1983 in Northern Ireland explained

Events during the year 1983 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State - Jim Prior

Events

• 7 February - The airfield at Sydenham, Belfast, reopens to commercial flights as Belfast Harbour Airport.^[1]
• 23 May - The Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim celebrates its 375th anniversary.
• 30 May - The inaugural meeting of the New Ireland Forum takes place at Dublin Castle.
• 10 June - Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin is elected the new Member of Parliament for West Belfast.
• 25 September - Maze Prison escape: 38 prisoners, using guns, escape from HM Prison Maze in the largest prison escape in U.K. history; one guard dies of a heart attack and twenty others are injured. Nineteen of the prisoners are apprehended within three days.
• 21 November - Three elders are shot dead during a service in Darkley Pentecostal Church, County Armagh. The shooting is claimed by the Catholic Reaction Force.^[2]

Arts and literature

• 15 May - Charabanc Theatre Company's first production, Lay Up Your Ends, written by Martin Lynch with Marie Jones and other members of the company, is premiered at The Arts Theatre, Belfast.
• 9 November - Christina Reid's first play, Tea In A China Cup, is premiered at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast.
• Bernard MacLaverty's novel Cal is published.

Sport

Football

• Irish League

Winners: Linfield

• Irish Cup

Winners: Glentoran 1 - 1, 2 - 1 Linfield

• Pat Jennings becomes the first footballer to play in 1,000 Football League matches.

Motorcycling

• Robert Dunlop wins Newcomers 350cc Isle of Man TT race.

Births

• 17 January - Christopher Stalford, MLA (died 2022)
• 2 February - Bridget McKeever, international hockey player.
• 9 May - Alan Campbell, sculler.
• 17 June - Connie Fisher, actress and singer.
• 5 December - Samantha Lewthwaite, Islamic terrorist.

Deaths

• 20 April - Sarah Makem, traditional singer (born 1900).
• 4 July - John Bodkin Adams, general practitioner in Eastbourne cleared of murdering one of his patients (born 1899).
• 21 August - Francis Evans, British diplomat (born 1897).
• 21 September - F. S. L. Lyons, historian and academic (born 1923).
• 15 November - John Rea, hammered dulcimer player.
• 23 December - Colin Middleton, artist (born 1910).

See also

• 1983 in England
• 1983 in Scotland
• 1983 in Wales

Notes and References

1. Web site: Airport History . George Best Belfast City Airport . 2012-04-04 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111012191943/http://belfastcityairport.com/About-Us/Airport-Development-and-Planning/facts-and-figures.aspx . 2011-10-12 .
2. Web site: Larkspirit Irish History . https://web.archive.org/web/20070704030438/http://larkspirit.com/history/chronology.html . 2007-07-04.