From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 15, 1980

From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 15, 1980

15 January 2020

BALLYNAHINCH — Police believe that a professional gang were behind the drugs raid on a Ballynahinch chemist shop at the weekend.

The thieves smashed their way into Hannawin’s Medical Hall in Main Street through a skylight and forced open a door to get to the shop. They used a crowbar to prise the steel cabinet containing a store of dangerous drugs out of the wall. The cabinet was later found along the side of the Carrickmannon Road, near Ballygowan.

The drugs taken included heroin and cocaine, both of which are dangerous even in small doses. They are types of hard drug in big demand on the black market. Additives like glucose are used by drug pushers to multiply the volume and increase profits. Other drugs, including morphine and strychnine, were also taken.

The raid was the latest in a spate across the province and police fear that the addiction problem could be more serious than previously realised.

Police chiefs have backed chemists pressing for an urgent review of the Home Office regulations about the keeping of prescribed drugs in steel cabinets.

The present procedure is making things too easy for the thieves. It has meant that the hard drugs are all kept in the same place and the professional thief knows that.

Before 1973 regulations, chemists had better safeguards, even if it meant hiding the hard drugs on the general drugs shelves. It meant that thieves could not go straight to the security cabinet and other break it open or take it with them.

The head of the RUC’s drugs squad, Chief Inspective George McBride, said he agreed that there was an urgent need to re-examine safety procedures for storage of dangerous drugs.

DOWNPATRICK — Compensation for the destruction of St Patrick’s Hall in Downpatrick has been agreed — almost six years after it was destroyed by fire.

The trustees of St Patrick’s Parish were awarded £77,437 at Downpatrick Crown Court last Friday after a two-hour hearing.

The award was made in four parts, the bulk (48,309) being attributable to physical damage and the remainder split between loss of profits (15,574), contents (£12,054) and site value £1,500).

The claim had been before the court for over a year and was held up after the Northern Ireland Office disputed the amount of the parish’s claim for loss of profits.

On Friday counsel for the Northern Ireland Office argued that the hall trustees had not made a big enough effort to reduce lost profits. But this was strongly refuted by counsel for the hall trustees.

In a 15-minute summing up, the judge looked at the various points of the case. He said he felt the church had not acted unreasonably and that the trustees had done everything required of them under law.

STRANGFORD — A Strangford schoolboy will pack his bags later this year to take up a scholarship at a new college at Cambridge — with the long term prospects of becoming a Cambridge don.

He is 17 year-old Andrew McDowell, who is an A Level student at Down High School, and he learned this week that he was won an open exhibition to the famed university.

In academic terms he has won the equivalent of a junior scholarship and he will be among the first major intake at the new Robinson College.

Andrew already has nine O Levels and he sat the examination in November along with several thousand others.

In October he will pack his bags to concentrate on Mathematics at the college, with the scholarship being renewable after two years. His success is all the more remarkable because he is a year younger than most other candidates.

Andrew is studying A Level Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry at Down High. His father is Mr Alan McDowell, principal of Portaferry Primary School.

CASTLEWELLAN — A 45 year-old Castlewellan woman was awarded £98,200 compensation for the loss of both legs in a bomb blast three years ago at Belfast Recorders Court last week.

She is Miss Monica McCavera, who had been a chief buyer for a leading Dublin fashion store at the time of the explosion.

Miss McCavera, who had been visiting her family in Castlewellan, received her injuries when she was on a shopping trip to Belfast. The no-warning bomb exploded in Joy Street and as a consequence she lost both her legs.

ARDGLASS — Ardglass Castle, known locally as King’s Castle, has recently been sold, a spokesman for estate agency firm Osborne King and Megran has confirmed.

The sum involved and the new owners are not disclosed, but it is understood the 17th century, 14-bedroom castle will be turned into a hotel and restaurant.

The previous owners, Sean Tracey and his wife Bernadette, had planned to make the castle into a hotel and had obtained planning permission, but they have recently transferred their interest to another establishment.

Little is known about the history of the building, other than Percy French, the well-known Irish composer and painter, stayed there. Several of French’s best views across Ardglass harbour are said to have been painted from the castle.

NEWCASTLE — People suffering from acute and chronic diseases can now be treated at a unique new clinic in Newcastle.

The Shimna Valley Clinic, which was opened yesterday, has been established to treat the sick with the most advances therapies available in the field of natural therapeutics. It is being jointly sponsored by osteopath Mr Robin Boyd and a former patient, Mr Ronnie Herron.

“Patients will only be accepted if, in the judgement of the consultant, Mr Boyd, there is a high degree of certainty that improvement or cure is possible,” said Mr Herron.

“Osteopathy, homeopathy, herbal naturopathy and dietic control will be used. The emphasis at Shimna Valley will be on peace and tranquility. There is no hospital atmosphere,” he added.

SPA — Spa Young Farmers’ Club’s first meeting of the New Year was the annual ‘Exchange Talk’ and club member John Knipe filled the role admirably by giving an account of his travels to Canada last year as part of Northern Ireland’s representation in a three-month exchange visit.

John travelled to Canada in June, being one of two representatives from the province, and he gave an interesting and amusing talk on his visit, accompanied by some interesting slides.

KILLINCHY — Killinchy Young Farmers’ Club figured well in the group debating competition held in Knockbreda High School.

The 21-25 year-old group team of Johnston Morrow, David Hanna and Sharon White came first, while in the same age grop the other Killinchy team of Peter Morrow, David Robinson and Kevin Howell came second.

In the 16-18 years age group, the team of Yvonne Magowan, Katherine Kelly and Florence Armstrong finished runners-up and the team competing in the 14-16 age group, Laura Robinson, Jacqueline Kelly and David Martin, came second.

The winning team now goes forward to the NI final in March. The club would like to thank Mr Addy Morrow and Mr Robin Morrow, who coached the teams so successfully.

SHEEP — An outbreak of sheep scab has been confirmed in the Downpatrick area by the Department of Agriculture.

The outbreak occurred earlier this month and the Department report that infected sheep have been wandering on roads and lands in the area.

However, officials stress that known infected sheep have been dipped and the tracing of flocks which have been in contracted with the infected animals is continuing.

This week the Department issued an appeal to anyone seeing sheep showing the symptoms to report details to the local divisional veterinary office immediately. “We are not satisfied that all diseased sheep have been traced,” a spokesman added.