1983 in Ireland

← 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1983 in Ireland → 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
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See also:	1983 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1983 List of years in Ireland

Events from the year1983 in Ireland.

Incumbents

• President:Patrick Hillery
• Taoiseach:Garret FitzGerald(FG)
• Tánaiste:Dick Spring(Lab)
• Minister for Finance:Alan Dukes(FG)
• Chief Justice:Tom O'Higgins
• Dáil:24th
• Seanad:17th(from 23 February 1983)

Events

• January – The satirical magazineThe Phoenixwas launched.
• 19 January – The government confirmed that theGarda Síochánabugged politicians' and journalists' telephones.
• 8 February – A motion calling for the resignation ofCharles Haugheyas leader failed after a 12-hourFianna Fáilmeeting.
• 9 February – The racehorseShergarwas kidnapped from Ballymany Stud inCounty Kildare.
• 14 April – The inaugural meeting ofAosdána,an affiliation of creative artists, took place in the Old Parliament Building inDublin.
• 23 April – While more than 50 illegalpirate radiostations were broadcasting in Ireland, a Government memorandum described how their signals were interfering seriously with ambulance, fire brigade and police radio systems, airport traffic systems, and legitimate radio and television reception throughout the country. The document also referred to complaints received from other countries. The following month, equipment was seized fromRadio Nova,Kiss FM and Radio Sunshine. Equipment was also removed from Community Radio 257 inPortmarnockin December.
• 25 April – Two thousand people demonstrated in Dublin against the proposed Pro-Life Amendment Bill (abortion).
• 18 May – Officials raided sites used by unlicensed operator Radio Nova in Dublin.
• 20 May – The funeral took place of formerTánaiste,Frank Aiken,in his nativeCamlough.
• 23 May – TheBushmills DistilleryinCounty Antrimcelebrated its 350th anniversary.
• 27 May – A Mexican jet stranded for five weeks atMallow Racecoursedeparted.
• 30 May – The inaugural meeting of theNew Ireland Forumtook place atDublin Castle.
• 10 June –Gerry AdamsofSinn Féinwas elected the newMember of ParliamentforWest Belfast.
• 4 July – United States Vice PresidentGeorge Bushand his wifeBarbarapaid a one-day visit to Dublin. TheTaoiseach,Garret FitzGerald,hosted a lunch in his honour at the State Apartments in Dublin Castle.

Memorial to the 1983 drowning victims at Doolin

• 31 July – Eight young men attending theLisdoonvarnamusic festival drowned while swimming atDoolin.
• September – The Prime Minister of Zimbabwe,Robert Mugabe,paid a three-day state visit to Ireland with his wife,Sally.A guard of honour from the 5th Infantry Battalion greeted him at Dublin Airport, and the Army No. 1 Band played. The Taoiseach, Garret Fitzgerald, hosted a lunch in his honour atIveagh House,and a banquet was held in Dublin Castle. Mugabe met BishopDonal LamontatMaynooth Collegeon 9 September.
• 8 September – The referendum on theconstitutional amendment in relation to abortionwas carried by a two-to-one majority. This created equal constitutional recognition of the right to life of a pregnant woman and of herembryoorfoetus.
• 16 September – The Government banned the Soviet airline,Aeroflot,from landing atShannon Airportat the request of the President of the United States,Ronald Reagan,following the shooting down by the Soviet Union ofKorean Air Lines Flight 007with the loss of all 269 passengers and crew.
• 20 September – Leading politicians paid tribute to former TánaisteGeorge Colley(who died in a London hospital) as he was buried.
• 25 September –Maze Prison escape:38Provisional Irish Republican Armyprisoners with arms escaped fromHM Prison Mazein County Antrim.
• 1 October – TheConcordesupersonic airliner paid its first visit toDublin Airport.The landing of theAir Franceplane was watched by a large crowd from the observation deck on the roof of the terminal building. The flight came to bring passengers to Paris to see a horse race, thePrix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
• 5 October – The first stretch ofmotorwayin theRepublic of Irelandwas opened – the eight-kilometreNaasbypass on theN7national primary route.
• 25 November –Quinnsworthsupermarket executive Don Tidey was kidnapped outside his home in Dublin by the Provisional IRA.
• 3 December –PresidentPatrick Hillerywas elected unopposed to his second and final seven-yearterm of office.
• 16 December – Don Tidey was rescued inCounty Leitrim.A soldier,Private Patrick Kelly,andGardarecruit,Gary Sheehan,were killed by the Provisional IRA during the rescue.

Arts and literature

• 10 July –The Lark in the Parkconcert inSaint Anne's ParkinRahenyfeatured performers theRhythm Kings,Some Kind of Wonderful, andThe Blades.
• 14 August – a concert was held at thePhoenix Park Racecoursein Dublin headlined byU2and supported byBig Country,Eurythmics,Perfect Crime,Simple Minds,andSteel Pulse.
• August – Dorothy Nelson was awarded theRooney Prize for Irish Literaturefor her novelIn Night's City.
• 29 September –Tom Murphy's playThe Gigli Concertopened at theAbbey Theatre,Dublin.
• Shaun Davey's orchestralsuiteforuilleann pipesThe Pilgrimwas first performed and recorded.
• Brendan Kennelly's poem sequenceCromwellwas published.

Sport

Association football

• Irelandrecorded their biggest win in a full international by beatingMalta8–0 on 16 November in aEuro84qualifier atDalymount Parkin Dublin.

Athletics

• RunnerEamonn Coghlanwon the5,000-metregold medal at the World Championships in Helsinki.
• The inaugural Women's Mini Marathon took place in Dublin on 12 June 1983 with 9,000 participants.

Gaelic football

• Dublin GAAwon theAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Golf

• The Irish Openwas won bySeve Ballesteros(Spain).

Horse racing

• Stanerrabecomes the first European-trained racehorse to win theJapan Cup.

Hurling

• Kilkenny GAAwon theAll-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.

Births

• 4 January –Kerry Condon,actress.
• 8 January –Jon Daly,soccer player.
• 15 January –Keith Fahey,soccer player.
• 18 January –Samantha Mumba,singer and actress.
• 8 February –John Gardiner,Corkhurler.
• 15 February –Martin Coleman Jnr,Corkhurler.
• 21 February –Eoin Macken,actor
• 22 February –Kieran Murphy (Sarsfields hurler),Corkand Sarsfields hurler.
• 1 March –Niall Moran,Limerickhurler.
• 9 March –Randal Plunkett, 21st Baron of Dunsany,filmmaker and landowner.
• 15 March –Neale Richmond,Fine Gaelpolitician, member ofSeanad Éireann.
• 16 March –Katie Kim,singer-songwriter
• 18 March –Setanta Ó hAilpín,Corkhurler and Australian Rules footballer.
• 22 March –Kenny Carroll,cricketer.
• 31 March –Paddy McCarthy,soccer player.
• 15 April –Eoghan McDermott,broadcast presenter.
• 20 April –Joanne King,actress.
• 7 May –Joanne McNally,comedian
• 12 May –Domhnall Gleeson,actor
• 18 May –Sean Thornton,soccer player.
• 27 May –Tommy Walsh,Kilkennyhurler.
• 10 June –Ger Farragher,Galwayhurler.
• 19 June –Aidan Turner,actor.
• 7 July –Ciara Newell,singer-songwriter.
• 24 July –Joy Neville,rugby union international and referee.
• 28 July –Stephen Paisley,soccer player.
• 30 July –Sean Dillon,soccer player.
• 7 August –Patrick McWalter,soccer player.
• 13 August –Graham Gartland,soccer player.
• 6 September –Stephen Kelly,soccer player.
• 7 September –Philip Deignan,road racing cyclist.
• 10 September –Brian O Donoghue,GalwayGaelic footballer.
• 12 September –Carly Smithson,singer
• 16 September –Wayne Henderson,soccer player.
• 18 September –Kevin Doyle,soccer player
• 21 September –Sarah Rees Brennan,Irish novelist
• 4 October –Éamon Zayed,soccer player.
• 10 October –Daryl McMahon,soccer player.
• 22 October –Tomás O'Leary,rugby union scrum-half.
• 24 October –Katie McGrath,actress.
• 25 October –Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin,singer,Rose of Traleein 2005.
• 27 October –Stephen Hiney,Dublinhurler.
• 31 October –Katy French,model and socialite (died 2007).
• 28 November –Peter Hynes,soccer player.
• 28 November –Mick Flannery,folk music singer-songwriter.
• 29 December –Cian O'Connor,Corkhurler.

Full date unknown

• Linda Bhreathnach,actress.
• Philip Brennan,Dublinhurler.
• Thomas Gernon,winner of the MillenniumYoung Scientist and Technology Exhibition (Ireland).
• Daráine Mulvihill,television personality.
• Kieran Murphy,Corkand Erin's Own hurler.
• James O'Brien,Limerickhurler.

Deaths

• 30 January –Alan Cunningham,soldier noted for victories in theEast African Campaignduring theSecond World War(born 1887).
• 8 February –Reginald N. Webster,businessman in America andThoroughbredracehorseowner (born 1898).
• 16 March –Francis Connell,cricketer (born 1902).
• 20 March –Sheila Galvin,Fianna FáilTD(born 1914).
• 25 March –Constantine Fitzgibbon,historian and novelist (born 1919).
• 20 April –Sarah Makem,traditional singer (born 1900).
• 6 May –Mícheál Ó Móráin,Fianna FáilTDand Cabinet Minister (born 1912).
• 18 May –Frank Aiken,Fianna FáilTDand founding member, Cabinet Minister andTánaiste(born 1898).
• 4 July –John Bodkin Adams,general practitionerinEastbournecleared of murdering one of his patients (born 1899).
• 21 August –Francis Evans,British diplomat (born 1897).
• 24 August –Johnny Quirke,Corkhurler(born 1911).
• 17 September –George Colley,Fianna FáilTD,held six Ministerial posts includingTánaiste(born 1925).
• 18 September –Con Lehane,nationalist,member of theIRA Army CouncilandDáilrepresentative (born 1911).
• 24 October –Anthony Barry,businessman,Fine GaelTD,Seanadmember andLord Mayor of Cork(born 1901).
• 28 October –Roderick Gill,cricketer (born 1919).
• 22 November –Leonard Wibberley,author (born 1915).
• 23 December –Colin Middleton,artist (born 1910).

Full date unknown

• Séamus Bhriain Mac Amhlaig, last known speaker of the Antrim dialect of theIrish language.
• David Neligan,policeman, "The Spy in the Castle" forMichael Collins(born 1899).
• Jim Ware,Waterfordhurler (born 1908).

See also

• 1983 in Irish television