1980 in Northern Ireland

Events during the year 1980 in Northern Ireland.

Incumbents

 * Secretary of State - Humphrey Atkins

Events

 * 1 January – First national anti-H-Block march.
 * 27 October – Seven Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoners go on hunger strike in Long Kesh.
 * 8 December – Taoiseach Charles Haughey meets with the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at Dublin Castle, the first visit by a British prime minister since independence.
 * 15 December – Thirty more IRA prisoners join the hunger strike.
 * 18 December – Hunger striker Sean McKenna critically ill. Belief that settlement is imminent brings an end to the hunger strike.
 * Work begins on the building of the Foyle Bridge in Derry.
 * W. A. McCutcheon's official survey The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland is published.

Arts and literature

 * 23 September – Field Day Theatre Company presents its first production, the premiere of Brian Friel's Translations at the Guildhall, Derry.
 * Crescent Arts Centre is founded in Belfast.
 * Annual Enniskillen Drama Festival revived.
 * Ron Hutchinson's The Irish Play is first performed, in London.
 * Medbh McGuckian publishes the first collections of her poems in two pamphlets, Portrait of Joanna and Single Ladies: Sixteen Poems and wins an Eric Gregory Award.
 * Bernard MacLaverty publishes his novel Lamb.

Boxing

 * Hugh Russell wins Flyweight Bronze medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Football

 * Irish League
 * Winners: Linfield


 * Irish Cup
 * Winners: Linfield 2 – 0 Crusaders

Motorcycling

 * Robert Dunlop makes first appearance at the Cookstown 100.

Births

 * 7 January – Zöe Salmon, Blue Peter presenter and former Miss Northern Ireland in 1999.
 * 17 January – Gareth McLearnon, flautist.
 * 11 February – Cormac McAnallen, Tyrone Gaelic footballer (died 2004).
 * 3 April – Adrian McCoubrey, cricketer.
 * 14 April – Grant McCann, footballer.
 * 11 June – Pete Snodden, radio DJ.
 * 3 July – Andrew White, cricketer.
 * 9 July – Michael Ingham, footballer.
 * 23 September – Malachi Cush, singer-songwriter.
 * 6 October – Stephen Carson, footballer.

Deaths

 * 5 July – A. J. Potter, composer (born 1918).
 * 22 November – Norah McGuinness, artist (born 1901).

Full date unknown

 * Ronnie Bunting, Official IRA member and a founder member of the Irish National Liberation Army, assassinated.
 * Sam Cree, playwright (born 1928).
 * Jimmy McCambridge, footballer (born 1905).
 * Johnny McKenna, footballer (born 1926).