1981 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1981 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

 * Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards
 * Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor
 * Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
 * Geraint (outgoing)
 * Jâms Nicholas (incoming)

Events

 * January - First phase of St. David's Shopping Centre, Cardiff, opens to the public.
 * 26 March - Roy Jenkins co-founds the Social Democratic Party (UK) in London. Welsh Labour MPs defecting to the new party are: Tom Ellis (Wrexham), Ednyfed Hudson Davies (Caerphilly) and Jeffrey Thomas (Abertillery).
 * 24 February - Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer.
 * 5 April - UK census: Results reveal that the percentage of Welsh language speakers has fallen to an all-time low of 18.9% of the Welsh population and Gwynedd is the only Welsh county with a Welsh-speaking majority.
 * 11 June - Britain's first Urban Enterprise Zone is created in Lower Swansea Valley.
 * 29 July - Wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
 * November - Joan Ruddock becomes Chair of CND.
 * Independent film company Teliesyn begins producing programmes for S4C, BBC Wales and HTV.

Arts and literature

 * 6 June - The Alarm play their first gig under their new name, at the Victoria Hotel, Prestatyn.
 * Theatre Wales is established.
 * Harry Secombe receives a knighthood.

Awards

 * National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Machynlleth)
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - John Gwilym Jones, "Y Frwydr"
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Siôn Aled, "Wynebau"
 * National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - John Griffith Jones, "Cysgodion ar y Pared"

English language

 * Clive Jenkins & Barrie Sherman - The Leisure Shock
 * Eiluned Lewis - The Old Home
 * Kenneth O. Morgan - Rebirth of a Nation: Wales 1880-1980
 * R. S. Thomas - Between Here and Now

Welsh language

 * Irma Chilton - Y Cwlwm Gwaed
 * Eigra Lewis Roberts - Merch yr oriau mawr

Drama

 * J. R. Evans - Brawd am Byth

Music

 * Dafydd Iwan - "Yma o Hyd"
 * Daniel Jones - Symphony no. 10
 * William Mathias - Let the people praise Thee, O God

English-language films

 * The Mouse and the Woman, starring Huw Ceredig.
 * Dragonslayer, with exterior scenes filmed in Wales.

English-language television

 * 4 March–29 April – The Life and Times of David Lloyd George, written by Elaine Morgan and starring Philip Madoc (BBC Wales)
 * 24 September–18 December – Taff Acre (Harlech Television)

Welsh-language television

 * Croeso i S4C, presented by Owen Edwards

Sport

 * BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – John Toshack
 * Boxing - Neville Meade becomes British heavyweight champion.
 * Football - Neville Southall joins Everton F.C.

Births

 * 12 January – Sarah Thomas, field hockey player
 * 13 March – Ryan Jones, rugby player
 * 17 March - Leigh De-Vulgt, footballer
 * 28 March – Gareth David-Lloyd, actor
 * 6 April – Robert Earnshaw, footballer
 * 23 May – Gwenno Saunders, singer
 * 24 May – Darren Moss, footballer
 * 25 May – Huw Stephens, radio and TV presenter
 * 18 November – Sian Reese-Williams, actress
 * 19 November – Mark Wallace, cricketer
 * 16 December – Gareth Williams Scottish-Welsh footballer

Deaths

 * January - Leslie Jones, footballer, 69
 * March - Dai Francis, miners' leader
 * 1 March - Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, theologian, 81
 * 8 March - Nigel Birch, Baron Rhyl, politician, 74
 * 3 April - Will Owen, miner and politician, 80
 * 13 April - Gwyn Thomas, author, 67
 * 15 May - J. E. Meredith, Presbyterian minister and writer, 76
 * 16 June - Billy Hughes, footballer, 63
 * 17 June - Ike Fowler, dual-code international rugby union player, 86
 * 23 July - Goronwy Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts, politician, 67
 * 6 August - George Lewis, footballer, 67
 * 18 September - Brinley Richards, poet, author and archdruid
 * 30 September - Roy John, Wales and British Lions international rugby union player, 55
 * 25 December - Tom Griffiths, Welsh international footballer, 75