1880 in Wales

← 1879 1878 1877 1880 in Wales → 1881 1882 1883
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1880 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1880 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales — Edward Albert, son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
• Princess of Wales — Alexandra of Denmark
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales — Clwydfardd

Events

• 25 February — The Resurgam, an early mechanically-powered submarine, sinks off Rhyl.
• 10 March — Six miners are killed in an accident at the Bedwellty Colliery, Tredegar.
• 29 April — At the United Kingdom general election, Wales elects 28 Liberal MPs. David Davies, Llandinam, is returned unopposed as member for Cardigan.
• 17 June — Rebuilt Holyhead railway station and inner harbour officially opened.
• 15 July — 120 miners are killed in an accident at the Risca Colliery.
• 3 August — Nine miners are killed in an accident at the Bersham Colliery in Wrexham.
• 10 December — 101 miners are killed in an accident at the Penygraig Colliery, Rhondda.

Arts and literature

• Beriah Gwynfe Evans' Owain Glyndwr, one of the first full-length plays in the Welsh language, is first performed at Llanberis.

Awards

National Eisteddfod of Wales held at Caernarfon (first "official" National Eisteddfod)

• Chair - W. B. Joseph
• Crown - Ellis Roberts (Elis Wyn o Wyrfai)

New books

• Sir William Boyd Dawkins — Early Man in Britain and his place in the Tertiary Period
• Amy Dillwyn — The Rebecca Rioter

Music

• Joseph Parry — Emmanuel (cantata)

Sport

• Football — The Druids of Rhiwabon win the Welsh Cup for the first time.
• Rugby union — Cwmbran RFC and Crumlin RFC are founded.
• Yachting — Penarth Yacht Club is founded as Penarth Boat Club.

Births

• 31 January — Phil Hopkins, Wales international rugby player (died 1966)
• 12 February — William Joseph Rhys, writer (died 1967)
• 17 March — Harry Grindell Matthews, inventor (died 1941)
• 8 April — Thomas Thomas, boxing champion (died 1911)
• 19 April — Jack Jenkins, Wales international rugby player (died 1971)
• 30 April — George Maitland Lloyd Davies, pacifist (died 1949)
• 9 May — Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden, patron of the arts (died 1946)
• 11 May — David Davies, 1st Baron Davies, politician (died 1944)
• 22 May
  • Dr Teddy Morgan, Wales international rugby player (died 1947)
  • Robert John Rowlands ('Meuryn'), journalist and poet (died 1967)
• 31 May — Edward Tegla Davies, author (died 1967)
• 22 June — Rhys Gabe, rugby player (died 1967)
• 2 September — Isaac Daniel Hooson, poet (died 1948)
• 15 September — William Charles Williams, VC recipient (died 1915)
• 20 September — Ernie Jenkins, Wales international rugby player (died 1958)

Deaths

• 6 January — John Thomas ('Minimus'), minister and author, 71
• 2 March — Charles Meredith, Tasmanian politician, 68
• 12 April — Thomas Joseph Brown, Roman Catholic bishop (b. 1796)
• 23 April — Robert Thomas ('Ap Vychan'), minister and writer, 70
• 10 May — David Charles II, hymn-writer, 76?
• 30 August — Mordecai Jones, industrialist, 67