1980 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1980 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

*Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
*Princess of Wales - "vacant"
*Secretary of State for Wales - Nicholas Edwards
*Archbishop of Wales - Gwilym Owen Williams
*Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Geraint

Events

*2 January - Workers at British Steel go on strike over pay.
*May - Plaid Cymru leader Gwynfor Evans announces his intention to go on hunger strike in protest against the government's failure to honour its promise of a fourth Welsh-language television channel. The government backs down on September 17, a few weeks before Evans's deadline.
*8 June - Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches for the last time, at Barcombe Baptist Chapel.
*John Maddox becomes editor of "Nature".
*The Church in Wales votes to ordain women deacons.

Arts and literature

*Richard Burton makes one of his last stage appearances, in the musical "Camelot".
*Michael Bogdanov becomes Associate Director of the Royal National Theatre.
*Bobi Jones is appointed to the professorial Chair in Welsh at University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Awards

*National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Gorseinon)

*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Donald Evans
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Donald Evans
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - R. Gerallt Jones

New books

*Irma Chilton - "Yr Iâr Goch"
*D. Tecwyn Lloyd - "Bore Da, Lloyd"
*Alan Wilson - "Arthur, King of Glamorgan and Gwent"

Music

*Edward H. Dafis - "Plant Y Fflam" (album)

Works of art

*Andrew Vicari - "La Marianne"

Film

*"The Mouse and the Woman", based on a novel by Dylan Thomas, written by Vincent Kane and directed by Karl Francis, co-stars Huw Ceredig, Beti Lloyd-Jones and Dafydd Hywel.

Welsh-language films

*"None"

Broadcasting

Welsh-language television

*

English-language television

*Ruth Madoc stars in the hit sitcom "Hi-de-Hi!"

port

*Boxing
**February 28 - Johnny Owen defeats Juan Francisco Rodriguez at Ebbw Vale to win the European bantamweight championship.
**June 28 - Johnny Owen defeats John Feeny at the Empire Pool, Wembley.
**September 19 - Johnny Owen fights Lupe Pintor in Los Angeles. Owen is knocked out and goes into a coma from which he never emerges, being pronounced dead on November 4.
*Rugby union
**Fifteen Welsh players are included in the squad of 38 for the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa: Elgan Rees, Ray Gravell, David Richards, Peter Morgan, Gareth Davies, Terry Holmes, Clive Williams, Ian Stephens, Graham Price, Alan Phillips, Allan Martin, Jeff Squire, Stuart Lane, Derek Quinnell and Gareth Powell Williams.
**October 18 - November 1: 1980 New Zealand rugby union tour of Wales
***November 1: Wales 3-23 New Zealand

Births

*23 March - Ryan Day, snooker player
*29 March - Andy Scott-Lee, singer
*29 June - Katherine Jenkins, singer
*28 July - Noel Sullivan, pop singer
*19 August - Paul Parry, footballer
*20 August - Enzo Maccarinelli, boxer
*17 November - Gethin Jenkins, rugby player
*"date unknown" - Catrin Finch, harpist

Deaths

*14 May - Hugh Griffith, actor
*15 September - Bill Evans, American jazz pianist of Welsh descent
*4 November - Johnny Owen, boxer
*26 November - Rachel Roberts, actress
*"date unknown"
**Caradog Prichard, author
**Aneirin Talfan Davies, BBC executive