Madoc stars in the hit sitcom Hi-de-Hi!

Sport

• Boxing
  • 28 February - Johnny Owen defeats Juan Francisco Rodriguez at Ebbw Vale to win the European bantamweight championship.
  • 28 June - Johnny Owen defeats John Feeny at the Empire Pool, Wembley.
  • 19 September - Johnny Owen fights Lupe Pintor in Los Angeles. Owen is knocked out and goes into a coma from which he never emerges, being pronounced dead on 4 November.
• Rugby union
  • Fifteen Welsh players are included in the squad of 38 for the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa: Elgan Rees, Ray Gravell, David Richards, Peter Morgan, Gareth Davies, Terry Holmes, Clive Williams, Ian Stephens, Graham Price, Alan Phillips, Allan Martin, Jeff Squire, Stuart Lane, Derek Quinnell and Gareth Powell Williams.
  • 18 October - 1 November: 1980 New Zealand rugby union tour of Wales
    • 1 November: Wales 3-23 New Zealand

Births

• 23 March - Ryan Day, snooker player
• 29 March - Andy Scott-Lee, singer
• 29 June - Katherine Jenkins, singer
• 28 July - Noel Sullivan, pop singer
• 13 August - Bari Morgan, footballer
• 19 August - Paul Parry, footballer
• 20 August - Enzo Maccarinelli, boxer
• 17 November - Gethin Jenkins, rugby player
• 16 December - Kevin Aherne-Evans, footballer
• date unknown - Catrin Finch, harpist

Deaths

• 25 February - Caradog Prichard, author
• 14 May - Hugh Griffith, actor
• 4 June - Don Tarr, Wales international rugby player
• 15 September - Bill Evans, American jazz pianist of Welsh descent
• 4 November - Johnny Owen, boxer
• 26 November - Rachel Roberts, actress
• date unknown - Aneirin Talfan Davies, BBC executive