1973 in Northern Ireland
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Events during the year 1973 in Northern Ireland.
Incumbents
Events
- January – The Orange Standard newspaper is launched.[1]
- 8 March – Northern Ireland sovereignty referendum (the "Border Poll"): 98.9% of those voting in the province want Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom. Turnout is 58.7%, although less than 1% for Catholics.[2]
- 20 March – A UK government White Paper on Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Constitutional Proposals, proposes the re-establishment of an Assembly elected by proportional representation, with a possible All-Ireland council.
- 2 April – Special Powers Act 1922 is replaced by the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act[3] abolishing the death penalty for murder in Northern Ireland and establishing the Diplock courts.
- 28 June – Northern Ireland Assembly election.[3]
- 18 July – The office of Governor of Northern Ireland, at this time held by The Lord Grey of Naunton, is abolished under Section 32 of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act.[4] The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, a UK cabinet office created in 1972, takes over the functions of the Governor on 20 December 1973 under Letters patent.
- 31 July – Militant protesters of Ian Paisley disrupt the first sitting of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
- 28 August (12:01 AM) – A Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb blows up the monument to the Rev. George Walker (died 1690) on Derry city walls.[5]
- 1 November – James Flanagan, first and only Roman Catholic Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, replaces Graham Shillington.
- 9 December – The Sunningdale Agreement is signed by British Prime Minister Edward Heath, Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave, Brian Faulkner, Gerry Fitt and Oliver Napier.
Sport
Football
- Winners: Crusaders
Births
- 26 January – Brendan Rodgers, footballer and manager.
- 2 March – Peter Hutton, footballer.
- 17 March – David McCann, professional road bicycle racer.
- 16 July – Juliet Turner, singer.
- 20 August – Stephen Nolan, radio and television presenter.
- 12 November – Chris Walker, footballer.
Full date unknown
- Philip McGuigan, Sinn Féin councillor and former MLA.
Deaths
- 19 January – Max Adrian, actor (born 1903).
- 8 April – E. R. Dodds, classical scholar (born 1893).
- 9 April – Warren Lewis, soldier and historian, brother of C. S. Lewis (born 1895).
- 21 May – Eugene O'Callaghan, Bishop of Clogher 1943–1969 (born 1888).
- 22 May – Harry Baird, footballer (born 1913).
- 18 August – Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough, Ulster Unionist Party MP, third Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (born 1888).
- 15 September – Tommy Herron, prominent member of the Ulster Defence Association.
- Paddy Wilson, SDLP politician (born 1933).
See also
References
- ↑ "Orange Standard Archives | Museum of Orange Heritage". Museum. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- ↑ "Northern Ireland votes for union". On This Day. BBC News. 9 March 1973. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
- 1 2 "Larkspirit Irish History". Larkspirit. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009.
- ↑ Moody, Theodore William; John, Francis (1976). A New History of Ireland. ISBN 978-0-19-821745-9.
- ↑ "Siege hero Walker felled in midnight blast". Derry Journal. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
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