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Wednesday 29 March 2023 Dublin: 11°C

# 1983

All time
# doors closed
The year the Archbishop refused to bless the NYC parade due to growing 'IRA influence'
Retired journalist Éanna Brophy recalls a tense wait at the Cathedral doors as the choice of grand marshall prompted controversy.
# RTÉ archive
'Whatever the priest said, I went by': Here's women explaining why they voted for the Eighth Amendment back in 1983
A lot has changed over the last 35 years.
# Eighth Amendment
Nora Owen says she was 'confronted' and 'attacked' in Leinster House during the 1980s abortion debate
Fine Gael women who served as politicians in 1983 joined female politicians from the current Dáil to discuss the Eighth Amendment.
# State Papers
NI Secretary of State referred to Ian Paisley as a 'schizophrenic'
James Prior said the remark during a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Peter Barry in October 1983
# Flashback
Check out this abortion debate between William Binchy and Mary Robinson in 1983
The controversial 8th Amendment has just been passed and two heavyweights from the pro-choice and pro-life sides go head-to-head.
# State Papers 1983
Minister objected to military vehicles factory setting up shop in Ireland in 1983
The Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism Frank Cluskey thought Ireland should take a restrictive attitude to the manufacturing of military equipment in Ireland.
# State Papers
Haughey government decided ministers should get a safe and shredder in their homes
If they required them, that is. The Fine Gael-led coalition tried to get them back in 1983 after they came to power.
# 1983 State Papers
Indira Gandhi sent greetings from the sky to 'friendly people' of Ireland
How nice.
# State Papers
Cornflakes and Ribena among foods banned during Mugabe's 1983 visit to Ireland
State papers have revealed Mrs Mugabe’s dietary requirements.
# State Papers
The ‘Free Nicky Kelly’ fliers found in New York’s subway in 1983
Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald and Minister Michael Noonan also came under considerable pressure from Nobel Peace Prize winner Seán MacBride.
# State Papers 1983
Iran’s ‘championing’ of Bobby Sands in the 1980s was concerning to the Irish Government
Iranian sympathies towards the IRA would not develop beyond a symbolic level, the Irish Government believed, adding that the renaming of the road along side the British Embassy after the hunger striker was not to be taken seriously.
# 1983
Paisley wanted NI families visiting prisoners in Republic to be paid for
Dr Ian Paisley had written on numerous occasions to the Taoiseach about setting up a scheme to help families from Northern Ireland which had loved ones in jail in Ireland.
# Keeping up appearances
The Department of Finance wanted to get rid of the government jet
The Cabinet and the Taoiseach wanted to keep the £2.5 million aeroplane.
# 1983
Govt nervous about British nuclear plans and wanted cover ‘if anything went wrong’
An internal memo from the Department of Foreign Affairs shows the government wanted to “cover themselves in the event of anything going wrong” at Windscale.
# 1983
Haughey believed Jimmy Savile would be a good mediator for Thatcher dealings
A letter in the National Archives reveals details of a meeting between the pair at the Central Remedial Clinic in the 1980s.
# 1983
Government wanted to play down its involvement in Kissinger visit
But he was given an official lunch, multiple tete-a-tetes with the Taoiseach and security detail.
# Abortion
Bishops given copy of Attorney General's advice ahead of 1983 referendum
The Bishop of Clonfert was also given unfettered access to the Attorney General in the lead up to the abortion referendum.
# 1983
Changes to prison accommodation rules raised concerns about homosexuality
There were “obvious objections to having two prisoners in one cell – the most common objection being that it facilitates homosexuality”.
# State Papers
Haughey sought military advice on a common defence plan for Ireland and the UK
State Papers show he planned to ‘bait’ Margaret Thatcher into talks on reunification using the plan.
# State Papers
How's your memory? Do you recall how much a round of drinks was in 1983?
Let’s look at a government bill from when Robert Mugabe visited this island.
# State Papers
Maze prisoners badly treated by 'out of control' officers after IRA escape
One prisoner lost his front teeth, reveals secret documents held in the Department of the Taoiseach.
# 1983
RTÉ refused an exemption on Sinn Féin broadcast ban
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs wanted to allow the broadcaster to interview Sinn Féin representatives during the British elections in 1983 – but he wanted something in return.
# State Papers
This underwear ad in the RTÉ Guide caused a bit of a stir in 1978
In the late 70s and early 80s, there were also a number of complaints about about inappropriate content in men’s magazines.
# 1983
Cost of Margaret Thatcher's helicopter created headaches for govt departments
Departments conversed internally about who should pay the cost which reached more than £8,000.
# State Papers
Ex-senior garda advised Taoiseach not to appoint an 'outsider' as commissioner
With the gardaí in crisis after the retirement of its two most senior officers over the phone tapping scandal, one former officer had some advice for Garret FitzGerald.
# State Papers 1983
George H.W. Bush wanted to have a 'word in Thatcher's ear'
The then-US Vice President wanted to influence Anglo-Irish relations, but timing prevented it.
# State Papers 1983
Six detained air force officers caused significant tension for Mugabe’s visit to Ireland
It was a hot topic of discussion whether Taoiseach Fitzgerald should raise the issue of the detained air force officers with Mugabe during his visit.
# State Papers 1983
It would be deemed an “unfortunate event” if Mugabe was harmed on state visit to Ireland
A 1980s state paper advised the Department of Justice to increase security as it would not look good for the country if he was harmed while visiting Ireland.
# State Papers
TDs worried about impact Dáil TV and radio broadcasts would have on their dignity
Here’s how the current Ceann Comhairle, Seán Barrett, played a key role in opening-up the Dáil to broadcasters.
# Back To The Future
The 30-year-old documents that unintentionally planned for Ireland's IMF bailout
“The increase…would also increase the amount of IMF credit potentially available to Ireland should circumstances ever arise…”
# 1983
History lesson: What happened during the 1983 abortion referendum?
Using first-hand materials gathered from the National Archives, we take a look at what happened before and after the contentious vote in 1983.
# 1983
The Attorney General's advice NOT to introduce 'pro-life' constitutional amendment
17 extracts from Peter Sutherland’s advice which predicted many of the issues Ireland has seen over the past 30 years.
# State Papers
Phone tapping: Papers reveal garda commissioner's belief that he had no choice but to retire
The Fine Gael-led government’s insistence in 1983 that two senior garda officers were not forced to retire over the phone tapping scandal is at odds with State papers released this month.
# 1983
'Ireland's Watergate': How the phone tapping scandal would lead to Haughey's downfall... eventually
What was the phone tapping scandal? TheJournal.ie takes a step back in time and examines what was arguably the biggest political scandal in Irish history that would have consequences far beyond 1983.
# brian stack
Shatter: IRA needs to cooperate with Garda investigation into prison officer killing
Gerry Adams confirmed earlier today that the IRA was responsible for the shooting dead of Brian Stack thirty years ago.
# Comeback
Guess who's back? Redknapp returns as Bournemouth advisor
The manager is back at the club where he began his coaching career in 1983.