From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 18, 1978

From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 18, 1978

18 April 2018

DOWNPATRICK — A Downpatrick family, whose home was extensively damaged by fire on Friday, have been offered new accommodation by the Housing Executive.

Mr Cathal Connolly, his wife and two children were forced to leave their home at 85 Strangford Road after a fire broke out on Friday afternoon.

Firemen were called out just after 3pm to fight the blaze, but were unable to save the building. A bedroom was completely gutted and the rest of the house suffered severe heat and smoke damage. Breathing apparatus was used to tackle the blaze.

Firemen were also called out on several other occasions during the week. They dealt with a chimney fire in Edward Street, Downpatrick, on Saturday and a car which caught fire after crashing near Killyleagh in the early hours of Sunday morning.

They were also called to a rubbish fire at Ardpatrick Avenue, Downpatrick, on Monday and a chimney fire at Sunday’s Well Road, Crossgar, on Wednesday.

ARDGLASS — An Ardglass businessman, Mr Cecil Browne, is on his way back from an all-expenses paid trip to Portugal. Mr Browne won his trip for his success in a Calor-Kosangas winter sales campaign and was able to take his wife, Irene, and son, Clarke, with him.

The Brownes, who run a grocer/hardware store in Ardglass, have been consistent winners of prizes in Calor-Kosangas sales campaigns.

In fact, a spokesman at Calor-Kosangas headquarters in Belfast said that Mr Browne had been a regular winner in campaigns and had a history of successes stretching over the last 20 years.

CLOUGH — A spokesman for the South Eastern Education and Library Board has denied rumours that Clough Primary School is being downgraded.

However, he admitted that one member of staff would be leaving soon and would not be replaced, but said this move was in keeping with present primary school education policy.

“With the fall in the birth rate and other factors, it becomes necessary to keep a ratio between the number of teachers and pupils,” he said.

With the general fall in enrolment of pupils in the area there has been a natural in the employment of extra teachers in primary schools.

“The number of staff in a primary school is directly related to the number of children. What will be happening at Clough Primary School is nothing out of the ordinary.”

ANNADORN — Mrs Heather Cowdy, from Annadorn, will be hoping that her delicious food the judges in Ulster Television’s new cookery competition to find the best host or hostess in 1978.

Mrs Cowdy is one of 12 finalists in the contest which is being screened on the See You Monday programme on Monday.

Each of the finalists won their way through from an entry of hundreds with their imaginative three-course party menus which had to make use of Ulster products. Last week at a massive ‘cook-in’, run in the Home Economics department of the Ulster College, their menus were put to the test by three discerning judges.

Mrs Cowdy, a 34 year-old housewife and mother-of-three, chose Ballotine Duck as her main course.

BALLYNAHINCH — Stray dogs have been attacking poultry in the Ballynahinch area over the past week. Three separate incidents were reported to police with a number of hens being killed in each instance.

The incidents were at Riverside Road last Wednesday, Windmill Gardens on Saturday and Windmill Lane on Monday. One dog was caught worrying the hens at Windmill Gardens, but in the other two cases the offending dogs escaped.

CASTLEWELLAN — Plans have been drawn up to build new public toilets in Castlewellan to replace those destroyed by a bomb several years ago.

The site for the new toilets is beside the Market House, though members of Down Council’s recreation and tourist committee have decided to look for possible alternative sites before they give the go-ahead for the plans.

BALLYGOWAN — Parents in Ballygowan have been complaining that young children in the area are thrown off the local football pitch when it is hired by outsiders.

They informed their local councillor, Mr Tom Gourley, who raised the matter at a meeting of Ards Borough Council this week.

Mr Gourley said the youngsters felt they were being mistreated and had been put off the pitch when teams from other areas hired it.

MURLOUGH —  A small group of young people from the International Voluntary Service Organisation were kept busy on Murlough Beach at the weekend clearing the dunes of buckthorn in preparation for the summer season. Eleven young people were involved in the project.

They cleared a large patch of the sand dunes of the weed and managed to use some of the buckthorn as a protective thatching on new pathways which the National Trust is creating at Murlough.

Last weekend’s project is the first of its kind at Murlough for several years. Although previously a regular occurrence, the working parties stopped coming because of the Troubles.

BALLYHORNAN — Down councillors are to begin negotiations for the acquisition of ground at Rocks Road, Ballyhornan, for the provision of a car park and picnic area. Their move comes as concern grows over the erosion of the bank leading to the beach, which is highly popular with holidaymakers during the summer.

Proposals for a council take-over of the area were made at a recent meeting of the council’s tourist and recreation committee.

The proposal has been given strong backing by local councillor John Ritchie, who said the area had been badly run down and pointed out that urgent maintenance work was necessary to provide the public with access to the beach.

NEWCASTLE — In the space of only three hours a bring-and-buy sale organised by Newcastle Women’s Institute raised £600 for kidney research.

The sale was held on Wednesday night in the Ardkeen Hotel and was in aid of Northern Ireland Kidney Research. Among those present were Mr and Mrs Don McCracken, local fund organisers, who wish to thank everyone who contributed towards the success of the evening.

PORTAFERRY — Pupils at St Columba’s High School in Portaferry have raised a record £740 for orphans in the Down diocese and other charities. The money was presented to Father Hugh Sharkey in the school on Thursday night, with £600 going to the orphans and £140 to Trocaire.

A teachers’ committee at the school was responsible for organising a number of activities to help pupils raise this impressive figure.

DUNDRUM — Agreement has been finally reached on there layout of Down Council’s proposed new coastal path in Dundrum.

This week members were told that a scheme had now been agreed for the path. Previous council plans had been delayed because of difficulties in getting land from the East Downshire Company. The new scheme will do without this ground.

CROSSGAR — A Crossgar farmer, Mr Hubert Gabbie, paid 550 guineas for a top Landrace boar at the annual Northern Ireland Landrace Pig Breeders show in Ballyclare. It was the top price for the champion boar.

DROMARA — Dromara GAC’s annual dinner dance took place on Thursday evening in the Park House Inn, Drumaness, and there was a large attendance.

Although the senior team did not win any silverware, the club were quite successful in other competitions. The Pat Cunningham Memorial Trophy for Club Personality of the Year, was presented to Mr Frank McEvoy, the club’s chairman, for his dedication  and hard work.