1983 in Northern Ireland

* 1982
* 1981
* 1980
*   *

|  | 1983

Northern Ireland |

* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
*   *

|
|
|

Centuries:|

*   *   * 20th
* 21st

Decades:|

* 1960s
* 1970s
* 1980s
* 1990s
* 2000s

See also:|

* 1983 in the United Kingdom
* 1983 in Ireland
* Other events of 1983
* List of years in Northern Ireland

Events during the year 1983 in Northern Ireland.

## Incumbents

[edit]

* Secretary of State \- Jim Prior

## Events

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* 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

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* 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

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### Football

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* 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

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

## Births

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* 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

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* 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

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* 1983 in England
* 1983 in Scotland
* 1983 in Wales

## References

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1. ^ "Airport History". George Best Belfast City Airport. Archived from the original on 2011-10-12. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
2. ^ "Larkspirit Irish History". Archived from the original on 2007-07-04.