From the pages of the Down Recorder, August 27, 1974

From the pages of the Down Recorder, August 27, 1974

27 August 2014

NEWCASTLE — Newcastle’s tourist trade has slumped so dramatically over the past year that local townspeople have formed an “action committee” to look after the development of amenities in the area.

The 20-strong town committee was formed at a public meeting in the Slieve Donard Hotel, which was attended by more than 100 people from a broad cross-section of the community.

Mr. John Toner, manager of the Slieve Donard Hotel, was elected chairman of the new committee. Mr. Turlough O’Hare agreed to accept the post of acting secretary. Mr. Christopher Bonny was appointed treasurer and Lt. Commander Bill Martin was nominated as the committee spokesman.

Mr. Toner said there was no place in Ireland with as much to offer as Newcastle and something should be done to halt the town’s slide.

Mr. O’Hare said: “The people of Newcastle have a big voice and should be listened to. We should have enough to make the council sit up and listen to us.”

Mr. John Mackie, a local jeweller, thought there were some things in the town which were hardly conducive to tourism. “The boating bond is a disgrace — kids are paying money for three inches of water,” he said.

Mrs. Constance Higgins, the local secretary of PACE, thought that Newcastle needed cleaned up. “Any day you are knee deep in litter outside the fire station. We also need more seats; other resorts have rows and rows of these, while we only have half-a-dozen. There are things that need to be done before you start planning swimming pools and so on,” she said.

DOWNPATRICK — A deputation from Downpatrick and Down Royal Race Clubs have put forward fears that if the Downpatrick track is forced to close there will be a loss of three days racing in the province. Under the leadership of pro-Assembly Unionist Major William Brownlow, the deputation informed the Minister of State, Lord Donaldson, that there would be a loss to breeders, trainers and the racing public.

Future development of the Maze would be severely curtailed due to the lack of an alternative course while it was closed. At present the two tracks at the Maze can only carry a minimum of 10 days racing. Consequently a completely new inside track would be required to carry the extra days at greater expense than maintaining Downpatrick as a “country course.”

BALLYMACARN — For more than half a century 73 year-old Hugh McCoubrey has been steeped in flax. Now he grows the only flax crop in Ulster — in his front garden!

In the heart of what was once renowned as flax country, the crop stands alone outside Mr. McCoubrey’s modern bungalow at Ballymacarn on the winding Castlewellan Road. The area is steeped in the history of the industry with its dams, old flax stores and scutching mills.

There are now no flax crops to be seen in the district, only Mr. McCoubrey’s little patch which he tends with care, gathering the seeds, preparing the ground and sowing again.

Mr. McCoubrey has to travel only six miles to Annsborough for evidence of the abandonment of an enterprise which, if it had been a success, might have brought new hope to the flax industry.

In Annsborough, the Irish Flax Development Co. was set up for the harvesting and processing of flax. More than £100,000 was sunk in the project and between 1968 and 1970 a large sum was paid out to farmers for flax. But the project did not become the success expected and it ceased.

Mr. McCoubrey said that the barrier to success had been the failure to develop a viable process of retting to replace the age-old method of leaving the flax in dams.

“A bad state of affairs indeed when cotton and man-made fibres are at a crisis stage and we are told that 30 countries in the world would buy Irish linen,” he said.

“At one time flax was the backbone of many farms here and a thriving weekly flax market in Ballynahinch, with scores of carts and the flax market there the largest almost in Ulster.”

KILLYLEAGH — Down District Council have agreed to take on the care and conservation of the Killowen graveyard, which contains the famous ‘Mary’s Stile’ at Killyleagh. This was agreed on the suggestion of Col. Denys Rowan-Hamilton after it was explained that the Ministry of Finance (Historic Monuments Branch) would be prepared to assume responsibility for the remains of the church if the council would look after the graveyard. The decision to comply with this request was unanimous.

BALLYCRUTTLE — For the eight families of St. Joseph’s Square, Ballycruttle, life these days isn’t altogether happy — in fact, there are three good reasons why they should feel irritated.

Despite several petitions to local authorities, their homes still have no bathrooms — they still have to use an outside toilet. If that’s not bad enough, the septic tank which serves the homes has been seeping badly and causes an “unbearable stench” on wash-days.

Just for good measure, wash-days for the housewives can be quite frequent because their children pick up a lot of mud playing on the square which, say the residents, should have been tarmacademed long ago.

One of the housewives, Mrs. Craig, who organised a petition which everyone signed two years ago, cannot understand why, after all this time, nothing has been done.

The grievances have been brought to the attention of the Housing Executive by local councillor Mr. Dermot Curran, who is anxious that action be taken immediately. “The entrance and square are certainly an eyesore and it is time these houses were given a bathroom.”

BALLYNAHINCH — Ballynahinch Pipe Band ran a successful band parade and marching congest at the Millbrook Field, the first to be held in the town for a number of years.

Eight local bands participated, namely Ballynahinch Silver, Drumadonald Accordion, Burren Pipe, Upper Crossgare Pipe, Temple Accordion, Hollymount Pipe, Sons of Ulster Accordion, Hollymount Pipe, Sons of Ulster Accordion and Drumlough Pipe. Mrs. Edward McVeigh presented the prizes.

CROSSGAR — The death of Mrs. Annie J. Hewitt took place at her home, 79 Killyleagh Street, Crossgar. In her 89th year, Mrs. Hewitt carried on the family grocery business following the death of her husband, Mr. John Hewitt, some years ago. She was a regular attender of Lissara Presbyterian Church where she took a great interest in PWA activities and supported the various youth organisations.

BALLYHORNAN — Ardglass police have appealed for information to help their investigations into break-ins to the dance hall and several shops in the Ballyhornan area.

ANNACLOY — A Datsun car, driven by Sean O’Neill, of Kircubbin, and a Morris Minor, driven by Thomas Rodgers, of Mullamore Drive, Drumaness, collided at Tullynacree Terrace, Annacloy. A third car, parked at the roadside, was also damaged. Mrs. Kathleen Rodgers, a passenger in the Minor, was taken to Downe Hospital, but was later released.

SAINTFIELD — Getting the pre-wedding treatment from her colleagues at the Superite Prices store in Downpatrick last week was 23 year-old check-out girl Sheila Rice, of Queen’s Park, Saintfield. Sheila meets her match tomorrow when she marries Kieran McKibben, of Main Street, Dundrum, a well known Dundrum soccer and Castlewellan gaelic footballer. The wedding will take place in Mary Mother of the Church, Saintfield.

BALLYGOWAN — A pressure group has been formed amongst farmers in the Ballygowan district because of the “disastrous conditions in which the farming community finds itself at the present time.” The group intends to fight for better returns from stock crops and investment and is appealing to all farmers for their support.