1973 in Northern Ireland explained

Events during the year 1973 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State - Francis Pym

Events

• 8 March – Northern Ireland sovereignty referendum (the "Border Poll"): 98.9% of those voting in the province want Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom. Turnout is 58.7%, although less than 1% for Catholics.^[1]
• 20 March – A UK government White Paper on Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Constitutional Proposals, proposes the re-establishment of an Assembly elected by proportional representation, with a possible All-Ireland council.
• 2 April – Special Powers Act 1922 is replaced by the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act^[2] abolishing the death penalty for murder in Northern Ireland and establishing the Diplock courts.
• 28 June – Northern Ireland Assembly election.^[2]
• 18 July – The office of Governor of Northern Ireland, at this time held by The Lord Grey of Naunton, is abolished under Section 32 of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act.^[3] The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, a UK cabinet office created in 1972, takes over the functions of the Governor on 20 December 1973 under Letters patent.
• 31 July – Militant protesters of Ian Paisley disrupt the first sitting of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
• 28 August (12:01 AM) – A Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb blows up the monument to the Rev. George Walker (died 1690) on Derry city walls.^[4]
• 1 November – James Flanagan, first and only Roman Catholic Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, replaces Graham Shillington.
• 9 December – The Sunningdale Agreement is signed by British Prime Minister Edward Heath, Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, Brian Faulkner, Gerry Fitt and Oliver Napier.

Sport

Football

• Irish League

Winners: Crusaders

• Irish Cup

Winners: Glentoran 3 – 2 Linfield

Births

• 26 January – Brendan Rodgers, footballer and manager.
• 2 March – Peter Hutton, footballer.
• 17 March – David McCann, professional road bicycle racer.
• 16 July – Juliet Turner, singer.
• 20 August – Stephen Nolan, radio and television presenter.
• 12 November – Chris Walker, footballer.

Full date unknown

• Philip McGuigan, Sinn Féin councillor and former MLA.

Deaths

• 19 January – Max Adrian, actor (born 1903).
• 8 April – E. R. Dodds, classical scholar (born 1893).
• 9 April – Warren Lewis, soldier and historian, brother of C. S. Lewis (born 1895).
• 21 May – Eugene O'Callaghan, Bishop of Clogher 1943–1969 (born 1888).
• 22 May – Harry Baird, footballer (born 1913).
• 18 August – Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough, Ulster Unionist Party MP, third Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (born 1888).
• 15 September – Tommy Herron, prominent member of the Ulster Defence Association.
• Paddy Wilson, SDLP politician (born 1933).

See also

• 1973 in Scotland
• 1973 in Wales

Notes and References

1. News: Northern Ireland votes for union. On This Day. BBC News. 9 March 1973. 19 June 2012.
2. Web site: Larkspirit Irish History . Larkspirit . https://web.archive.org/web/20090423022915/http://larkspirit.com/history/chronology.html . 23 April 2009.
3. Book: A New History of Ireland. Theodore William. Moody. Francis. John. 1976. 978-0-19-821745-9.
4. News: Siege hero Walker felled in midnight blast. Derry Journal. 2 July 2010. https://archive.today/20130121110610/http://www.derryjournal.com/news/local/siege-hero-walker-felled-in-midnight-blast-1-2147025. dead. 21 January 2013. 1 August 2012.