From the pages of the Down Recorder, February 21, 1978

From the pages of the Down Recorder, February 21, 1978

21 February 2018

DOWNPATRICK — Organisers of the St Patrick’s Day community bonanza in Downpatrick abandoned the project in the centre of a storm of protest this week.

The Downpatrick and District Community Committee handed over their plans for a day of celebrations and bowed out with fierce criticism ringing in their ears.

The celebrations are expected to be saved by Down Council’s Arts Committee, but their chairman, Mr Sean Quinn, did not accept the situation lightly.

In an outspoken attack, he blamed the community committee for being irresponsible in pulling out of the arrangements, leaving little time for the plans to be salvaged. “I don’t know who these people are and who they represent, but they certainly don’t represent the people of Downpatrick and district,” Mr Quinn said.

He pulled no punches as he launched into an attack on the community committee’s organisation. “They should have accepted the task with integrity and respect as befits out Patron Saint, but they quite clearly did not.

“The Arts Committee will try to do something with the project, but people must bear in mind the late stage at which this dumped in our laps.”

The community committee wrote to the council several weeks ago explaining that they “no longer had the resources of time or personnel to continue to organise the events around St Patrick’s Week.”

All agreed with Mr Quinn about the limited time available to organise the events, but felt efforts should be made to have a programme drawn up.

It’s not yet clear which events planned by the community committee will be affected, but a revised programme is likely to be drawn up within the next two weeks.

KILLYLEAGH — Residents in Killyleagh have condemned the town’s seafront as an eyesore and have asked Down Council to make it more attractive. In a petition presented to the council, the residents have asked that necessary steps be taken to tidy up the area.

Facilities such as parks for cars and boats, lawns with more seats for visitors, a bowling green and gardens would help make the area more attractive to tourists and residents, they say.

“Now is the time to act with so much demolition of old buildings going on due to redevelopment in the town,” the petition states. “New buildings and a new attractive seafront would create new interest and life in the community.”

BALLYNAHINCH — More than 700 families urgently want burial sites in Ballynahinch. The figure has put the town in line for Down district’s first public burying ground.

The demand for plots was unearthed in a Down Council survey which has prompted councillors to being an immediate search for land to site a graveyard.

The survey followed a request for ground from Ballynahinch clergymen who are anxious that the town and surrounding area is fast running out of land for burial plots. Local planners have already proposed a plot of land near Magheratimpany, but the landowners have already indicated their reluctance to sell.

Councillors agreed this seek to begin a search for new sites in the Ballynahinch area and later they will turn their attention to Downpatrick, where the problem is only slightly less urgent.

KILCLIEF — The Rotary Club of Great Britain and Ireland is to launch a fund-raising scheme to help provide facilities at Glebe House, the children’s holiday home at Kilclief run by the Harmony Community Trust.

Top members of the Rotary club visited Glebe House this week. The Rotary Club has already provided much financial aid for the home, but more is necessary.

Dr Mylda Armstrong, chairman of the management committee, said there was a strong need for shower and toilet facilities for children at the home. At the moment, for 24 children, there rare only two toilets, three wash-hand basins and one bath.

SPA — Spa Golf Club, which has one of the most popular nine-hole courses in Ireland, may soon be extended to 18 holes. The club is currently working on elaborate plans which could add a further nine holes to the course and provide members with a spanking new clubhouse.

At the moment progress hinges on two factors: a grant from the Department of Education to complete the work and the acquisition of the necessary land from the estates of Lord Clanwilliam.

Club secretary Mr Tom Murphy said the plans were still only in the exploratory stages. “Really we don’t know what is happening until we finish the negotiations over the land and we get the go-ahead from the Department,” he said.

However, Mr Murphy did reveal that detailed plans for the extension of the course have been drawn up. The extra nine holes cover some 58 acres and would join up the two ends of the present L-shaped course.

Spa Golf Club is extremely popular with golfers both locally and from further afield. The present waiting list stands at over 100 and more applications are being received each week.

BALLYGOWAN — An angry Ballygowan farmer has hit out at last week’s claim by huntsmen in North Down that they always abide by the wishes of local farmers.

Mr Stanley Porter, who farms over 100 acres at Ballycloughan, warned that in future horses and hounds will not be welcome on his land.

Mr Porter claims that last month members of North Down Harriers completely ignored a request from him to keep off his land because he was concerned at the high incidence of tuberculosis among cattle in the Ballygowan area.

“The next thing I knew was that the horses were chasing across one of my fields,” he said. “From now on there will be no more hunting allowed on my land.”

CASTLEWELLAN — More than 30 cyclists took part in a special cycle rally in Castlewellan on Saturday. The rally was organised by the King brothers, of the Mount Pleasant Trekking Centre, at Upper Clarkhill, and they intend calling a meeting soon to form an official cycling club in the area.

The brothers, Seamus and Patsy, were impressed by the reception given to their idea, particularly from the local young people who turned up in their numbers to take part in the rally. In fact, the young people were very keen and many girls were among the cyclists who took part.

The main guest was Mr Liam Rice, of Crossgar, who is the Ulster president of the National Cycling Assocation. Mr Rice brought along his son Pearce, the Ulster U-16 champion, who is expecting to go East Germany to race for Ireland.

DRUMAROAD — It was a fantastic night in Drumaroad Parochial Centre on Friday for the Down finals of the Scor 78 competition. The hall was packed for four hours of top class entertainment on a brilliant programme which saw the highest standard since the competition started ten years ago.

Carryduff and Rostrevor, with two wins each, topped the roll of honour and these Down winners now go forward to the Ulster semi-final in the Lyric Cinema, Castleblayney, in a week’s time.

BALLYKINLAR — A man was injured when his car struck a wall on the Commons Road, Ballykinlar, He is Thomas Greer, of Belfast, and he was taken to hospital where he received 29 stitches to his forehead.

DUNDRUM — Keown Cottage Industries, the Dundrum textile company, was among 20 Northern Ireland firms represented at a special display of menswear in the Ulster Office, London, earlier this week.

NEWCASTLE — The Ulster Hang Gliding Association has given the go-ahead to stage a championship at Newcastle during the summer. The gliders have already estimated that up to 150 flights will be made from Slieve Donard and they will cordon off an area of the beach.

DRUMANESS — A very large sum of money was stolen from the cab of a lorry which was parked in Drumaness. Detectives in Downpatrick are investigating.