1988 in Wales

Centuries:	18th; 19th; 20th; 21st; ;
Decades:	1960s; 1970s; 1980s; 1990s; 2000s;
See also:	List of years in Wales; Timeline of Welsh history 1988 in The United Kingdom England Scotland Elsewhere

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1988 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

14 February - Lynette White is murdered in her Cardiff flat. The case remains controversial for over 20 years.
26 March - The Welsh Ornithological Society is founded at Aberystwyth.^[1]
October - County Hall, Cardiff, officially opened as the headquarters of South Glamorgan County Council beside the disused Bute East Dock in the Atlantic Wharf area of Butetown, Cardiff.
November 4 - British Rail operates the last steam locomotives in its ownership (and its last narrow gauge trains) on the Vale of Rheidol Railway in regular service prior to its privatisation next year (Santa Specials run on December 18).

28–31 May - First Hay Festival of literature held in Hay-on-Wye.
The Gregynog festival is re-launched by Anthony Rolfe Johnson.
The European Centre for Traditional and Regional Cultures opens in Llangollen.
Tom Jones loses a paternity suit and is forced to support a son, Jonathan Berkery.
Independent record label Ankst is formed at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth by Alun Llwyd, Gruffudd Jones and Emyr Glyn Williams.^[2]
This year also sees the foundation of:
- BAFTA Cymru
- Ffilm Cymru (Film Foundation for Wales)
- New Welsh Review

Association football
- April - Newport County A.F.C., one of four Welsh teams in the English Football League, are relegated to the GM Vauxhall Conference.^[3]
Athletics
- Steve Jones becomes the first British competitor to win the New York Marathon.
Rugby union
- Wales top the 1988 Five Nations Championship winning the Triple Crown.
- 18 May to 11 June - Wales tour New Zealand, losing heavily in both Tests to the All Blacks.
Snooker
- Doug Mountjoy wins the UK Open Championship.
- Terry Griffiths is defeated in the final of the 1988 World Snooker Championship by Steve Davis.

January - George Ewart Evans, folklorist and oral historian, 78
26 January - Raymond Williams, writer, 66
2 April - Euros Bowen, poet, 83
April - T. Glynne Davies, poet, novelist and broadcaster, 62
13 May - Elfed Evans, footballer, 61
15 June - David Blackmore, cricketer, 88
8 September - Mel Rosser, dual-code international rugby player, 87
23 September - Arwel Hughes, composer and conductor. 79
12 October - Ruth Manning-Sanders, poet and children's author, 102
11 November - William Ifor Jones, conductor and organist, 88
1 December - Alun Oldfield-Davies, controller of BBC Wales, 83
13 December - Brynmor John, politician, 54
25 December - W. F. Grimes, archaeologist, 83
27 December - Tecwyn Roberts, aerospace engineer, 63
date unknown
- John Gwilym Jones, writer
- John Morgan, journalist
- Ray Price, rugby player, 64 (brain haemorrhage

^ Everett, Mike; Prytherch, Robin (1988). "News and comment". British Birds. 81 (7): 344–347.
^ Adams, Owen (2010-05-06). "Label of love: Ankst". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 9 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-11. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ George, Ricky (2008-01-14). "There's still some steel in Newport County". The Daily Telegraph. London.