1973 in Northern Ireland

← 1972 1971 1970 1973 in Northern Ireland → 1974 1975 1976
Centuries:	20th 21st
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	1973 in the United Kingdom 1973 in Ireland Other events of 1973 List of years in Northern Ireland

Incumbents

• Monarch - Elizabeth II

Events

• 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.^[1]
• 20 March - A U.K. 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 of 1922 is replaced by the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act^[2] abolishing the death penalty for murder in Northern Ireland and establishing the Diplock courts.
• 28 June - Northern Ireland Assembly election.^[2]
• 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.^[3] 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.^[4]
• 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

• Irish League

Winners: Crusaders

• Irish Cup

Winners: Glentoran 3 - 2 Linfield

Births

• 26 January - Brendan Rodgers, footballer & manager.
• 2 March - Peter Hutton, footballer.
• 17 March - David McCann, professional road bicycle racer.
• 12 November - Chris Walker, footballer.

Full date unknown

• Philip McGuigan, Sinn Féin councillor and former MLA.
• Stephen Nolan, radio and television presenter.

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).

References