Events during the year 1981 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

* Secretary of State - Humphrey Atkins (until 14 September), Jim Prior (from 14 September)

Events

*16 January - Northern Ireland civil rights campaigner and former Westminster MP,

Bernadette McAliskey Josephine Bernadette McAliskey (née Devlin; born 23 April 1947), usually known as Bernadette Devlin or Bernadette McAliskey, is an Irish civil rights leader, and former politician. She served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Mid Ulster in North ...

is shot and injured by Loyalist paramilitaries at her home in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. *21 January - The first

DMC DeLorean The DMC DeLorean is a rear-engine two-passenger sports car manufactured and marketed by John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) for the American market from 1981 until 1983—ultimately the only car brought to market by the fledgling comp ...

sports car is produced in

Dunmurry Dunmurry (; ) is an urban townland in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Dunmurry is in the Collin electoral ward for the local government district of Belfast City Council. History Until the end of the 18th century, Dunmurry was largely an agricultura ...

. *6 February - Attacks on shipping in Lough Foyle (1981-1982): Liverpool-registered coal ship ''Nellie M'' is bombed and sunk by a Provisional Irish Republican Army unit using a hijacked pilot boat in

Lough Foyle Lough Foyle, sometimes Loch Foyle ( or "loch of the lip"), is the estuary of the River Foyle, on the north coast of Ireland. It lies between County Londonderry in Northern Ireland and County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Sovereignty over ...

. *1 March - Bobby Sands begins the

1981 Irish hunger strike The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during the Troubles by Irish republicanism, Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government ...

in the

Maze Prison Her Majesty's Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as The Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house alleged paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to Sept ...

(Long Kesh) near

Lisburn Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...

. *9 April - Bobby Sands is elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. *5 May - Bobby Sands dies on the 66th day of his hunger strike in the Maze Prison. *12 May **Hunger striker

Francis Hughes Francis Joseph Sean Hughes (28 February 1956 – 12 May 1981) was a volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) from Bellaghy, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Hughes was the most wanted man in Northern Ireland until his ar ...

, previously the most wanted man in the North, dies on the 59th day of his hunger strike in the Maze Prison (joined hunger strike March 15). **A British Army

sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...

kills

Irish National Liberation Army The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA, ga, Arm Saoirse Náisiúnta na hÉireann) is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group formed on 10 December 1974, during the 30-year period of conflict known as "the Troubles". The group seek ...

member Emmanuel McClarnon from the top of

Divis Tower Divis Tower is a 20-floor, tall tower in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is located in Divis Street, which is the lower section of the Falls Road. It is currently the fifteenth-tallest building in Belfast. History The tower was built in 1966 ...

. *21 May -

Raymond McCreesh Raymond McCreesh ( ga, Réamonn Mac Raois, 25 February 1957 – 21 May 1981) was an Irish volunteer in the South Armagh Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). In 1976, he and two other IRA volunteers were captured while attemp ...

and Patsy O'Hara both die on the 61st day of their hunger strike in the Maze Prison (joined hunger strike March 22). *2 June - Completion of

St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast St Anne's Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is a Church of Ireland cathedral in Donegall Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is unusual in serving two separate dioceses ( Connor and Down and Dromore). It is the focal point of Belfas ...

, after 82 years. *11 June - Hunger striker

Kieran Doherty Kieran Doherty may refer to: *Kieran Doherty (hunger striker) Kieran Doherty (16 October 1955 – 2 August 1981) was an Irish republican hunger striker and politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency from ...

is elected Teachta Dála (TD) for

Cavan–Monaghan Cavan Monaghan (known as Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan until 2007) is a township in Peterborough County in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, southwest of the city of Peterborough. History The original townships of Cavan and Monaghan were survey ...

Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...

in the

1981 Irish general election The 1981 Irish general election to the 22nd Dáil was held on Thursday, 11 June, following the dissolution of the 21st Dáil on 21 May by President Patrick Hillery on the request of Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The general election took place ...

. *8 July - Hunger striker Joe McDonnell of the Provisional IRA dies (joined hunger strike May 9). *13 July - Hunger striker

Martin Hurson Edward Martin Hurson (13 September 1956 – 13 July 1981) was an Irish Republican Hunger Striker and a Volunteer in the East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Background Martin Hurson, from Cappagh, County Tyro ...

dies (joined hunger strike May 29). *1 August - Hunger striker Kevin Lynch dies (joined hunger strike May 23). *2 August - Hunger striker

, TD, dies on the 73rd day of his hunger strike (joined hunger strike May 22). *8 August - Hunger striker

Thomas McElwee Thomas McElwee (30 November 1957 – 8 August 1981) was an Irish republican who participated in the 1981 hunger strike and a volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). From Bellaghy, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, he di ...

dies (joined hunger strike June 8). *20 August - Hunger striker Micky Devine dies (joined hunger strike June 22). *3 October - Hunger strike officially ends. *22 October – The case of ''

Dudgeon v United Kingdom ''Dudgeon v the United Kingdom'' (1981) was a European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case, which held that Section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 which criminalised male homosexual acts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland violate ...

'' is decided by the European Court of Human Rights, which rules that the continued existence of laws in Northern Ireland criminalising consensual

gay sex Gay sexual practices are sexual activities involving men who have sex with men (MSM), regardless of their sexual orientation or sexual identity. These practices can include anal sex, non-penetrative sex, and oral sex. Evidence shows that sex betw ...

is in contravention of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Arts and literature

Sport

Football

* Irish League ::Winners: Glentoran * Irish Cup ::Winners: Ballymena United 1 - 0

Glenavon Glenavon Football Club is a Northern Irish semi-professional football club that competes in the NIFL Premiership. Founded in 1889, the club hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park. Club colours are blue and white. Gar ...

Motorcycling

Robert Dunlop Stephen Robert Dunlop (25 November 1960 – 15 May 2008) was a Northern Irish motorcycle racer, the younger brother of fellow road racer, the late Joey Dunlop, and the father of William Dunlop and Michael Dunlop. Like Joey, Robert died after ...

enters his first professional race, where he was fully sponsored, at

Aghadowey Aghadowey ()Placenames NI
Warren Feeney Warren James Feeney (born 17 January 1981) is a football manager and former Northern Ireland international footballer, who is currently manager of Welling United. In making his debut for the Northern Ireland national team, he became the third ...

, footballer. *20 January - Christine Bleakley, television presenter. *20 January -

Nathan Connolly Nathan Connolly (born 20 January 1981) is a Northern Irish musician, who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for alternative rock band Snow Patrol. Early life Connolly, who was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, sang for a ...

, musician with

Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, ...

. *16 March -

Andrew Bree Andrew Patrick Bree (born 16 March 1981) is a breaststroke swimmer from Helen's Bay, County Down, Northern Ireland. He is a two-time Olympian, having swum at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics for Ireland. He also represented Northern Ireland four times ...

, Irish swimmer *27 March - Terry McFlynn, footballer. *31 March -

Gerard McCarthy Gerard McCarthy (born 31 March 1981) is an actor from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Biography McCarthy was born in Belfast and attended St. Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School. They came out as non-binary in 2022 & now use they/them pronou ...

, actor. *23 April -

Jenny McDonough Jenny McDonough (born 23 April 1981), also known as Jenny McAuley, is a former Ireland women's field hockey international. Between 2001 and 2009 she made 117 senior appearances for Ireland. She has also played for Belfast Harlequins in the Wome ...

, hockey player. *29 April - George McCartney, footballer. *17 July -

Andy Maxwell Andy Maxwell may refer to: * Andy Maxwell (rugby union, born 1951) Andrew William Maxwell (3 March 1951 - 19 January 2013) was an English rugby union international. Born in West Kirby, Maxwell attended Calday Grange Grammar School and played f ...

, rugby player. *10 September -

Alan Blayney Alan Blayney (born 9 October 1981) is a professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was recognised at the IFA Premiership and Irish Cup several times. He is now the first team goalkeeper coach at NIFL Premiership side Larne. Club c ...

, footballer. *31 October - Liam McKenna, singer ( Six).

Full date unknown

Lucy Caldwell Lucy Caldwell (born 1981) is a Northern Irish playwright and novelist. She was the winner of the 2021 BBC National Short Story Award. Biography Born in Belfast in 1981 in what she later described as into one of the darkest and most turbulent y ...

, playwright and novelist.

Deaths

*21 January - Norman Stronge, Ulster Unionist Party politician and Speaker of the

Northern Ireland House of Commons The House of Commons of Northern Ireland was the lower house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created under the ''Government of Ireland Act 1920''. The upper house in the bicameral parliament was called the Senate. It was abolished wit ...

for 23 years (born

1894 Events January–March * January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire. * January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United S ...

). *5 May - Bobby Sands MP, volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (born

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

; died in

). *8 July - Joe McDonnell, volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (born

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

; died in

). *2 August -

TD, volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (born

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

; died in

Full date unknown

Muriel Brandt Muriel Brandt (16 January 1909 - 10 June 1981) was an Irish artist known for her portraiture and murals. Early life and family Muriel Brandt was born Muriel McKinley in Colenso Parade, Belfast on 16 January 1909. Her parents were Florence Ann ...

, artist (born

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Januar ...

). *

Séamus Ó Néill Séamus Ó Néill, (died 1981), was an Irish writer from Clarkhill, Castlewellan, County Down, Ireland. Following a primary degree from Queen's University, Belfast, he did historical research under Eoin MacNeill at University College, Dublin. ...

, writer (born

1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...

). * Jackie Vernon, footballer (born

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

References

{{reflist Northern Ireland

Incumbents

Events

Arts and literature

Sport

Football

Motorcycling

Full date unknown

Deaths

Full date unknown

See also

References