1998 in Wales
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| See also: | List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history
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This article is about the particular significance of the year 1998 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Prince of Wales – Charles
- Princess of Wales – vacant
- Secretary of State for Wales
- Ron Davies (until 27 October)
- Alun Michael
- Archbishop of Wales – Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dafydd Rowlands
Events
- February 24 - The Criminal Cases Review Commission overturns the murder charge of Mahmood Hussein Mattan, who was executed in 1952 for killing a Cardiff shopkeeper.
- February - Britain's first official register of historic landscapes is published by Cadw. It lists 36 landscapes in Wales of outstanding historic interest.
- March 6 - Flintshire Bridge is officially opened.
- April 8-9 - Torrential rain over eastern Wales results in widespread flooding.
- April 13 - Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Öpik is seriously injured in a paragliding accident in his constituency.[1]
- June - The Arts Council of Wales publishes its consultation paper Building A Creative Society.
- Ron Davies is appointed to the highest order of the Gorsedd of the Bards at the 1998 National Eisteddfod in Bridgend
- July 31 - The Government of Wales Act 1998, that will establish a devolved Welsh Assembly, receives its Royal Assent.
- September 19 - Ron Davies is elected in preference to Rhodri Morgan as Labour's candidate for First Secretary of the Assembly.
- October 22-31 - Heavy rainfall across Wales results in river levels rising to warning levels. Flood plains are inundated and there is extensive flooding of houses and other property.
- October 27 - Ron Davies resigns as Secretary of State for Wales after being mugged in an incident on Clapham Common, following what he described as an "error of judgment".
- November 18 - Jon Owen Jones, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales, announces that the Environment Agency has been asked for a report on the October floods.
Arts and literature
- Bryn Terfel gives a recital at Carnegie Hall.
Awards
- Glyndŵr Award - Iwan Bala
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Bridgend)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - withheld
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Emyr Lewis
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Eurig Wyn, Blodyn Tatws
- Wales Book of the Year:
- English language: Mike Jenkins - Wanting to Belong
- Welsh language: Iwan Llwyd - Dan Ddylanwad
- Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Geraint V. Jones, Semtecs
New books
- Gillian Clarke - Five Fields
- James Hawes - Rancid Aluminium
- Rhys Hughes - Rawhead & Bloody Bones
- Mario Risoli - When Pele Broke our Hearts: Wales and the 1958 World Cup
- Sarah Waters - Tipping the Velvet
Film
- Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones star in The Mask of Zorro.
Welsh language films
- Bride of War, starring Huw Garmon (in Welsh, English, French, German and Polish).
Music
- Anweledig - Sombreros yn y Glaw
- Charlotte Church - Voice of an Angel
- Melys - Rumours and Curses
- Bonnie Tyler - All in One Voice
Broadcasting
Welsh-language television
English-language television
Sport
- September - At the 1998 Commonwealth Games:
- Kelly Morgan wins the badminton women's singles;
- Iwan Thomas wins the men's 400 metres;
- Desmond Davies wins the men's individual skeet shooting;
- Wales win a total of 15 medals, including the three golds.
Births
Deaths
- 3 January - Tony Duncan, golfer and cricketer, 83
- 18 February - Robbie James, footballer, 40 (collapsed and died during match)[2]
- 2 April - Dai Davies, trade unionist
- 4 April - Käte Bosse-Griffiths, author, 87
- 14 April - Dorothy Squires, singer, 83
- 11 May - Vronwy Hankey, archaeologist, 81
- 13 May - Arthur Rees, Wales international rugby player and police Chief Constable, 85
- 17 May - Hugh Cudlipp, journalist, 84
- 23 July - R. Tudur Jones, theologian and politician, 77
- 28 July - Nancy Evans, table tennis player, 95
- 3 August - Ronnie Boon, Wales rugby union player, 89
- 12 September - Horace Charles Jones, poet, 92
- 5 October - Megs Jenkins, actress, 81
- November - Eddie Perry, footballer, 89
- 16 December - Kenyon Jones, rugby player, 87
- 31 December - Alan Morris, footballer, 44
- December - Tommy Davies, boxer, 78
References
- ^ Higgit, D. (27 August 2005). "The day my life changed". Western Standard. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
- ^ Ivan Ponting (21 February 1998). "Obituary: Robbie James". The Independent. Retrieved 25 November 2010.