1989 Jonesborough ambush
Nobody has been charged with killing the two officers. There have been allegations that the attack was the result of collusion between the Gardaí and the Provisional IRA. As a result, Canadian judge Peter Cory investigated the killings in 2003; his findings were published in a report. This led to the Irish government setting up the Smithwick Tribunal, a judicial inquiry into the killings which opened in Dublin in June 2011 and published its final report in December 2013.


1989 Jonesborough ambush
In the Judge Peter Smithwick report he was unable to find direct evidence of collusion but said 'on balance of probability', somebody inside the Dundalk Garda station had passed on information to the IRA regarding the presence of Breen and Buchanan. He added that he was "satisfied there was collusion in the murders".


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Prelude
On the afternoon of Monday 20 March 1989, Chief Superintendent Harry Breen (51) and Superintendent Bob Buchanan (55), both high-ranking officers in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), were returning from an informal security conference with senior officers of equivalent ranks of the Garda Síochána in Dundalk, County Louth, Republic of Ireland. The unscheduled meeting had been arranged that morning by Buchanan over the telephone.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Prelude
The meeting began at about 2.10 pm inside the office of Garda Chief Superintendent John Nolan, where they had drawn up plans for "Operation Amazing", the codename for a co-ordinated effort between the RUC and Gardaí against suspected cross-border Provisional IRA smuggling operations allegedly directed by Thomas 'Slab' Murphy . Breen was also due to meet with Customs and Excise officials the following morning.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Prelude
The two RUC officers were travelling without escort in Buchanan's personal unmarked car: a red Vauxhall Cavalier with the registration number KIB 1204 which was not armoured-plated and did not have bullet-proof glass. Buchanan had used this same car on all of his previous visits to Dundalk and other locations in the Republic of Ireland. Both officers were unarmed, as it was illegal to transport weapons into the Republic of Ireland, and they were in plain clothes.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Prelude
Buchanan drove away from the Dundalk Garda station after the meeting had ended at about 3.15 p.m. and turned off the main Dublin-Belfast road onto the Edenappa Road which is a minor rural road that passes through the village of Jonesborough. Buchanan was known by the British Army to regularly take this route when going to or from Dundalk Garda station.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush
At around 3.40 p.m., they crossed the Northern Ireland border at Border Check Point 10 on the Edenappa Road. It was a dark, overcast wintry day. Yards up ahead, at the top of a hill on a tree-lined section of the road just south of Jonesborough, armed members of the Provisional IRA South Armagh Brigade waited to carry out the ambush. The site the IRA chose was in "dead ground", meaning that they could not be seen by the nearby British Army observation post.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush
The secluded back road was considered to be one of the most dangerous in south Armagh and as such, a "no-go area" for the security forces as it was regularly patrolled by the local IRA. According to the Cory Collusion Inquiry Report, as Buchanan reached the hilltop he was flagged down by an armed IRA man standing in the middle of the road wearing Army battle fatigues and camouflage paint on his face.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush
Another armed man, dressed likewise, stood in a ditch by the roadside by four cars he ordered to stop and their drivers to position so only one car could pass the road at a time and slowly at that. Buchanan, because of the location and dress of the two armed men would have had difficulty in ascertaining if it was an ambush or a British Army checkpoint, slowed down and stopped. At that moment, a stolen cream-coloured Litace van, which had been following behind his car, overtook and pulled into the laneway of an empty house opposite.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush
Four more armed IRA men wearing battle fatigues and balaclavas leapt out of the van. They approached the Cavalier and immediately began shooting, mainly at the driver's side, hitting the two officers. Buchanan made two frantic attempts to reverse and escape but his car stalled on each attempt and he was likely already dead before his car came to a rest. Examination of the car the following day found it still to be in reverse gear with Buchanan's foot fully pressed against the accelerator.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush
Breen, despite his gunshot wounds, managed to stumble out of the car, waving a white handkerchief at the gunmen in an apparent gesture of surrender. According to eyewitnesses, one of the gunmen walked over to him, told him to lie on the ground and fired a shot into the back of his head, killing him instantly. Another gunman then approached Buchanan's already dead body in the car and shot him again in the side of the head at point-blank range.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush
After removing security documents relevant to the meeting with Garda from the Cavalier and personal belongings of the two officers including notes for a history of his church Buchanan had been writing, and a diary containing the contact details of informers and an RUC assistant Chief Constable (whose house was later bombed) from Breen, the IRA gunmen drove away from the scene of the killings. They were heard by witnesses to have cheered and shouted "Hurrah" as the van sped northwards.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush, Aftermath
The RUC at Forkhill received an emergency call at 3.45 pm reporting that there were two dead men on the Edenappa Road. Police arrived on the scene at 3.54 pm, where they found Breen lying dead on the roadside; alongside the body was his pen, his glasses and the white handkerchief that he had been carrying. His wallet, warrant card and pager were missing. Buchanan's body was behind the wheel of his car, with his seatbelt still fastened.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush, Aftermath
Although the crime scene was cordoned off, the police were unable to remove the bodies or inspect the area due to a sudden snowstorm, therefore the bodies were not taken away until the following morning after they had been checked for booby-trap bombs. When the security forces inspected the scene, they found Kleenex tissue and a Lucozade bottle, but later forensic tests on the items did not find any fingerprints or saliva. Ballistic testing showed that the weapons used in the attack were two .223 Armalite rifles, one Ruger Mini-14 and a 7.62 Short rifle.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush, Aftermath
A total of 25 rounds had been fired in the attack, 11 of the bullets had struck the car's front windscreen. One of the Armalites had last been used in a helicopter attack at Silverbridge on 23 June 1988 and the other Armalite had been used in the killing of alleged Garda informer Eamonn Maguire on 1 September 1987 at Cullaville. The other two guns were "clean" weapons.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush, Aftermath
It was learned during the RUC Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation that, on the afternoon of the shootings, the IRA had set up four checkpoints on each of the four roads leading out of Dundalk: Dundalk-Omeath, Dundalk-Carrickmacross, Dundalk-Newry, and Dundalk-Jonesborough, where the ambush occurred.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush, Aftermath
The cream-coloured van was spotted on 22 March by a helicopter patrol, but before the area could be secured for the police to investigate it, the van was destroyed by fire. It was found that it had been stolen from a church car park on 18 March. Although the Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for carrying out the attack, nobody has ever been charged with the killings.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush, Aftermath
Breen and Buchanan were the highest-ranking RUC officers to be killed during the Troubles.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush, Reactions
In a House of Commons parliamentary debate held the day after the killings, unionist politicians, many of whom had been personally acquainted with Breen and Buchanan, criticised the decision to send the unarmed officers to a meeting in Dundalk, a town renowned for its close IRA affiliations.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush, Reactions
Judge Cory described the killing of the two officers as: "...brutal, cowardly, and demonstrate a callous insensitivity to both the suffering of individuals and to life itself."


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Ambush, Reactions
In 2005, in his statement before the Dail, then Dublin Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, described the killings as "an appalling act of savagery".


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Chief Superintendent Harry Breen
A native of Banbridge, County Down, and educated at the Portora Royal School in Enniskillen, Henry Alexander "Harry" Breen (1938 – 20 March 1989) had joined the RUC on 5 May 1957. He served as a sergeant in Lurgan and then as an inspector in Newry and Banbridge. In 1978, he was targeted by the IRA in an ambush at Sturgan Brae in which Constable William Turbitt was killed. Breen was promoted to superintendent in 1980. As a superintendent, he held posts in the Complaints and Discipline and Inspectorate Branch.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Chief Superintendent Harry Breen
He appeared on television in May 1987 holding a press conference following the Loughgall Ambush in which the Special Air Service shot dead eight IRA members. On 8 February 1988 he was promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent and became Divisional Commander of the RUC's "H" Division, which was based in the town of Armagh and encompassed the areas of South Armagh and South Down which contained some of the most staunchly Irish republican areas of Northern Ireland. He was well respected within the force and had been commended twice and highly recommended another two times. He was a recipient of the RUC Service Medal and the Police Long-Service and Good Conduct Medal. He was married to June and the father of two children, Gillian and David.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Chief Superintendent Harry Breen
Journalist Joe Tiernan described the six-foot-tall, solidly built Breen as a "hard man" with a cold, remote personality. Breen's former colleagues maintained that he had been a "gentleman of the old school, who always carried a dress handkerchief in his suit pocket". Judge Cory remarked that he was dedicated to the protection of the public and was concerned for the welfare of the RUC officers who served under his command which was an attribute greatly appreciated by them.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Chief Superintendent Harry Breen
Harry Breen was 51. His funeral was held with full police honours at the Church of Ireland Holy Trinity Church in Banbridge on 23 March and was presided over by Archbishop Robin Eames.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Chief Superintendent Harry Breen
An autopsy report found that he had been hit on both the left and right sides of his body. He had been wounded in the head, abdomen, upper-right shoulder and arm.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Superintendent Bob Buchanan
Robert James "Bob" Buchanan (18 March 1934 – 20 March 1989) was from Bready, County Tyrone. He joined the RUC on 13 August 1956 and was commended on six separate occasions. He had served as a sergeant in Derrygonnelly, County Fermanagh, and Antrim where he was promoted to inspector. In 1975, he was promoted to chief inspector and was stationed in Lisburn and held posts in the Complaints and Discipline Department. On promotion to superintendent, he became sub-divisional commander in Omagh and then staff officer to RUC senior command at force headquarters in Belfast.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Superintendent Bob Buchanan
It was in this post in 1985 that he was asked to take on the difficult and dangerous post of Border Superintendent for "H" Division and be responsible for all cross-border matters and liaison between the RUC and the Garda Siochána in the South Armagh/North Louth area. The posts of Border Superintendent had been created by the Anglo-Irish Agreement in an attempt to improve security co-operation between the two Irish police forces.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Superintendent Bob Buchanan
He was scheduled to be transferred to Newtownards the month following his death and his Garda counterpart in Dundalk, Superintendent Pat Tierney, testified to the Smithwick Tribunal he was in a joyous mood on the day he was killed because of the news of his transfer. He was married to Catherine, by whom he had a son, William, and a daughter, Heather and at time of his death he had two grandsons, Andrew and Robert.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Superintendent Bob Buchanan
Buchanan had a good relationship with the Gardaí. At the Smithwick Tribunal more than twenty years after his death, several former Garda officers testified they had come to regard him as a personal friend as he frequently visited their stations in his capacity as Border Superintendent. His job also meant that he became known to the Provisional IRA in Dundalk and other towns in County Louth as he would usually travel south in the same car without changing its number plates.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Superintendent Bob Buchanan
He was 5'9 with a large, heavy-set build, and had been described as a man of utter integrity and a dedicated, able and proud police officer who was well respected by his colleagues on both sides of the border. He was also a devout Christian who was a lay Presbyterian preacher at his church in Lisburn. He had written a book on the history of the Kellswater Reformed Presbyterian Church, located outside Ballymena, County Antrim; it was published after his death.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Superintendent Bob Buchanan
Bob Buchanan had just turned 55 when he was killed. His funeral was held on the same day as Chief Superintendent Breen's, 23 March, at the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Lisburn and was attended by a congregation including RUC Chief Constable Sir John Hermon and many Garda officers. Hermon later blamed Buchanan's belief in predestination, telling Toby Harnden: "The reason they died was so simple. There was no advance preparation, they just went. Bob Buchanan was a very devout Christian and he did not believe in taking precautions because God was in control. He did not follow basic, elementary security procedures."


1989 Jonesborough ambush, The victims, Superintendent Bob Buchanan
The autopsy revealed a number of fragment wounds on the right side of his head. He also had many fragment wounds on the front of his right shoulder and upper chest; two major fragments had gone straight through his chest. He had a lacerated lung and much internal bleeding. The autopsy also showed that he had been shot in the head at close range, most likely after he was already dead.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Provisional IRA statement
On the radio news at 11.00 p.m. on 22 March 1989, the following statement was made:


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Provisional IRA statement
In their statement the IRA says that after shooting the police officers dead they searched the vehicle in which the two RUC men were travelling from their security talks with the Gardaí in Dundalk and they found the confidential documents. They say the documents relate to cross-border collaboration with the security forces but they don't give any further specific details. The IRA say that the two top officers were shot dead after their car came to one of a number of checkpoints which the IRA claims they were operating on the Monday. They also say that the policemen acted suspiciously and attempted to drive off. Then, according to the IRA statement, the IRA volunteers feared their own lives could be in danger and they took what they called 'preventative action' to prevent the RUC men's escape.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Provisional IRA statement
Judge Cory made the following comment regarding the IRA statement: "The claim of self-defence, although imaginative, seems to have very little to do with either reality or veracity."


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion
The ambush outside Jonesborough had been carefully planned and successfully executed. Since the killings there have been allegations of collusion between the Garda Síochána and the Provisional IRA. Journalist Toby Harnden suggested that the IRA had been tipped off about the return route that Breen and Buchanan had planned to take by a rogue Garda known as "Garda X".


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion
Buchanan had raised with Gardaí in Monaghan in 1987 that the RUC were concerned about the same Garda officer was 'unduly associating with the IRA' and hours before he left Armagh police station to meet Buchanan at Newry station, Breen had confided to Staff Officer Sergeant Alan Mains that he had a sense of foreboding about his trip to Dundalk because he believed the same Garda was in the pay of a senior IRA man living on the Armagh/Louth border and would pass on information to him.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion
Despite Breen's misgivings, at 1:50 pm the two officers left Newry for Dundalk and their 2:00 pm meeting with the Gardaí. In the 11 weeks before the killings, Buchanan had attended a total of 24 cross-border conferences with the Gardaí at the Dundalk, Carrickmacross and Monaghan Garda stations. He had driven his red Vauxhall Cavalier to all of the meetings without making any attempt to disguise it by changing its number plate with one from the stock of them he had been given for that purpose.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion
He reportedly had never been worried about his safety whilst driving unarmed through the staunchly republican, IRA-dominated south Armagh countryside as he believed that "God would protect him". Breen had only recently attended one meeting in the Republic, on 2 February 1989 with Buchanan. For Breen, a visit to the Republic was a relatively rare event.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion
In March 2000, several months after the publication of Harnden's "Bandit Country" book, journalist Kevin Myers wrote in the Irish Times about the allegations of collusion between a Garda mole and the IRA, stating that they had led to the deaths of Breen and Buchanan. David Trimble MP for Upper Bann, MLA (and future First Minister of Northern Ireland) then wrote a letter to the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD on 25 March 2000, calling for an inquiry into the allegations of collusion.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion
Jeffrey Donaldson, MP for Lagan Valley, used his parliamentary privilege in the House of Commons on 13 April 2000 to suggest that the named Garda detective sergeant passed on information to the IRA about the meeting in Dundalk which facilitated their ambush of the RUC officers. He also requested a Tribunal of Inquiry into the allegations.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion
In his investigation, Judge Cory opined that the Dundalk Garda station was most likely under IRA surveillance during the conference as a Garda had seen a blue or grey-coloured Cavalier driving slowly through the station's car park whilst the meeting was ongoing, and the driver seemed to have been "looking around". At 2.30 p.m., another car—a red Ford Capri with Northern Ireland registration plates—slowly drove past the station three times. Superintendent Buchanan normally parked his car in front of the station.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion
Unknown to either Breen or Buchanan, the latter's Cavalier had already been identified by the IRA as an "RUC vehicle" and they had tailed the car on one of Buchanan's earlier visits to Dundalk. The two policemen were also unaware that a British Army surveillance team had watched and noted IRA "dickers" following Buchanan's car but had failed to warn RUC Special Branch of this. Prompt notification by the British Army or MI5 would have precluded Breen and Buchanan from crossing the border on 20 March 1989 in a targeted car.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion
Shortly before coming upon the scene of the killings, a civilian witness had observed British Army helicopters patrolling over the area. At 11:00 am on the morning of the killings, the Edenappa Road had been declared "out of bounds" by the security forces, yet this information was not relayed to the officers before they set out on their journey across the Irish border. There had been unusually high levels of IRA radio traffic recorded in South Armagh that day.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
Judge Cory's investigation prompted the Irish Government to set up the Smithwick Tribunal, a judicial inquiry into the events surrounding the killings. The investigations by Judge Peter Smithwick were completed by July 2006 and the public hearings in Dublin began on 7 June 2011. They were originally scheduled to be concluded in November 2011, but a six-months extension was granted by the government. In May 2012 the judge requested and was given more time. On 16 October 2012 the tribunal received a third extension with the conclusion date set for 31 July 2013. At the tribunal, Breen's family was represented by solicitor John McBurney and solicitor Ernie Waterworth represented the Buchanan family.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
Before the public hearings began, members of the Smithwick Tribunal's legal team met with three former senior IRA volunteers, one of whom had a command role in the operation to kill the two officers.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
The Tribunal heard from retired Garda Chief Superintendent Tom Curran, who was based in Monaghan at the time of the killings. He stated that in 1988 an informer told him of an IRA death threat against Buchanan. The man had allegedly said: "There's a fella crossing the border there to see you and he is going to be shot." Curran – who had met Buchanan many times and regarded him as a friend – was worried and duly informed Eugene Crowley, the assistant commissioner of crime and security at Garda headquarters in Dublin, about the threat.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
Curran never told Buchanan about the threat as he didn't want Buchanan to think that the Garda Síochána was trying to stop him coming to the Republic. In 1987, Buchanan had called to Curran's office to discuss RUC concerns about the Garda detective sergeant at Dundalk station who was "unnecessarily associating" with the IRA. Buchanan asked Curran to convey his message to Garda headquarters, which he did in person. Assistant Commissioner Crowley (now deceased) did not, however, seem interested in what Curran had to say about the possible collusion.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
This detective sergeant was the same man whom Breen had discussed with Sgt Alan Mains before setting out for Dundalk. This man was also on first name terms with the then RUC Chief Constable Sir John Hermon. Breen's widow June maintained that many times before the ambush, Breen had given her instructions that in the event of his death Hermon was not to be allowed to attend his funeral.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
Ian Hurst, a former member of the Force Research Unit (FRU), sent a written statement to the Tribunal. In the document, Hurst alleged that up to 25 IRA operatives had been involved in the ambush, both directly and indirectly, According to Hurst, about one quarter of them were British agents. and that British agent and IRA intelligence officer Stakeknife had been aware of the plot as he was responsible for gathering the information that had led to the ambush.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
Hurst's evidence led the chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party North Down Association (and former RUC officer) Colin Breen to suggest that, had the information been passed on by the British Intelligence Corps to the RUC or Garda Síochána, the double killing could have been prevented.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
Agent Kevin Fulton, who spied on the IRA for the Intelligence Corps, alleged that his senior IRA commander was told by another IRA volunteer that on the day of the killings, the South Armagh IRA was informed by one of the Gardaí (known as "Garda B") that the two RUC officers were inside Dundalk Garda station. Fulton had been in Dundalk that same day.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
Retired Garda Detective Sergeant Sean Gethins told the Tribunal that the IRA team at Jonesborough had initially planned to kidnap and interrogate Breen. He was to be questioned about internal security leaks that led to the May 1987 Loughgall Ambush of an IRA active service unit (ASU) by the Special Air Service which had resulted in the deaths of eight IRA volunteers and a civilian. According to Gethins, Breen was targeted by the IRA after he had given television interviews in the days following the ambush.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
Kevin Fulton suggested British agents who took part in the ambush at Jonesborough had shot Breen and Buchanan lest they reveal the names of informants whilst under torture. Ian Hurst, in his statement confirmed that the IRA's original plan had been to kidnap the two RUC officers and interrogate them at a secure location in the Republic. Once the IRA unit had extracted all possible information from the two men, they would have killed them. Hurst claimed to have received the information from agent Stakeknife's long-term handler. He also added that sanction for the ambush and killing of such high-ranking RUC officers as Breen and Buchanan would have come from the highest echelons of the IRA's Northern Command.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
A former RUC assistant chief constable told the Tribunal that Breen and Buchanan had been warned against going to Dundalk at a meeting on 16 March 1989, but that they had disobeyed orders. Breen's widow, however, denied that her late husband had attended the meeting as he had spent that day with her, and Breen's diary recorded that on 16 March he was on leave. The security conference with Gardaí in Dundalk had been set up after a dinner at Stormont House on 6 March, which had been attended by both Breen and Buchanan.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
It was there that Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Tom King had suggested the meeting after receiving reports from a British Army colonel about the cross-border smuggling activities of a well-known IRA man whose property straddled the Armagh/Louth border. According to Sgt Alan Mains, Breen was "specifically directed to speak with the Guards [Gardai] and the Army, and to come up with some kind of reply for the Chief Constable and the Secretary of State". Breen allegedly had much information about the smuggler.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
A former RUC Special Branch chief, however stated to the Tribunal that both Breen and Buchanan had been opposed to carrying out "Operation Amazing" against the smuggler as there was not enough substantial information on which to base it. When it was suggested to Tom King that the proposed operation was "ill-advised and dangerous", he reportedly struck the table and insisted that it was to go ahead.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
Harnden declined to testify before the tribunal, later stating: “I was confident that me appearing would not have added anything substantive to the tribunal. There were some quite serious issues of protecting confidential sources and I just ultimately felt that the book should speak for itself.”


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal
The tribunal's  was published on 3 December 2013. In its report Judge Peter Smithwick stated he was "satisfied there was collusion in the murders". Harnden stated: “The Smithwick Tribunal and its conclusions wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for Bandit Country. It is the only time in my career that my work has had that national and international impact.”


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal, Allegation
In November 2011, a retired RUC Special Branch detective inspector (known as "Witness 62") based at Gough Barracks, gave evidence at the Tribunal in which he named Sean Hughes from Dromintee, County Armagh, as the leader of the Provisional IRA ambush unit and a former member of the IRA Army Council. Nicknamed "The Surgeon", Hughes was described as having been one of the hardliners inside the republican movement. He was said to be in charge of the North Louth/Dromintee unit that carried out the ambush with assistance from members of the Crossmaglen group.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal, Allegation
The experienced North Louth/Dromintee unit has been implicated in up to 80 attacks including a car bombing on the main Dublin to Belfast road at Killeen, Newry on 23 July 1988. Civilians Robert and Maureen Hanna, along with their seven-year-old son, David, were killed when the IRA team detonated a 1,000-pound landmine as their jeep drove past, having mistaken their vehicle for that of Judge Eoin Higgins. Harry Breen appeared on television to comment on the RUC investigation into the killing of the Hanna family.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal, Allegation
The IRA was reportedly deeply divided over the Hanna family bombing, with many violent altercations breaking out in Armagh pubs as a result. The alleged unit leader, Thomas "Slab" Murphy, has never been convicted in a criminal trial of IRA membership nor any paramilitary-related offences, although he has been convicted of smuggling and tax evasion.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Smithwick Tribunal, Allegation
"Witness 62" added that on the day of the Jonesborough ambush, the IRA had placed a "spotter" on the road from Dundalk to observe which direction Breen and Buchanan would take to return north. Having noted the road the RUC officers had taken, the spotter immediately alerted the ambush team that Buchanan was driving up the Edenappa Road. He concluded that "without a shadow of a doubt it [the ambush] was pre-planned".


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Down Orange Welfare
Former RUC Special Patrol Group (SPG) officer John Weir stated in his affidavit that he was given submachine guns for the UVF Mid-Ulster Brigade by a group of County Down loyalists called Down Orange Welfare (DOW), a vigilante outfit who were engaged in manufacturing weapons. This group was made up of former and serving members of the security forces. Weir alleged that Officer Breen belonged to this organisation.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Down Orange Welfare
Weir's information from his affidavit was published in 2003 in the Barron Report which was the findings of an official investigation commissioned by Irish Supreme Court justice Henry Barron into the Ulster Volunteer Force's 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings. At the time Weir allegedly met Breen at a DOW meeting, Breen was a chief inspector in Newry.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Down Orange Welfare
The UVF Mid-Ulster Brigade was commanded by Robin "The Jackal" Jackson from 1975 to the early 1990s. Over 50 killings have been attributed to Jackson, according to David McKittrick in his book Lost Lives, and he was allegedly an RUC Special Branch agent. Weir also claimed that Breen was fully aware of collusion between certain RUC officers and loyalist paramilitaries such as Jackson. Furthermore, he claimed to have overheard a conversation between Breen and another inspector in which they were discussing with approval the association of two named RUC officers with Jackson.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Down Orange Welfare
When Weir later told Breen of his own involvement in the sectarian killing of Catholic chemist William Strathearn (for which he was convicted), Breen reportedly had advised him to "forget about it". Weir's allegations are strongly denied by Breen's former RUC colleagues. Former officer Andrew Hanna stated in an interview, "it's untrue that he colluded with loyalists".


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Down Orange Welfare
The Inquiry led by Mr Justice Barron believed Weir's evidence overall to have been credible; however the Inquiry did express reservations about Weir's "allegations against police officers having regard to his possible motive in going public, and also in relation to his own part in the offences which he relates". Weir was a prominent member of the Glenanne gang, a loose alliance of loyalist extremists which included the UVF Mid-Ulster Brigade and rogue elements of the security forces. The Pat Finucane Centre (a Derry-based civil rights group) has linked this gang to at least 87 killings in the Mid-Ulster area in the 1970s.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Doubts regarding Garda collusion
Investigative journalist Paul Larkin, in his book A Very British Jihad: collusion, conspiracy and cover-up in Northern Ireland, claimed that Breen was a leading officer in the SPG. He dismissed claims of collusion between the Gardaí and IRA, pointing out that, because South Armagh (known as "Bandit Country") was controlled by the IRA and was a "no-go area" for the security forces, the IRA would not have needed Garda help to carry out the ambush.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Doubts regarding Garda collusion
Judge Peter Cory stated in his report that the Provisional IRA had developed sophisticated intelligence-gathering techniques which enabled them to monitor the telephone calls and radio transmissions of the RUC and British Army. Less than two years before the Jonesborough ambush, the IRA detonated a remote-controlled car bomb which killed Lord Justice of Appeal Sir Maurice Gibson and his wife, Cecily, Lady Gibson as they were returning home from a holiday. The couple was blown up shortly after their car crossed the Northern Ireland border on the main Dublin-Belfast road.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Doubts regarding Garda collusion
They had just left their Garda escort and were approaching the rendezvous point with their RUC escort when the explosion occurred. Collusion was also suspected in the killings but the investigation into the bombing by Judge Cory revealed that the IRA had most likely carried out the attack without any assistance from outside agencies. Superintendent Buchanan had played a large part in the investigation into the bombing.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Doubts regarding Garda collusion
Ian Lisles, a retired British Army brigadier who served 14 years in Northern Ireland—much of it in South Armagh—suggested to the Tribunal that the IRA could not have mounted the operation in less than three hours; it most likely had required between five and eight hours of advance preparation.


1989 Jonesborough ambush, Alleged Garda collusion, Doubts regarding Garda collusion
He maintained that the IRA was too professional an organisation to have attempted an ad hoc ambush on such short notice as would have been the case had the attack been carried out upon being alerted by a Garda mole as to the presence of the two senior RUC officers at the Dundalk station.


1989 Jordanian general election
General elections were held in Jordan on 8 November 1989, the first since 1967. As political parties were banned at the time, all 647 candidates ran as independents, although 22 of the 80 successful candidates were Muslim Brotherhood members. Voter turnout was 53.1%.


1989 Jordanian protests
The 1989 Jordanian protests (Arabic: هبة نيسان, April boon) started in Ma'an on 18 April after the government cut food subsidies, increasing food price. Demonstrations and riots quickly reached neighboring southern towns. Protestors accused the government of rampant corruption, and demanded that the prime minister Zaid Al-Rifai lose his job; martial law be lifted; the electoral laws be reformed; and restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of the press be removed.


1989 Jordanian protests
The Jordanian economy was suffering a recession during that time after Jordan disengaged from the West Bank in 1988. King Hussein responded to the protests by sacking Al-Rifai, lifting martial law that had been in place since 1957, and resuming parliamentary elections that had been paused since 1967. The King also appointed a royal commission to draft the National Charter, a document with a timetable for reforms and democratization acts.


1989 Jordanian protests
Jordan held parliamentary elections on 8 November 1989, the first in 22 years, and the National Charter was drafted in 1990. Some Arab countries, primarily Saudi Arabia, were apprehensive about Jordan's democratization.


1989 Jordanian protests, Background
A general election took place in 1967 just before Jordan lost the West Bank, and when the parliament's tenure ended in 1971, no elections could be held due to the fact that the West Bank was under Israeli occupation. In 1984, Hussein appointed a parliament from both banks of the Jordan River.


1989 Jordanian protests, Background
Jordan's disengagement from the West Bank (renouncing claim of sovereignty and cutting administrative links) the previous year in July 1988, proved to be depressing for the economy. Jordan's foreign debt was double that of its gross national product (GNP). Jordan was combating an economic crisis with austerity measures, Western economists attributed the crisis due to government overspending. The Jordanian dinar had lost a third of its value in 1988.


1989 Jordanian protests, Background
An IMF statement read: "Jordan agreed to strengthen foreign reserves, reduce inflation through tight credit policies and improve the current account balance. It also pledged to reform the tax system and reduce its budget deficit."


1989 Jordanian protests, Protests
On 16 April, the Government increased prices of gasoline, licensing fees, alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, between 15% to 50%, in a bid to increase revenues per an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF agreement was to enable Jordan to reschedule its $6 billion debt, and obtain loans totaling $275 million over 18 months. On 18 April, riots from Ma'an spread to other southern towns like Al-Karak and Tafila, where The New York Times  reported that around 4,000 people gathered in the streets and clashed with the police. 6 protestors were killed, and 42 were injured, while 2 policemen were killed and 47 were injured in the clashes.


1989 Jordanian protests, Protests
Despite the fact that the protests were triggered by a troubling economic situation, the crowd's demands became political. Protestors accused the government of rampant corruption, and demanded that the prime minister Zaid Al-Rifai be sacked; martial law be lifted; the electoral laws be reformed; and restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of the press be removed.


1989 Jordanian protests, Response
Hussein relented to the demands by dismissing Zaid Al-Rifai, and appointing Zaid ibn Shaker to form a new government. In 1986 a new electoral law was passed, thus the decision to reintroduce parliamentary elections went smoothly. The cabinet passed amendments to the electoral law that excluded articles dealing with West Bank representation.


1989 Jordanian protests, Response
In May 1989 just before the elections, Hussein announced his intentions of appointing a 60-person royal commission to draft a reformist document named the National Charter. The National Charter sought to set a timetable for democratization acts. Although most members of the commission were regime loyalists, it included a number of opposition figures and critics.


1989 Jordanian protests, Response
Parliamentary elections were held on 8 November 1989, the first in 22 years (since 1967). The National Charter was drafted and ratified by parliament in 1991.


1989 Jordanian protests, Response
Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid, Hussein's cousin who was Lord Chamberlain of Jordan, later said in an interview about Jordan's 1989 moves towards democracy:


1989 Jordanian protests, Response
Many Arab leaders were not pleased about this. They felt that King Hussein was letting the genie out of the bottle. In addition, they accused him of interfering indirectly in their domestic politics. They were especially critical of the notion of citizens' rights. The Saudis and others felt that Shari'a law included that. They were apprehensive. They did not understand the relevancy of democracy to the Saudi people. For them the Shari'a law was all that the Saudi people needed.


1989 Junior League World Series
The 1989 Junior League World Series took place from August 14–19 in Taylor, Michigan, United States. Manatí, Puerto Rico defeated Toccoa, Georgia in the championship game.


1989 Junior World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships
The 1989 Junior World Sports Acrobatics Championships was the first edition of the acrobatic gymnastics competition, then named sports acrobatics, and took place in Katowice, Poland, from December 1 to December 3, 1989. The competition was organized by the International Federation of Sports Acrobatics (IFSA).


1989 K League
The 1989 Korean Professional Football League was the seventh season of K League since its establishment in 1983. The Korean Professional Football Committee was merged into the Korea Football Association again in March 1989.


1989 KFK competitions (Ukraine)
The 1989 KFK competitions in Ukraine were part of the 1989 Soviet KFK competitions that were conducted in the Soviet Union. It was 25th season of the KFK in Ukraine since its introduction in 1964. The winner eventually qualified to the 1990 Soviet Second League B.


1989 Kandy massacre
The 1989 Kandy massacre was a series of retaliatory attacks on the villages of Menikhinna, Arangala, Mahawatta, and Kundasale in the Kandy District of Central Province, Sri Lanka during the 1987-89 JVP Insurrection. While the massacre was officially attributed to the vigilante group Eagles of the Central Hills, other reports and eyewitness accounts claim that it was a joint operation conducted by the army and police. It was one of the largest single incidents reported to Amnesty International during the JVP Insurrection.


1989 Kandy massacre, Background
The Sinhalese-Marxist organization the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) engaged in a low-intensity conflict with the Sri Lankan government in response to the presence of the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF)] during the Sri Lankan Civil War. The JVP garnered much sympathy from impoverished Sinhalese and university students, especially among young to middle-aged men. In response, the army and police, operating both on-duty and off-duty as vigilante groups, would arrest, torture, and kill people suspected of being sympathetic to the JVP. When the JVP killed servicemen or their families, vigilante squads, made up of off-duty policemen and soldiers, would kill JVP members or supporters in retaliation.


1989 Kandy massacre, Incident
In Kundasale on 13 September 1989, the JVP allegedly killed sixteen family members of three security forces personnel.


1989 Kandy massacre, Incident
The following night, armed men in uniform set fire to a number of residential dwellings in Menikhinna, killing approximately 52 people. The Menikhinna area was a stronghold of members of the Bathgama caste, who were known to be supporters of the JVP. The armed group then moved onto the villages of Kundasale and Aranagala, where they killed a further 30 people. Residents of Kandy found over 100 bodies floating in the river, and it was suspected that there were at least 50 additional deaths. It is believed that the killers were pro-government vigilantes seeking revenge for the earlier murders. Amnesty International later estimated that over 100 villagers were killed.


1989 Kandy massacre, Aftermath
On 5 October, armed vigilantes shot or beheaded fourteen workers at a Peradeniya University residential complex for custodial and clerical staff. Police later received a message from the vigilantes, who called themselves the Eagles of the Central Hills, claiming responsibility for the murders and that the victims were JVP supporters who had engineered the murder of T. E. Nagahawatte, an assistant registrar at the university and a captain in the local army volunteer reserve force.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand
The 1989 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played six matches on tour, including a three test series against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 4 July and finished on 23 July.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand
Australia, the reigning Rugby League World Cup champions after having defeated New Zealand 25–15 in the 1988 World Cup Final at Auckland's Eden Park ground, defeated the home side 3–0 in the series. The third test of the series also doubled as the first match of the 1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup tournament.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand
The series was broadcast to Australia by the Nine Network with commentary provided by Ray Warren and Darrell Eastlake.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand
As of 2017, this remains the last full mid-season Kangaroo tour of New Zealand in which the Australians played against club and regional teams.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Leadership
Don Furner had stepped down after three successful years as coach and was replaced by 1978 Kangaroo tour captain and Manly-Warringah's 1987 premiership winning coach Bob Fulton. Wally Lewis was the captain of the side as he had been since 1984 while Manly-Warringah's Paul Vautin was the team vice-captain. Vautin captained the team in the three non-test games of the tour.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Touring squad
Queensland had won the 1989 State of Origin series with a 3–0 clean sweep of New South Wales prior to the tour. Of the 20 man touring team, 12 were from Qld with 8 from NSW. Balmain Tigers front rower Steve Roach was the only tourist who had not played in the Origin series.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Touring squad
Only 10 players from the touring party would go on to be selected for the 1990 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour
The Australians played six games on the tour, winning five.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour
New Zealand XIII:  Morvin Edwards, Sam Panapa, Dave Watson, Tea Ropati, David Ewe, Kelly Shelford, Phil Bancroft, George Mann, Duane Mann, Russell Tuuta, Shane Hansen, Francis Leota, Mike Kuiti (c). Res - Gary Mercer, Peter Brown.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour
Australia:  Gary Belcher, Michael O'Connor, Peter Jackson, Tony Currie, Michael Hancock, Des Hasler, Greg Alexander, Sam Backo, David Trewhella, Steve Roach, Bruce McGuire, Dan Stains, Paul Vautin (c). Res - Kerrod Walters, Martin Bella.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour, First test
Auckland:  Carl Magatogia, Sam Panapa, Mike Patton, Dave Watson, Kevin Pulieta, Kelly Shelford (c), Neville Ramsay, Mike Thomson, Peter Ropati, George Mann, Tawera Nikau, Francis Leota, Shane Hansen. Res - Tea Ropati, Taime Tagaloa. Coach - Cameron Bell


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour, First test
Australia:  Dale Shearer, Michael O'Connor, Peter Jackson, Tony Currie, Michael Hancock, Des Hasler, Greg Alexander, Sam Backo, David Trewhella, Martin Bella, Dan Stains, Bruce McGuire, Paul Vautin (c). Res - Bradley Clyde.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour, First test
The 26-24 loss to Auckland was the Kangaroos first loss to a club or provincial team since losing 12-11 to NZ side South Island during the 1980 NZ tour. As of 2017 it remains the last time an Australian side has lost a non-test match. This was also the last time the Australians would play a match at Carlaw Park.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour, Second test
Wellington:  Morvin Edwards, David Ewe, George Lajpold, Charlie McAlister, Victor Aramoana, Geoffrey Tangira, Sibi Raika, Arnold Lomax, Barry Harvey (c), Daroa Ben-Moide, Sonny Whakarau, Kelly Makoare, Mike Kuiti.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour, Second test
Australia:  Gary Belcher, Michael O'Connor, Peter Jackson, Dale Shearer, Michael Hancock, Paul Vautin (c), Greg Alexander, Steve Roach, David Trewhella, Martin Bella, Dan Stains, Paul Sironen, Bruce McGuire. Res - Kerrod Walters, Sam Backo.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour, Second test
As of 2017, this remains the last game Australia has played against a NZ club or provincial side.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour, Third test
The dead rubber third test also doubled as the first game of the 1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup tournament. It also saw the first time that the Mount Smart Stadium would host a rugby league test match. Australia's vice-captain Paul Vautin played his 13th and last test match. Tony Currie, Sam Backo and Bruce McGuire also played their last tests. With Paul Sironen out injured, Mal Meninga moved into the second row. After 9 tests on the wing, Dale Shearer played his first test at centre with Michael O'Connor coming in on the wing. This would also be the 24th and last time Wally Lewis would captain Australia in a test match.


1989 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour, Third test
During the second half of the game, Australian captain Wally Lewis pulled off a massive (but fair) hit on Kiwi fullback Darrell Williams. Lewis later told that he thought he was lining up Brendon Tuuta who had produced a fair bit of foul play through the series, only to look down at the tackled player and find it was Williams and not Tuuta.


1989 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1989 season was the Kansas City Chiefs' 20th in the National Football League, their 30th overall and their first under head coach Marty Schottenheimer and general manager Carl Peterson. They improved on their 4–11–1 record from 1988 and finished with an 8–7–1 record. The Chiefs did not qualify for the playoffs in for the third straight year but did send four players to the Pro Bowl. The Chiefs Week 11 10–10 tie against the Cleveland Browns remains the most recent tie in Chiefs history.


1989 Kansas City Chiefs season, Background
The Chiefs had changed coaches before, but never had the organization gone through the complete overhaul it did between the 1988 and 1989 seasons. On December 19, 1988, Lamar Hunt hired Carl Peterson as the team's new president/general manager. Peterson wasted no time in making changes. On January 5 he fired head coach Frank Gansz two weeks after taking over. On January 24 he hired Marty Schottenheimer, who was fired by Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell. Schottenheimer also cleaned house and with Peterson's help by making several roster changes, including drafting future hall of famer Derrick Thomas. Thomas later became a key part to the Chiefs defense in 90s and became one of the most popular players with fans in franchise history.


1989 Kansas City Chiefs season, Season summary
The Chiefs started the season at Denver on September 10 but the Chiefs lost the opener, 34–20. The very next Sunday the Chiefs downed the Los Angeles Raiders 24–19, garnering Schottenheimer's first win as Chiefs' head coach.


1989 Kansas City Chiefs season, Season summary
The Chiefs would start the season 1–4, but soon turned things around. On October 22, Christian Okoye carried the ball 33 times for 170 yards as the Chiefs defeated the Dallas Cowboys at Arrowhead Stadium, 36–28.


1989 Kansas City Chiefs season, Season summary
On November 26, Kansas City cruised past the Houston Oilers, 34–0 to start a 3-game winning streak to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs.


1989 Kansas City Chiefs season, Season summary
On December 17, using a bruising running game and a smothering defense, the San Diego Chargers marched into Arrowhead Stadium and crushed the Chiefs' playoffs dreams. They bulldozed their way to 219 yards rushing, 176 by Marion Butts, and won 20–13. The all but eliminated the Chiefs from any chance of making the playoffs. Chiefs' quarterback Steve DeBerg was ineffective because of the chilling 18-degree weather and completed just 14 of 33 passes. Okoye constantly found his path blocked, holes jammed.


1989 Kansas City Chiefs season, Season summary
The Chiefs had one final opportunity to tie the game, driving from their own 36 yard line to the San Diego 19. DeBerg's next pass into the end zone was intercepted, ending the Chiefs' chances and the game. The loss left the Chiefs needing a win at Miami on Christmas Eve, combined with losses by Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and the Raiders that day and Cincinnati on Christmas Day to make the playoffs.


1989 Kansas City Chiefs season, Season summary
The next week, the Chiefs did bounce back and defeated the Miami Dolphins for the second time in the season, 27–24 and had a winning record in the first Peterson-Schottenheimer season at 8-7-1. The Bengals, Colts and Raiders also lost that weekend; however, the Steelers won their game and final AFC Playoff spot, finishing 9-7 overall.


1989 Kansas City Chiefs season, Season summary
DeBerg passed for 2,529 yards in his second season with the team. Okoye led the NFL in rushing with 1,480 yards. Stephone Paige led the receivers with 44 receptions. Rookie linebacker Derrick Thomas recorded 10 sacks.


1989 Kansas City Chiefs season, Season summary
Okoye was named to the Pro Bowl along with defensive stars Albert Lewis, Kevin Ross and Thomas.


1989 Kansas City Royals season
The 1989 Kansas City Royals season  was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing second in the American League West with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses. The Royals' record was tied for the third best in baseball, but in the pre-wild card era, the team did not qualify for the post-season.


1989 Kansas City Royals season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1989 Kansas City Royals season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1989 Kansas City Royals season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1989 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 1989 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. They participated as members of the Big 8 Conference and were coached by head coach Glen Mason. They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.


1989 Kansas State Wildcats football team
The 1989 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head football coach was Bill Snyder. The Wildcats played their home games in KSU Stadium. The season saw the Wildcats finish with a record of 1–10, and a 0–7 record in Big Eight Conference play. This was Snyder's first season as head coach. It also saw K-State pick up its first win in 31 games, dating back to the 29–12 win against Kansas on October 18, 1986.


1989 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election
The 1989 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election was held in the Indian state of Karnataka to elect 224 members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The Indian National Congress rode back to power with a huge majority.


1989 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
The 1989 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University  in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their second season under head coach Dick Crum, the Golden Flashes compiled a 0–11 record (0–8 against MAC opponents), finished in ninth place in the MAC, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 377 to 179.


1989 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
The team's statistical leaders included Terry Daniels with 304 rushing yards, Joe Dalpra with 1,089 passing yards, and Andre Palmer with 417 receiving yards.


1989 Kentucky Derby
The 1989 Kentucky Derby was the 115th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 6, 1989, with 122,653 people in attendance.


1989 Kentucky Wildcats football team
The 1989 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Wildcats scored 212 points while allowing 220 points. This was Jerry Claiborne's eighth and final season as Kentucky's head coach.


1989 Kentucky Wildcats football team, Season
Kentucky opened with wins against Indiana and North Carolina, lost to Alabama and Auburn, beat Rutgers and LSU, lost at Georgia, beat Cincinnati and Vanderbilt, and lost to Florida and Tennessee.


1989 Kids' Choice Awards
The 3rd Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on June 25, 1989, at Universal Studios Hollywood. The hosts for the event were Nicole Eggert and Wil Wheaton.


1989 Kids' Choice Awards, Winners and nominees
Winners are listed first, in bold. Other nominees are in alphabetical order.


1989 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship
The 1989 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship was the 95th staging of the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Kilkenny County Board.


1989 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship
Ballyhale Shamrocks won the championship after a 2-11 to 1-13 defeat of Glenmore in the final. It was their eighth championship title overall and their second title in succession.


1989 King Cup
The 1989 King Cup was the 31st season of knockout competition since its establishment in 1956. Al-Ittihad were the defending champions for this season, but they were eliminated by Al-Nassr in Round of 16.


1989 King Cup
Al Hilal won  their sixth title after beating Al Nassr 3–0 in the final. As winners of the tournament, Al-Hilal qualified for the 1990–91 Asian Cup Winners' Cup.


1989 King Cup, Round of 16
The matches of the Round of 16 were held on 11 and 12 May 1989.


1989 King Cup, Final
The final was played between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr in the Youth Welfare Stadium in Jeddah. Al-Hilal were appearing in their 12th final while Al-Nassr were appearing in their 9th final.


1989 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
The 1989 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was a horse race held at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 22 July 1989. It was the 39th running of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.


1989 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
The winner was Hamdan Al Maktoum's Nashwan, a three-year-old chestnut colt trained at West Ilsley in Berkshire by Dick Hern and ridden by Willie Carson. Nashwan's victory gave his owner Hamdan Al Maktoum his first win in the race whilst Carson and Hern had won the race with Troy, Ela-Mana-Mou and Petoski. In addition, Hern had trained the 1972 winner Brigadier Gerard.


1989 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, The race
The race attracted a field of seven runners, six trained in the United Kingdom and one trained in Italy. The favourite was Nashwan, who had won the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and Eclipse Stakes, by an aggregate margin of eleven lengths. His principal rival appeared to be Cacoethes, who had finished third to Nashwan in the Derby before winning the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. The best of the older horses, according to the betting, was Sheriff's Star, the winner of the Coronation Cup and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.


1989 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, The race
The only overseas challenger was the Italian colt Tisserand, the winner of the 1988 Derby Italiano. The other runners were Carroll House (Grosser Preis von Baden, Princess of Wales's Stakes), Top Class (Geoffrey Freer Stakes) and Polemos, who was running as a pacemaker for Nashwan. Nashwan headed the betting at odds of 2/9 ahead of Cacoethes (6/1) and Sheriff's Star (10/1).


1989 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, The race
As expected, Polemos took the early lead and set the pace from Carroll House, Cacoethes and Nashwan. Three furlong from the finish, Top Class made a rapid move forward and led the field into the straight ahead of Carroll House, Nashwan and Cacoethes. Nashwan overtook Top Class with a furlong and a half left to run but was immediately challenged by Cacoethes on the outside. The two three-year-olds drew clear of the other five runners with the Derby winner prevailing by a neck after a prolonged struggle. There was a gap of seven lengths back to Top Class, who held off Sheriff's Star by a length to take third. The last three finishers were Carroll House, Polemos and Tisserand.


1989 Klötzli incident
One of the most discussed scenes in Swiss football took place, on 7 October 1989, the Klötzli incident. The injury time was running in the Nationalliga A match between FC Sion and FC Wettingen as the away team scored a goal. Everyone in the stadium thinks it is the equaliser, except one, the referee. He blows the whistle while the ball is still in the air. The game is thus finished, no goal. Four FCW players then attack the referee, who then escapes into the cabin from kicks and punches. The scandal is perfect. The consequences are bans lasting several months and big fines. The incident is still considered as one of the biggest scandals in Swiss football.


1989 Klötzli incident, Course of event, The match
It was a foggy October evening: The third minute of injury time in the league match in the Stade Tourbillon between Sion and Wettingen is already running. Thanks to a goal from Mirsad Baljic in the 88th minute, Sion lead 1–0 against their opponents who, despite their European high against FC Napoli a few days earlier, is in financial difficulties and fighting against relegation.


1989 Klötzli incident, Course of event, The match
Sions midfielder Jean-Paul Brigger can take a relief free-kick just a few meters from his own penalty area. But instead of kicking the ball far forward, he delays the execution and finally, as takes the kick, the ball hits Wettingen's Salvatore Romano in the middle of his back. From there, the leather lands in front of the feet of Wettingen's captain Martin Rueda. He then did not hesitate, moved towards the Sion goal and beat keeper Stephan Lehmann with a wonderful lob to make it 1-1. While the ball is in the air and finding its way into the goal, referee Bruno Klötzli looks at his watch, and not to the ball, and notices that the three-minute stoppage time has expired. He blew his whistle. The game is over, the equaliser does not count.


1989 Klötzli incident, Course of event, The match
The Wettinger players are stunned, this decision allows them to break all safeguards. The anger is directed against referee Klötzli and the players chase him across the Sion stadium. Four FCW players then attack the referee and in the confusing situation, Klötzli tries to tear himself away and protect himself, running to escape from the verbal assaults, the kicks and the punches towards the stands and to the player entrance and into the referee's cabin.


1989 Klötzli incident, Course of event, People involved
Referee Bruno Klötzli, an up and coming SFV referee, who would have become FIFA Referee in 1990. Klötzli reports the case to the SFV and his statements are tough. From his match report can be seen: player number 12 Martin Frei (the uncle of Alex Frei) attacked him by jumping into his legs with both feet. Player number 3 Alex Germann struck him with a first punch on the shoulder and a second punch in the stomach. Player number 9 Reto Baumgartner jumped into his back with both knees, whereupon the referee almost fell. Player number 6 Roger Kundert kicked him in the buttocks.


1989 Klötzli incident, Statements
"I was very scared," said Klötzli after the scandal game. "If I had stumbled, I would certainly have ended up in the hospital." But he gets away unharmed. To the moment of his whistle he said: "I made no mistakes in terms of control technology. But I have to admit that the moment of the final whistle was not exactly well chosen psychologically."


1989 Klötzli incident, Statements
"Sure, I ran over to him," confessed Kundert. "Maybe I touched the referee in the crowd. But I definitely didn't kick him. Anything but two or three penalty Sundays would be a scandal." Baumgartner described the situation like this: "I was totally aggressive, capable of anything. But I couldn't even get near to him." Germann said: "I'm quite sure I didn't strike him." After they had seen the television images, they showed more insight. "The scenes that happened there are inexcusable," says Kundert. Baumgarnter warns that both he and Klötzli made a mistake.


1989 Klötzli incident, Statements
Even 30 years later the then Sion team manager Yves Débonnaire remembers, "The anxious face of the poor referee Klötzli and the violence of the Wettinger players have burned into my brain. Forever."


1989 Klötzli incident, Consequences, Professional bans
On the basis of the TV pictures and the referee report, the SFV condemn the four players with long bans and big fines. In the second instance, the Association Sports Court even tightened the professional bans, the results of which are as follows. The professional ban for Roger Kundert was for four months, for Martin Frei was increased from 6 to 8 months and the ban for Reto Baumgartner was increased from 7 to 10 months. Each were fined 10,000 Swiss Francs. Alex Germann, who was about complete a transfer to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, is hit hardest, with a one-year suspension and a fine of CHF 20,000 Swiss francs.


1989 Klötzli incident, Consequences, Ensuing
Just seven weeks after the game in Sion, Roger Kundert tore a cruciate ligament during training. Because his right knee could no longer withstand the stresses of professional sport, he retired from active football in the spring of 1990. The then 30-year-old Martin Frei vented his anger, wrote the association bosses a sharp letter and decided to end his career immediately. Alex Germann trained for a year with FC Wettingen and then returned as professional player, but the planned move to the Bundesliga and Borussia Dortmund no longer came about.


1989 Klötzli incident, Consequences, Ensuing
Reto Baumgartner's contract with FC Wettingen expired. He then continued his career with FC Basel, played for another four years in the Nationalliga B and he later became a professional beach soccer player. Since FC Basel's AGM in 2008, Baumgartner is member of the club's board of directors. At the club's annual general meeting in November 2020 he was elected as the new chairman.


1989 Klötzli incident, Consequences, Ensuing
Half a year later, referee Klötzli also ended his refereeing career. The Sion scandal was his last game in the highest level. But things got worse. He  became addicted to gambling, poker, and got on the wrong track. He landed in debt and got problems with his job, which he then lost. In 1999 he was sentenced to a conditional prison term of 18 months for forgery and abuse of confidence. As a bank employee, Klötzli embezzled a total of CHF 800,000 between 1990 and 1993. The former scandal referee now lives in seclusion in the canton of Jura, where he ran a restaurant with his wife. They retired at the end of 2017.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike
The 1989 Kosovo miners' strike was a hunger strike initiated by the workers of the Trepča Mines on 20 February 1989 against the abolition of the autonomy of the Province of Kosovo by the Socialist Republic of Serbia. The strike quickly gained support in Slovenia and Croatia, while in Belgrade protests were held against the Slovenian, Albanian and Croatian leaderships. It eventually ended after the hospitalization of 180 miners and the resignation of the leaders of the League of Communists of Kosovo Rahman Morina, Ali Shukriu and Husamedin Azemi.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, Background
SFR Yugoslavia was a federal republic consisting of republics including SR Serbia, which in turn had two autonomous provinces, SAP Vojvodina and SAP Kosovo. Kosovo was inhabited mostly by Kosovo Albanians and the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution gave Kosovo a then-unprecedented level of autonomy, but after Josip Broz Tito's death in 1980, Kosovo's autonomy began to be questioned by Serbian politicians.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, Background
Following the 1981 riots in Kosovo, which the League of Communists of Kosovo declared to be a product of Albanian nationalism, Serbia reacted by a desire to reduce the power of the Albanians in the province, and promoted a campaign claiming that Serbs were being pushed out of the province primarily by the growing Albanian population and not the state of the economy. In November 1988, 2,000 Albanian miners protested for the preservation of autonomy by marching from the southern mines to Kosovo's capital Pristina with support from another 6,000 other citizens along the way.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, 1989 strikes
The League of Communists of Serbia under Slobodan Milošević engaged in a process of replacement of provincial leaders known as the "anti-bureaucratic revolution", whereby the local politicians were overthrown and replaced by Milošević loyalists. As the National Assembly of Serbia was preparing constitutional changes that would have formally reduced the level of provincial autonomy, about 1,350 Trepča miners began their underground hunger strike on 20 February 1989 with similar demands about the preservation of the region's autonomous status and the resignation of pro-Milošević politicians of Kosovo.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, 1989 strikes
After the announcement of the strike Linda Abrashi, daughter of the head of the mines contacted journalist Goran Milić, who set up interviews with the workers in the underground mines. As Milić considered the broadcast of the interviews by Belgrade TV unlikely, he managed to broadcast them with the assistance of another journalist Bane Vukašinović, who at that time was located in Skopje. After the broadcast, the heads of Belgrade TV ordered Milić to return to Belgrade and the miners' strike report was his last one from Kosovo.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, 1989 strikes
In Belgrade, media and Serbian politicians accused Azem Vllasi, a provincial leader of the League of Communists, as the instigator of the strikes, although he denied any involvement in the events. Milošević prepared a plan that would allow him to send police reinforcements to Kosovo, but his plan didn't have the majority vote needed by the other members of the federal Presidency of Yugoslavia. Stipe Šuvar negotiated with the miners as a representative of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia. After about a week, some 180 miners had been hospitalized.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, 1989 strikes
On the evening of 27 February 1989, Rahman Morina, Ali Shukriu and Husamedin Azemi, heads of the pro-Milošević faction in Kosovo, resigned. Late in the evening, the Presidency of Yugoslavia met and decided on "special measures" for Kosovo that effectively instituted an unrestricted state of emergency.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, 1989 strikes
Only 50 strikers were left, the ones who had barricaded themselves inside the "Stari trg" mine, at 850 m underground. At midnight, the Special Anti- Terrorist Unit descended through the fire escape shafts, as elevators were disabled, and started arresting the strikers.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, 1989 strikes
The aforementioned "special measures" prompted a move of 1,500 federal police troops under Serbian leadership to Kosovo, where they began a campaign of oppression of Kosovo Albanians or re-establishing a civil order.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, Aftermath
A day after the end of the strikes the Slovenian Committee for Human Rights and the Slovene Writers' Association held a mass meeting in Cankar Hall, where Serbian interventionism in Kosovo was condemned and support for the strikers was expressed. During the meeting Jožef Školč, head of the Slovene Youth Organization (SYO) compared the situation of the Albanians in Yugoslavia to that of the Jews during WWII, while Milan Kučan, head of the League of Communists of Slovenia labeled the strike as a defense of Yugoslavia.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, Aftermath
The SYO also introduced a badge based on the star of David with the text Kosovo My Homeland. In response against the Slovenian actions a protest that attracted about a million people was held in Belgrade, while the Association of Writers of Serbia (AWS) broke off its relations with the Slovene Writers' Association. The Belgrade protesters among others requested the cancellation of the resignation of Morina, Shukriu, Azemi and the arrest and execution of Vllasi. In protest the Albanian members of the AWS left the organization and accused the Serbian writers of support to the repression of Albanians.


1989 Kosovo miners' strike, Aftermath
About a month after the end of the strike the parliament of Kosovo was surrounded by tanks and the Serbian police and the deputies were brought in to vote for the effective revocation of the region's autonomy. Most of the Albanian deputies abstained in order to invalidate the process as a two-thirds majority was required for constitutional amendments, however, the amendments were declared passed. The region's provincial status was not formally abolished as Milošević needed its vote to gain influence in the federal presidency of Yugoslavia.


1989 Kvalserien
The 1989 Kvalserien was the 15th edition of the Kvalserien. It determined which team of the participating ones would play in the 1989–90 Elitserien season and which three teams would play in the 1989–90 Swedish Division 1 season.


1989 L.League
Statistics of L. League in the 1989 season. Shimizu FC Ladies won the championship.


1989 LFF Lyga
The 1989 LFF Lyga was the 68th season of the LFF Lyga football competition in Lithuania. It was contested by 16 teams, and Banga Kaunas won the championship.


1989 LPGA Championship
The 1989 LPGA Championship was held May 30 to June 2 at Jack Nicklaus Golf Center at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, a suburb northeast of Cincinnati. Played on the Grizzly Course, this was the 35th edition of the LPGA Championship.


1989 LPGA Championship
Nancy Lopez shot a final round 66 (−6) for 274 (−14), three strokes ahead of runner-up Ayako Okamoto, the third round leader.


1989 LPGA Championship
It was the last of three major titles for Lopez; all came on the Grizzly Course at the LPGA Championship.


1989 LPGA Championship
It was the also the last LPGA Championship at Kings Island, which had hosted twelve consecutive championships since 1978. The Kroger Senior Classic on the Senior PGA Tour replaced it in 1990.


1989 LPGA Tour
The 1989 LPGA Tour was the 40th season since the LPGA Tour officially began in 1950. The season ran from January 13 to November 5. The season consisted of 33 official money events. Betsy King won the most tournaments, six. She also led the money list with earnings of $654,132.


1989 LPGA Tour
There were seven first-time winners in 1989: Tina Barrett, Elaine Crosby, Allison Finney, Lori Garbacz, Tammie Green, Robin Hood, and Dottie Mochrie.


1989 LPGA Tour, Tournament results
The following table shows all the official money events for the 1989 season. "Date" is the ending date of the tournament. The numbers in parentheses after the winners' names are the number of wins they had on the tour up to and including that event. Majors are shown in bold.


1989 LSU Tigers football team
The 1989 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.


1989 La Flèche Wallonne
The 1989 La Flèche Wallonne was the 53rd edition of La Flèche Wallonne cycle race and was held on 12 April 1989. The race started in Spa and finished in Huy. The race was won by Claude Criquielion of the Hitachi team.


1989 Labatt Brier
The 1989 Labatt Brier, the Canadian men's curling championship, was held from March 5 to 12 at the Saskatchewan Place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.


1989 Labatt Brier
Pat Ryan of Alberta defeated Rick Folk of British Columbia to win his second Brier.


1989 Labatt Brier, "The Ryan Express"
Pat Ryan's team was well known for its hitting style. Once they got the lead, the team would just peel off every opposition stone to win the game. This defensive strategy was heavily criticized for being boring. Whenever Ryan switched to this style of play, fans began shouting "bor-ing". However, the strategy worked for Ryan, who won the Brier. The score of the final game (3–2), remains the lowest total score for a final game in Brier history. This caused the implementation of the free guard zone a few years later to cause more offence in the game.


1989 Labatt Brier, Howard loses his voice
Also of note at the 1989 Brier was Ontario skip Russ Howard's loss of his voice. Howard was nicknamed "the Wounded Moose" for the way he screamed in the first few draws of the event. However, he would lose his voice by Tuesday, and could barely speak. So, the team opted to use Walkie-talkies to communicate with their skip. This went unnoticed until their walkie-talkie signals jammed the official's walkie-talkie signals.


1989 Labatt Brier, Howard loses his voice
The Canadian Curling Association (CCA) was quite upset about the matter, but Howard pointed out there was nothing in the rules against their usage, and insisted on continuing to use the walkie-talkies. So, the CCA decided midway through the event to ban the use of walkie-talkies, marking the first time that the rules had been changed in the middle of a tournament.


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Pat Ryan Third: Randy Ferbey Second: Don Walchuk Lead: Don McKenzie Alternate: Murray Ursulak


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Rick Folk Third: Bert Gretzinger Second: Rob Koffski Lead: Doug Smith Alternate: Fred Trussell


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Orest Meleschuk Third: John Usackis Second: John Hyrich Lead: Sean Meleschuk Alternate: Bob Lesko


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Gary Mitchell Third: Brian Dobson Second: Mark Armstrong Lead: Terry Roach Alternate: Arnie Dobson


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Lorne Henderson Third: Alex Smith Second: Peter Hollett Lead: Marc Brophy Alternate: Ken Thomas


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Al Hackner Third: Bill Adams Second: Jim Adams Lead: John Salo Alternate: Keith Dolph


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Ragnar Kamp Third: Bruce Lohnes Second: Rod McCarron Lead: Peter Neily Alternate: Ted Lohnes


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Russ Howard Third: Glenn Howard Second: Tim Belcourt Lead: Kent Carstairs Alternate: Larry Merkley


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Doug Weeks Third: Blair Weeks Second: Roy Rodd Lead: David Weeks Alternate: Allan Ledgerwood


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Pierre Charette Third: Andre Lafleur Second: Don Westphal Lead: Richard Bisson Alternate: Ted Butler


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Jim Packet Third: Bob Doerr Second: Lloyd Schmidt Lead: Dallas Duce Alternate: Peter Shykitka


1989 Labatt Brier, Teams
Skip : Al Delmage Third: Roy Giles Second: Bill Strain Lead: Ron Kapicki Alternate: Brad Robertson


1989 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election
Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet (more formally, its "Parliamentary Committee") occurred in November 1989. For these elections the Shadow Cabinet was expanded from 15 to 18 seats and, for the first time, MPs had to cast at least three votes for women.


1989 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election
In July 1989 Labour agreed to increase the number of places on the Shadow Cabinet and introduce positive discrimination to ensure more women were included. After considering several options for increasing the number of women in the Shadow Cabinet, the party voted for Llin Golding's proposal to require all MPs to cast at least three votes for women. As a result of these changes, the Shadow Cabinet elected in 1989 included four women for the first time.


1989 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election
In addition to the 18 members elected, the Leader (Neil Kinnock), Deputy Leader (Roy Hattersley), Labour Chief Whip (Derek Foster), Labour Leader in the House of Lords (Cledwyn Hughes), Chief Whip in the House of Lords (Thomas Ponsonby), House of Lords Shadow Cabinet representative (Joe Dean) and Chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party (Stanley Orme) were automatically members.


1989 Ladies European Tour
The 1989 Ladies European Tour was a series of golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place in 1989. The tournaments were sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET).


1989 Ladies European Tour, Tournaments
The table below shows the 1989 schedule. The numbers in brackets after the winners' names show the number of career wins they had on the Ladies European Tour up to and including that event. This is only shown for members of the tour.


1989 Lafayette Leopards football team
The 1989 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College during the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Lafayette tied for second in the Colonial League.


1989 Lafayette Leopards football team
In their ninth year under head coach Bill Russo, the Leopards compiled a 4–7 record. Frank Baur and Dwayne Norris were the team captains.


1989 Lafayette Leopards football team
The Leopards outscored opponents 319 to 249. Lafayette's 2–2 conference record tied for second in the five-team Colonial League standings.


1989 Lafayette Leopards football team
Lafayette played its home games at Fisher Field on College Hill in Easton, Pennsylvania.


1989 Lamar Cardinals football team
The 1989 Lamar Cardinals football season was the program's final season until reinstatement in 2010. The Cardinals played their home games at the on-campus Cardinal Stadium, now named Provost Umphrey Stadium. The program ended the season and the sport for over 20 years with a home game on November 18 against arch-rival McNeese State. The Cardinals won the game, 22–17.


1989 Lancashire County Council election
Elections to Lancashire County Council were held in May 1989.


1989 Lancashire County Council election, Results, By ward
Peter Billington resigned, and a by election was held on 13 June 1991.


1989 Lancashire County Council election, Results, By ward
Peter Britcliffe resigned on 1 February 1993, within three months of the 1993 County Elections. Therefore, no by election was held.


1989 Laotian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Laos on 26 March 1989, the first since 1972 and the first since the Communist takeover in 1975.


1989 Laotian parliamentary election
A total of 121 candidates contested the 79 seats. All candidates had to be approved by the Lao Front for National Construction, dominated by the Communist Lao People's Revolutionary Party; around two-thirds of candidates were LPRP members. The LPRP won 65 seats, with independents whose candidacies had been approved by the Front taking the remainder. Voter turnout was reported to be 98.4%.


1989 Larne Borough Council election
Elections to Larne Borough Council were held on 17 May 1989 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors.


1989 Larne Borough Council election, Districts results, Coast Road
1985: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Nationalist1989: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Nationalist1985-1989 Change: UUP gain from DUP


1989 Larne Borough Council election, Districts results, Larne Lough
1985: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP1989: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP1985-1989 Change: No change


1989 Larne Borough Council election, Districts results, Larne Town
1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance1989: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent1985-1989 Change: Independent gain from DUP


1989 Latvian SSR Higher League, Overview
It was contested by 17 teams, and RAF won the championship.


1989 League Legends Cup
The 1989 League Legends Cup is an annual rugby league match between NRL clubs the Canberra Raiders and the Wests Tigers. The match is played to commemorate the 1989 Grand Final, which has been called the greatest Grand Final ever. The grand final was actually between the Raiders and the Balmain Tigers, but since the Tigers merged with the Western Suburbs Magpies in 2000, the 1989 League Legend Cup match is played between the Raiders and the joint venture. The cup is contested only once per season, so in the years where the Raiders and Tigers are scheduled to meet twice, the clubs decide which of those two matches will decide the winner of the trophy. The first Cup match was in Round 5 of the 2008 NRL season.


1989 League of Ireland Cup Final
The 1989 League of Ireland Cup Final was the final match of the 1989–90 League of Ireland Cup, known as the Opel League Cup for sponsorship purposes, a knock-out association football competition contested annually by clubs affiliated with the League of Ireland. It took place on 9 November 1989 at Oriel Park in Dundalk, and was contested by Dundalk and Derry City. Dundalk won 4–1 in a penalty shoot-out, following a 1–1 draw after extra-time.


1989 League of Ireland Cup Final, Background
The League Cup was the first trophy of the 1989–90 League of Ireland season. The two sides' only previous meeting that season had been a 1–1 draw in the League of Ireland Premier Division. The match was the third time the two sides had met in cup finals in 18 months - Dundalk having defeated Derry in the 1988 FAI Cup Final and Derry having defeated Dundalk in the previous season's League Cup Final. The latter match was the first part of Derry's domestic Treble of League, FAI Cup and League Cup, which they had won the season before – the only team to have done so.


1989 League of Ireland Cup Final, Background
Dundalk had last won the League Cup three seasons earlier in 1986–87. They had won their group in the group-stage, then defeated Athlone Town (3–2), and St Patrick's Athletic (3–1) to reach the 1989 final.


1989 League of Ireland Cup Final, Match, Summary
Dundalk started strongly, and were awarded a 10th-minute penalty. But Joey Malone's spot-kick was saved by Derry goalkeeper, Tim Dalton. Minutes later Derry's Paul Doolin was shown a straight red card by referee John Spillane, after a clash with Dundalk's James Coll. Spillane had also made a number of controversial decisions in Dundalk's defeat of Derry in the 1988 FAI Cup Final. Despite being a man down, Derry took a 36th-minute lead through Felix Healy. Dundalk equalised a minute before half-time when Paul Newe fired a loose ball from a corner to the net. The sides couldn't be separated in the second half or in extra-time, with Derry defending resolutely. But in the resulting penalty shoot-out Derry missed two spot-kicks, while Dundalk scored four to take the victory and the League Cup for the fourth time.


1989 Lehigh Engineers football team
The 1989 Lehigh Engineers football team was an American football team that represented Lehigh University during the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Lehigh tied for last in the Colonial League.


1989 Lehigh Engineers football team
In their fourth year under head coach Hank Small, the Engineers compiled a 5–6 record. Vance Cassell and John Masonis were the team captains.


1989 Lehigh Engineers football team
Despite posting a losing record, the Engineers outscored opponents 371 to 360. Lehigh's 1–3 conference record tied for fourth in the five-team Colonial League standings.


1989 Lehigh Engineers football team
Lehigh played its home games at Goodman Stadium on the university's Goodman Campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.


1989 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill
A spill of the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia took place on 9 May 1989, following internal maneuverings by supporters of John Howard's long-time rival, Andrew Peacock. The spill was won by Andrew Peacock over John Howard by 44 votes to 27.


1989 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, Background
During 1988 Liberal Party President John Elliott was the subject of much leadership speculation which unminded John Howard's leadership. This ended after the seat which Elliott sort, Higgins didn't become available. In February, Elliott said confidentially to former leader and current Deputy leader Andrew Peacock, that he would support him in a leadership challenge against Howard.


1989 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, Background
A group of Peacock supporters, nicknamed "The Cardinals" worked behind the scenes for most of year to get the numbers to replace Howard with Peacock. By the time that former shadow minister Ian Macphee lost his preselection, it was decided that the time was right to move against Howard. Firstly Senate leader Fred Chaney, Peacock's first choice as deputy, was persuaded to reluctantly switch his support, then, Peacock, Chaney, and Chaney's Senate deputy Austin Lewis, being other members of the leadership team, informed Howard that 40 members wanted the matter of leadership raised at the next party meeting.


1989 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, Background
Despite being a key architect in Peacock's comeback, Wilson Tuckey stood for the deputy's position against Peacock's choice of deputy, Senator Chaney, but was eliminated in the first ballot.


1989 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, Aftermath
Fred Chaney successed Peacock as Deputy Leader. Declining Peacock's offer of Shadow Minister for Education, Howard went to the backbench and a new period of party disunity ensued which was highlighted by a Four Corners episode detailing the coup against Howard. In October Howard did accept an offer to return to the frontbench as Shadow Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce.


1989 Liberian Premier League, Overview
The 1989 Liberian Premier League comprised 16 teams, and Mighty Barrolle won the championship.


1989 Liberty Bowl
The 1989 Liberty Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game played on December 28, 1989, in Memphis, Tennessee. The 31st edition of the Liberty Bowl was contested between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Air Force Falcons.


1989 Liberty Bowl, Background
The Rebels finished tied for 4th in the Southeastern Conference while the Falcons finished 2nd in the Western Athletic Conference. This was the first year in which the winner of the Commander in Chief's Trophy received an automatic bid to the Liberty Bowl. The two teams had matched up before in 1983. Chucky Mullins (who had been paralyzed in a game just two months prior) visited the Ole Miss locker room prior to the game in his first visit outside the hospital prior to his injury.


1989 Liberty Bowl, Game summary, Fourth Quarter
Randy Baldwin rushed for 177 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns, and John Darnell passed for 19-of-33 for 261 yards and a touchdown.


1989 Liberty Bowl, Aftermath
The two teams would meet up three years later in the Liberty Bowl again.


1989 Liechtenstein general election
General elections were held in Liechtenstein on 3 and 5 March 1989. The result was a victory for the Patriotic Union, which won 13 of the 25 seats in the Landtag, which had been enlarged by 10 seats compared to the 1986 elections. Voter turnout was 90.88%. This was the first and only election contested by the Non-Party List, a political grouping attempting to prevent either the VU or FBP from forming a majority.


1989 Liechtenstein referendums
Four referendums were held in Liechtenstein during 1989. The first two were held on 19 March and concerned introducing referendums to decide on international treaties and amending the health insurance law. The treaty proposal was rejected by 56.8% of voters, whilst the health insurance law was approved by 59%. The third and fourth were held on 3 December on amending the sections of the constitution regarding the control of the justice administration and minority rights. Both were approved by voters.


1989 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season
Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito's 1989 season was the club's 59th year of existence, the 36th year in professional football and the 29th in the top level of professional football in Ecuador.


1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1
The 1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1 season is the inaugural season of Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1. A total of nine teams participated in the season.


1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1
The teams were based from nine best performing teams from 1988 Malaysian League season.


1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1
Under the new format, only the top six teams in Divisyen 1 and the Divisyen 2 champions and runners-up will be involved in the Malaysia Cup. Malaysia Cup was played from the quarter-final stage, scheduled for November after the league was finished. The Malaysia Cup quarter-final and semi-final matches will be played on a home and away basis.


1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1
The season kicked off on 1 July 1989. Selangor ended up the season by winning the title.


1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1, Teams
Nine teams competing in the first season of Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1.


1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 2
The 1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 2 season is the inaugural season of Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 2. A total of eight teams participated in the season.


1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 2
The division comprised the bottom eight teams from the 1988 Malaysian League season.


1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 2
Under the new format, only the top six teams in Divisyen 1 and the Divisyen 2 champions and runners-up will be involved in the Malaysia Cup. Malaysia Cup was played from the quarter-final stage, scheduled for November after the league was finished. The Malaysia Cup quarter-final and semi-final matches will be played on a home and away basis.


1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 2
The season kicked off on 1 July 1989. Perlis ended up the season by winning the title.


1989 Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 2, Teams
Eight teams competing in the first season of Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 2.


1989 Lilian Cup
The 1989 Lilian Cup was the 8th and final season of the competition. The four top placed teams from the previous season took part in the competition.


1989 Lilian Cup
The competition was held in as a straight knock-out competition, with the two top placed teams from the previous season being seeded. The semi-final was played on 11 October 1989 and the final on 28 November. For the first time since the competition began, no 3rd-place match was played.


1989 Lilian Cup
The competition was won by Hapoel Petah Tikva, who defeated Beitar Tel Aviv 4–2 in the final.


1989 Limavady Borough Council election
Elections to Limavady Borough Council were held on 17 May 1989 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors.


1989 Limavady Borough Council election, Districts results, Bellarena
1985: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP1989: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP1985–1989 Change: SDLP gain from DUP


1989 Limavady Borough Council election, Districts results, Benbradagh
1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP1989: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin1985–1989 Change: SDLP gain from Sinn Féin


1989 Limavady Borough Council election, Districts results, Limavady Town
1985: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP1989: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP1985–1989 Change: No change


1989 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
The 1989 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship was the 95th staging of the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Limerick County Board in 1887.


1989 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
On 10 September 1989, Ballybrown won the championship after a 4-10 to 2-09 defeat of Doon in the final. It was their first ever championship title.


1989 Lincolnshire County Council election
The 1989 Lincolnshire County Council election was held on Thursday, 4 May 1989. The whole council of 76 members was up for election and the election resulted in the Conservative Party retaining control of the council and winning the same number of seats as the previous election in 1985, with 39 seats.


1989 Lincolnshire County Council election, Results by division
Each electoral division returned one county councillor. The candidate elected to the council in each electoral division is shown in the table below. "Unopposed" indicates that the councillor was elected unopposed.


1989 Lion Cup
The 1989 Lion Cup was the seventh edition of the Lion Cup, the premier domestic rugby union knock-out competition in South Africa.


1989 Lion Cup, Teams
All 26 South African provincial teams took part in this competition. They were ranked as follows:


1989 Lion Cup, Competition
This competition was a knock-out competition. The four teams ranked 23 to 26 played each other in the Qualifying Round with the two winners advancing to Round One, where they  joined the teams ranked 9 to 22. These sixteen teams played in eight matches, with the winners advancing to Round Two, where the top 8 ranked teams will join. In Round Two, the sixteen remaining teams would be reduced to eight and would be followed by the Quarter Finals, Semi-Finals and the Final.


1989 Lipton International Players Championships
The 1989 Lipton International Players Championships was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 5th edition of the Miami Masters and was part of the 1989 Nabisco Grand Prix and of Category 5 of the 1989 WTA Tour. The tournament took place at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida in the United States from March 20 through April 3, 1989.


1989 Lipton International Players Championships, Finals, Men's Doubles
Jakob Hlasek /  Anders Järryd defeated  Jim Grabb /  Patrick McEnroe 6–3 (Grabb and McEnroe retired)


1989 Lipton International Players Championships, Finals, Women's Doubles
Jana Novotná /  Helena Suková defeated  Gigi Fernández /  Lori McNeil 7–6(7–5), 6–4


1989 Lipton International Players Championships – Men's Doubles
John Fitzgerald and Anders Järryd were the defending champions but only Järryd competed that year with Jakob Hlasek.


1989 Lipton International Players Championships – Men's Doubles
Hlasek and Järryd won the final 6–3 after Jim Grabb and Patrick McEnroe were forced to retire.


1989 Lipton International Players Championships – Men's Singles
Mats Wilander was the defending champion but lost in the third round to Alberto Mancini.