1983 in Ireland

Events

*January 19 - The government confirm that the Gardaí were involved in the bugging of politicians and journalists' telephones.
*February 8 - A motion calling for the resignation of Charles Haughey as leader fails after a 12 hour Fianna Fáil meeting.
*February 9 - The racehorse Shergar is kidnapped from Ballymany Stud, County Kildare.
*April 14 - The inaugural meeting of Aosdána, an affiliation of creative artists, takes place in the Old Parliament Building, Dublin.
*April 25 - 2,000 people demonstrate in Dublin against the proposed Pro-Life Amendment Bill.
*May 20 - The funeral takes place of former Tánaiste Frank Aiken.
*May 23 - The Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim celebrates its 350th anniversary.
*May 27 - A Mexican jet stranded for five weeks at Mallow Racecourse departs.
*May 30 - The inaugural meeting of the New Ireland Forum takes place at Dublin Castle.
*June 10 - Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin is elected the new MP for West Belfast.
*September 8 - The referendum on the constitutional amendment in relation to abortion is carried by a two to one majority.
*September 20 - Leading politicians pay tribute to former Tánaiste George Colley as he is laid to rest.
*October 5 - The first stretch of motorway in the Republic was opened; the 8 km Naas bypass on the N7 national primary route.
*November 25 - Quinnsworth executive Don Tidey is kidnapped outside his home in Dublin.
*December 3 - President Patrick Hillery elected unopposed to last seven-year term in office.
*December 16 - Don Tidey is rescued in County Leitrim.

Arts and literature

* Tom Murphy's "The Gigli Concert" is performed at the Abbey Theatre.
* Brendan Kennelly's poem sequence Cromwell is published.

port

Athletics

*Eamonn Coghlan wins the 5000m gold medal at the World Championships in Helsinki.

Gaelic football

*Dublin GAA win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship

Golf

*Carroll's Irish Open is won by Seve Ballesteros (Spain).

Hurling

*Kilkenny GAA win the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship

occer

* The Republic of Ireland record their biggest win in a full international by beating Malta 8-0 in a Euro84 qualifier at Dalymount Park.

Births

January to June

*4 January - Kerry Condon, actress.
*8 January - Jon Daly, soccer player.
*15 January - Keith Fahey, soccer player.
*18 January - Samantha Mumba, singer and actress.
*1 February - Laoise Ní Chárthaigh, Fine Gael National Executive member.
*9 March - Michael Foley, soccer player.
*18 March - Setanta Ó hAilpín, Cork hurler and Australian Rules footballer.
*20 March - Stephen Brennan, soccer player.
*22 March - Kenny Carroll, cricketer.
*31 March - Paddy McCarthy, soccer player.
*8 April - Derek Glynn, soccer player.
*20 April - Joanne King, actress.
*4 May - John Shine, soccer player.
*18 May - Sean Thornton, soccer player.
*27 May - Tommy Walsh, Kilkenny hurler.
*5 June - Glen Lacey, soccer player.
*23 June - Stephen Cooling, soccer player.

July to September

*7 July - Ciara Newell, singer and songwriter.
*21 July - Alan Byrne, soccer player.
*28 July - Stephen Paisley, soccer player.
*30 July - Sean Dillon, soccer player.
*7 August - Patrick McWalter, soccer player.
*13 August - Graham Gartland, soccer player.
*6 September - Stephen Kelly, soccer player.
*7 September - Philip Deignan, road racing cyclist.
*10 September - Brian O Donoghue, Galway Gaelic footballer.
*16 September - Wayne Henderson, soccer player.

October to December

*4 October - Éamon Zayed, soccer player.
*10 October - Daryl McMahon, soccer player.
*22 October - Tomás O'Leary, rugby player.
*28 October - Gavin Whelan, soccer player.
*31 October - Katy French, model and socialite (d.2007).
*28 November - Peter Hynes, soccer player.
*13 December - Mark Rooney, soccer player.
*17 December - Alan Mulcahy, soccer player.

Full date unknown

*Philip Brennan, Dublin hurler.
*Martin Coleman, Jnr, Cork hurler.
*Michael Cussen, Cork hurler.
*Ger Farragher, Galway hurler.
*Mick Flannery, folk music singer and songwriter.
*John Gardiner, Cork hurler.
*Thomas Gernon, winner of the Millennium Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (Ireland).
*Kieran Murphy (Erin's Own), Cork hurler.
*Kieran Murphy (Sarsfield's), Cork hurler.
*James O'Brien, Limerick hurler.
*Cian O'Connor, Cork hurler.
*Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, Rose of Tralee in 2005, singer.
*Michael Prout, Cork Gaelic footballer.

Deaths

January to June

*30 January - Alan Cunningham, soldier noted for victories in the East African Campaign during the Second World War (b.1887).
*8 February - Reginald N. Webster, businessman in America and Thoroughbred racehorse owner (b.1898).
*16 March - Francis Connell, cricketer (b.1902).
*20 March - Sheila Galvin, Fianna Fáil TD (b.1914).
*25 March - Constantine Fitzgibbon, historian and novelist (b.1919).
*20 April - Sarah Makem, traditional singer (b.1900).
*6 May - Micheál Ó Móráin, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister (b.1912).
*18 May - Frank Aiken, Fianna Fáil TD and founding member, Cabinet Minister and Tánaiste (b.1898).

July to December

*4 July - John Bodkin Adams, general practitioner in Eastbourne cleared of murdering one of his patients (b.1899).
*21 August - Francis Evans, British diplomat (b.1897).
*24 August - Johnny Quirke, former Cork hurler (born 1911).
*17 September - George Colley, Fianna Fáil TD, held six Ministerial posts including Tánaiste (b.1925).
*24 October - Anthony Barry, businessman, Fine Gael TD, Seanad member and Lord Mayor of Cork (b.1901).
*28 October - Roderick Gill, cricketer (b.1919).
*22 November - Leonard Wibberley, author (b.1915).
*23 December - Colin Middleton, artist (b.1910).

Full date unknown

*Con Lehane, nationalist, member of the IRA Army Council, and Dáil representative (b.1911).
*David Neligan, policeman, "The Spy in the Castle" for Michael Collins (b.1899).
*Jim Ware, Waterford hurler (b.1908).