# 2002 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2002 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* First Minister – Rhodri Morgan
* Secretary of State for Wales
** Paul Murphy (until 24 October)
** Peter Hain
* Archbishop of Wales – Rowan Williams, Bishop of Monmouth (translated)
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
** Meirion Evans (outgoing)
** Robyn Llŷn (incoming)

## Events

* In the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons poll, those with a Welsh connection who finished in the top 100 were:
** Diana, Princess of Wales – 3
** Elizabeth I of England – 7
** Owain Glyndŵr – 23
** Henry VIII of England – 40
** Aneurin Bevan – 45
** Henry V of England – 72
** Richard Burton – 96
* 14 February – at the Ogmore by-election, the Labour Party candidate Huw Irranca-Davies holds the seat held by Sir Ray Powell until his death
* 13 March – The ferry MS Stena Europe is introduced on the Fishguard–Rosslare route.
* April – Welsh Assembly Government concessionary travel scheme (‘Cerdyn Cymru’) entitles over-60s and registered disabled people to uniform free off-peak travel on all stage carriage bus services.
* May – H & Claire release their debut single.
* May 25 – Jessica Garlick represents the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Estonia.
* June
** Archaeologists discover the Newport ship.
** DNA from the exhumed body of Joe Kappen proves beyond reasonable doubt that he was responsible for the murders of three teenage girls in 1973.
* June 18 – Cowbridge businessman Peter Shaw is kidnapped while working in Tbilisi, Georgia. He is held in brutal conditions until he escapes in November.
* June 28 – David Morris receives four life sentences for the Clydach murders of June 1999. Despite his having been a suspect days after the murder was committed, it had taken police 21 months to arrest and charge him.
* July
** Research reveals that Wales has the highest figures for company failures of any region of the UK.
** Ebbw Vale Steelworks shut down.
* August – "Barney" saves his owners' lives by warning them of a fire at their home in Wrexham.
* August 5 – Rowan Williams is admitted to the Gorsedd of bards.
* October – Archaeological excavations on a Bronze Age site recover the Banc Ty'nddôl sun-disc, one of the earliest gold objects found in Wales.
* October 24 – Paul Murphy is appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

## Arts and literature

* Connie Fisher wins the Wilbert Lloyd Roberts Scholarship in the National Eisteddfod "Songs from the Shows" competition.
* Menna Elfyn is named Poet Laureate for the Children of Wales.

### Awards

* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Myrddin ap Dafydd
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Aled Jones Lewis
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – O! Tyn y Gorchudd – Hunangofiant Rebecca Jones by Angharad Price
* Wales Book of the Year:
** English language: Stevie Davies, The Element of Water
** Welsh language:
* Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Eirug Wyn
* John Tripp Prize for Spoken Poetry – Cliff Forshaw

### New books
#### English language

* Richard J. Evans – Telling Lies About Hitler
* Ken Follett – Hornet Flight
* Steve Jones – Y: The Descent of Men
* Jo Mazelis – Diving Girls
* Jan Morris – A Writer's House in Wales
* Steve Strange – Blitzed! The Autobiography of Steve Strange
* Rachel Trezise – In and Out of the Goldfish Bowl
* Rowan Williams – Arius – Heresy and Tradition

#### Welsh language

* Grahame Davies – Cadwyni Rhyddid
* Angharad Price – O! Tyn y Gorchudd
* Eirug Wyn – Bitsh

### Drama

* Dic Edwards – Franco's Bastard

## Film

* Christian Bale stars in Laurel Canyon.
* Anthony Hopkins plays Hannibal Lecter for the third time, in Red Dragon.

### Welsh-language films

* Gwyfyn.
* Oedd yr Addewid

## Music

* 3SL – "Take it Easy" (single)
* Carreg Lafar – Profiad (album)
* Feeder – Comfort In Sound (album)
* Mclusky – Mclusky Do Dallas
* Bonnie Tyler – Heart & Soul/Heart Strings (album)

## Broadcasting
### English-language television

* Cable TV (chat show with Stuart Cable)

### Welsh-language television

* Gwyfyn

## Sport
### BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year

* Mark Hughes

### 2002 Commonwealth Games

* 25 July to 4 August – At the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the Wales team wins a total of 33 medals: 6 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze.

### Cycling

* Andrew Windsor wins the Welsh National Road Race Championships.

### Football

* John Fashanu becomes Chairman of Barry Town.
* Barry Town are Welsh Cup winners after beating Bangor City 4–1, and win a sixth League of Wales title.
* Winners of the three divisions in the Welsh Football League are: Ton Pentre (Division 1), Garden Village (Division 2) & Newport YMCA (Division 3).
* Welshpool Town are champions of the Cymru Alliance.

### Horse racing

* 27 December – The Welsh National is won by Mini Sensation, ridden by Tony Dobbin.

### Rugby union

* December – Brynmawr RFC and Abertillery RFC withdraw from the Principality Cup, after the Welsh Rugby Union makes an error during the live radio draw for the fifth round.

### Snooker

* 27 January – Paul Hunter wins the Welsh Open tournament in Cardiff.
* 3 March – Mark Williams wins the China Open tournament in Shanghai.
* 15 December – Mark Williams wins his second UK Championship title.

## Births

* 23 February – Emilia Jones, actress, daughter of Aled Jones
* 15 September – Medi Harris, swimmer
* 17 December – Matt Richards, Olympic swimmer (in Worcester)
* 22 December – Emma Finucane, cyclist

## Deaths

* 2 January
** Ian Grist, politician, 63
** Arthur Joseph, cricketer, 82
* 7 January – Jon Lee, rock musician, 33
* 12 January – Moss Evans, trade union leader, 76
* 3 February – Edward Thomas Chapman, Victoria Cross recipient, 82
* 22 February – David James, cricketer, 80
* 7 March – Geoff Charles, photojournalist, 93
* 2 March – Mary Grant Price, costume designer, 85
* 3 March – Bill Hopkin, rugby player, 87
* 6 March – David Jenkins, Librarian of the National Library of Wales 1969–79, 89
* 7 May – Sir Ewart Jones, organic chemist and academic administrator, 91
* 26 September – Willie Davies, Wales international rugby union and league player, 86
* 6 October – Nick Whitehead, athlete, 69
* November – Ernie Jones, footballer, 81/82
* 3 November – Sir John Habakkuk, economic historian, 87
* 20 November – George Guest, organist and choirmaster of St John's College, Cambridge, 78
* December – Brian Morgan Edwards, businessman, 68
* 10 December – Steve Llewellyn, rugby league player, 78
* 24 December – Jake Thackray, singer-songwriter, 64
* 31 December – Billy Morris, footballer, 84