1980

Charles Haughey takes centre stage at his first Ard Fheis as Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fail. Hundreds of thousands of PAYE workers march to demand tax reform. It is the biggest demonstration of organised labour in the history of the Irish state. A Dublin court cancels a Boomtown Rats concert because of fears for crowd safety. Singer Bob Geldof rejects the court's decision. The battle goes on for two weeks. The Rats finally play at Leixlip Castle to fourteen thousand fans.....Bob Geldof claims victory. Afghanistan: as the Soviet military occupation continues, US President Carter puts on the pressure. The Moscow Olympic Games are threatened... ...but the International Olympic Committee stands firm. The USA and several other Western nations boycott the Moscow Olympic Games. Eurovision Song Contest: Johnny Logan wins for Ireland with Shay Healy's "What's Another Year?" Derrynaflan: using a metal detector, an amateur archaeologist discovers an eighth century chalice. Irish Television has a new star: Dermot Morgan is 'Father Trendy'. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher flies in for a series of Anglo-Irish talks, described jointly as 'extremely constructive and significant'. London: The SAS end a six- day siege of the Iranian Embassy. They kill four terrorists and free nineteen hostages. The Middle East. An attempted US military rescue of American hostages in Iran ends in disaster. The region grows more unstable as war breaks out between Iran and Iraq. El Salvador: Archbishop Oscar Romero is murdered. He has been an outspoken defender of human rights. His funeral becomes a scene of carnage: 40 people die and 200 are injured. Ireland gets a new drama series and a new sex symbol. Gabriel Byrne wins a Jacob's Award, as do Mick Lally, Marian Finucane and Mike Murphy. But 1980's biggest TV question is: "Who Shot JR?" (Answer: Kirsten, Sue-Ellen's sister) Poland: The workers unite against the Communist government. Lech Walesa leads the trade union 'Solidarity'. Seventeen people die when the Dublin-Cork train is derailed at Buttevant, Co. Cork. Former Beatle John Lennon is murdered in New York. Republican prisoners go on hunger strike in the H Blocks. After the intervention of Catholic clergy, the strike is called off. The prisoners have not won any concessions. When an IRA landmine kills three UDR soldiers, the Troubles' death toll reaches 2,000 Playlist: Abba: I Have A Dream Boomtown Rats: Someone's Looking At You Blondie: Atomic Johnny Logan: What's Another Year ? Nolan Sisters: I'm In The Mood For Dancing The Clash: London Calling Split Enz: I Got You U2- Stories For Boys Brendan Shine: Catch Me If You Can Queen: Another One Bites The Dust Bagatelle: Summer In Dublin. T.R. Dallas: Oh Lord It's Hard To Be Humble Queen: Flash John Lennon: Imagine