1998 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1998 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

*Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
*Princess of Wales - "vacant"
*Secretary of State for Wales - Alun Michael
*Archbishop of Wales - Alwyn Rice Jones

Events

*Government of Wales Act 1998
*February - Britain's first official register of historic landscapes is published by Cadw. It lists 36 landscapes in Wales of outstanding historic interest.
*April 8-9 - Torrential rain over eastern Wales results in widespread flooding.
*June - The Arts Council of Wales publishes its consultation paper "Building A Creative Society".
*"The Times" reports that Welsh Secretary Ron Davies wants to drop the Welsh national flag. Davies is appointed to the highest order of the Gorsedd of the Bards at the 1998 National Eisteddfod in Bridgend, but resigns in October after an "error of judgment" in an incident on Clapham Common.
*October 22-31 - Heavy rainfall across Wales results in river levels rising to warning levels. Flood plains are inundated and there is extensive flooding of houses and other property.
*November 18 - Jon Owen Jones, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales, announces that the Environment Agency has been asked for a report on the October floods.

Arts and literature

*Bryn Terfel gives a recital at Carnegie Hall.

Awards

*National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Bridgend)
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair -
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown -
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Eurig Wyn, "Blodyn Tatws"
*Wales Book of the Year:
**English language:
**Welsh language:

*Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Geraint V. Jones, "Semtecs"

New books

*Gillian Clarke - "Five Fields"
*Rhys Hughes - "Rawhead & Bloody Bones"
*Mario Risoli - "When Pele Broke our Hearts: Wales and the 1958 World Cup"

Film

*Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones star in "The Mask of Zorro".

Welsh language films

*"Bride of War", starring Huw Garmon (in Welsh, English, French, German and Polish).

Music

*Charlotte Church - "Voice of an Angel"
*Melys - "Rumours and Curses"
*Bonnie Tyler - "All in One Voice"

Broadcasting

Welsh-language television

*

English-language television

*

port

*September - At the 1998 Commonwealth Games:
**Kelly Morgan wins the badminton women's singles;
**Iwan Thomas wins the men's 400 metres;
**Desmond Davies wins the men's individual skeet shooting;
**Wales win a total of 15 medals, including the three golds.

Births

*

Deaths

*4 April - Käte Bosse-Griffiths, author
*14 April - Dorothy Squires, singer
*17 May - Hugh Kinsman Cudlipp, journalist
*23 July - R. Tudur Jones, theologian and politician
*3 August - Ronnie Boon, Wales rugby union player
*5 October - Megs Jenkins, actress