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The 22nd Dáil was dissolved, at the end of January, after the Fine GaelLabour coalition narrowly lost the vote on its latest Budget. The Charles Haughey-led Fianna Fáil won the ensuing general election the following month, with Mr Haughey taking over as Taoiseach. President Patrick Hillery dissolved the 23rd Dáil in early November, after a vote of noconfidence, with Garret FitzGerald’s Fine Gael emerging as the largest party in the November election. The drama didn’t end there with Patrick Connolly resigning from his role as Attorney General after on-the-run double murderer Malcolm MacArthur was found hiding out in his residence. The fall-out from the AG’s link to the case led to Conor Cruise-O’Brien coining the acronym GUBU – based on then-Taoiseach Charles Haughey’s summing up of events as ‘grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented’ – to describe notorious scandals, political or otherwise. Elsewhere, Grafton Street was pedestrianised and a new £50 note was designed and circulated. The DeLorean Motor Company factory in Belfast went into receivership. SPORT. Italy re-emerged as a footballing power by winning the World Cup – beating (West) Germany, Argentina and hot favourites Brazil along the way. Kerry were denied a fifth consecutive All Ireland Football title, famously being beaten by Offaly in the final. Kilkenny won the hurling. The San Francisco 49ers won their first Superbowl. Aston Villa beat Bayern
Munich to win the European Cup. Tottenham Hotspur win their second consecutive FA Cup. In golf, John O’Leary wins the Irish Open. Jimmy Connors beats John McEnroe in a classic Wimbledon men’s final. WORLD NEWS. The IRA carried out two of its most famous atrocities in Hyde Park and Regent’s Park in London. The Commodore 64 home computer is launched. The first computer virus is found. Freddie Laker’s Laker Airways collapses with debts of nearly $300m. Danish socialite Claus von Bulow is found guilty of the attempted murder of his wife. Pope John Paul II visits Britain, the first such visit by a reigning Pope. Channel 4 is launched in the UK, with quiz show Countdown its first programme to be aired. Yuri Andropov became the new leader of the then Soviet Union. China’s official population tops the one billion mark. Ciabatta bread is ‘invented’ by a baker in Verona. The first Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) protest at the RAF’s Greenham Common base in England takes place. Britain’s Prince William is born. Britain defeats Argentina in the Falklands War. The first compact disc-format albums are released and Sony launches the first CD player. Helmut Kohl is elected German chancellor. Ford replaces its popular Cortina model with the Sierra. FILM. Chariots of Fire was the big winner at the Oscars, but the year also saw huge earners like ET, Tootsie, Blade Runner, Gandhi, and 48 Hours. MUSIC. ABBA made their final appearance on UK television show The Late Late Breakfast Show. Michael Jackson followed up his breakthrough solo album, Off the Wall, with the mega-seller Thriller. Rock group Kiss releases Creatures of the Night, its last album before taking off its trademark face paint. Germany wins the Eurovision Song Contest. The year was 1982
IRELAND. As well as a severe cold snap and heavy snow, it was the year of two general elections and three governments with Charles Haughey’s near 10-month tenure as Taoiseach bookended by two terms for Garret FitzGerald. The year also saw Labour leader Michael O’Leary start out as Tanaiste and finish up having defected to Fine Gael.
Senior Times l May - June 2020 l www.seniortimes.ie 29
