1998 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1998 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Secretary of State for Wales
- *Ron Davies
- *Alun Michael
- Archbishop of Wales – Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dafydd Rowlands
Events
- 24 February – The Criminal Cases Review Commission overturns the murder charge of Mahmood Hussein Mattan, who was executed in 1952 for killing a Cardiff shopkeeper.
- February – Britain's first official register of historic landscapes is published by Cadw. It lists 36 landscapes in Wales of outstanding historic interest.
- 6 March – Flintshire Bridge is officially opened.
- 8–9 April – Torrential rain over eastern Wales results in widespread flooding.
- 13 April – Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Öpik is seriously injured in a paragliding accident in his constituency.
- May – Cistercian Way long-distance trail originates.
- June – The Arts Council of Wales publishes its consultation paper Building A Creative Society.
- 31 July – The Government of Wales Act 1998, that will establish a devolved Welsh Assembly, receives its Royal Assent.
- August – Ron Davies is appointed to the highest order of the Gorsedd of the Bards at the 1998 National Eisteddfod in Bridgend.
- 19 September – Ron Davies is elected in preference to Rhodri Morgan as Labour's candidate for First Secretary of the Assembly.
- 22–31 October – Heavy rainfall across Wales results in river levels rising to warning levels. Flood plains are inundated and there is extensive flooding of houses and other property.
- 27 October – Ron Davies resigns as Secretary of State for Wales after being mugged in an incident on Clapham Common, following what he described as an "error of judgment".
- 18 November – Jon Owen Jones, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales, announces that the Environment Agency has been asked for a report on the October floods.
- November – Maenofferen slate quarry at Blaenau Ffestiniog ceases production.
Arts and literature
- Bryn Terfel gives a recital at Carnegie Hall.
Awards
- Glyndŵr Award – Iwan Bala
- National Eisteddfod of Wales
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – withheld
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Emyr Lewis, "Rhyddid"
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Eurig Wyn, Blodyn Tatws
- Wales Book of the Year:
- *English language: Mike Jenkins – Wanting to Belong
- *Welsh language: Iwan Llwyd – Dan Ddylanwad
- Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Geraint V. Jones, ''Semtecs''
New books
English language
- Gillian Clarke – Five Fields
- James Hawes – Rancid Aluminium
- Rhys Hughes – Rawhead & Bloody Bones
- Mario Risoli – When Pele Broke our Hearts: Wales and the 1958 World Cup
- Sarah Waters – ''Tipping the Velvet''
Welsh language
- Dafydd Huws – Dyddiadur Dyn Dŵad
- Huw Ethall – ''Pennar Davies: Y Dyn a'i Waith''
Film
- Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones star in The Mask of Zorro.
Welsh language films
- Bride of War, starring Huw Garmon.
Music
- Indie music band Terris are formed in Newport.
- Anweledig – Sombreros yn y Glaw
- Charlotte Church – Voice of an Angel
- Melys – Rumours and Curses
- Bonnie Tyler – ''All in One Voice''
Broadcasting
Welsh-language television
- November – A new digital channel is launched, broadcasting in Welsh for twelve hours a day.
Sport
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Iwan Thomas
- Commonwealth Games – September
- *Kelly Morgan wins the badminton women's singles;
- *Iwan Thomas wins the men's 400 metres;
- *Desmond Davies wins the men's individual skeet shooting;
- *Wales win a total of 15 medals, including the three golds.
- Snooker
- *8 February – Mark Williams wins his first Masters title.
Births
- 12 March – Will Jones, rugby player
- 5 June – Dafydd Jones, footballer
- 18 December – Cameron Coxe, footballer
- 25 December – Will Griffiths, rugby player
- 29 December – Mark Harris, footballer
Deaths
- 3 January – Tony Duncan, golfer and cricketer, 83
- 18 February – Robbie James, footballer, 40
- 1 April – Mary Wynne Warner, mathematician, 65
- 2 April – Dai Davies, trade unionist, 88
- 4 April – Käte Bosse-Griffiths, author, 87
- 14 April – Dorothy Squires, singer, 83
- 11 May – Vronwy Hankey, archaeologist, 81
- 13 May – Arthur Rees, Wales international rugby player and police Chief Constable, 85
- 17 May – Hugh Cudlipp, journalist, 84
- 5 July – James Eirian Davies, minister and poet, 80
- 23 July – R. Tudur Jones, theologian and politician, 77
- 28 July – Nancy Evans, table tennis player, 95
- 3 August – Ronnie Boon, Wales rugby union player, 89
- 12 September – Horace Charles Jones, poet, 92
- 5 October – Megs Jenkins, actress, 81
- 31 October – Eddie Perry, footballer, 89
- 16 December – Kenyon Jones, rugby player, 87
- 16 December – Tommy Davies, boxer, 78
- 31 December – Alan Morris, footballer, 44