1980 in Northern Ireland
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Incumbents
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
- Winners: Linfield
Motorcycling
- Robert Dunlop makes first appearance at the Cookstown 100.
Births
- 17 January - Gareth McLearnon, flautist.
- 11 February - Cormac McAnallen, Tyrone Gaelic footballer (died 2004).
- 6 March - Ross Mawhinney, radio DJ.
- 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.
- 11 September - Gerard McCabe, actor.
- 23 September - Malachi Cush, singer/songwriter.
- 6 October - Stephen Carson, soccer player.
Full date unknown
- Gerard McKeown, performance poet.
- Zöe Salmon, Blue Peter presenter and former Miss Northern Ireland in 1999.
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, soccer player (born 1905).
- Johnny McKenna, footballer (born 1926).