From the pages of the Down Recorder, July 24, 1979

From the pages of the Down Recorder, July 24, 1979

24 July 2019

KILLYLEAGH — A 20 year-old soldier who died in Downe Hospital after injuries received in an accident at Toye, near Killyleagh, was the fourth victim of the accident blackspot corner in recent years.

Private Ronald Stafford was returning to Ballykinlar Camp along with two colleagues in a Mini car when it collided with a Ford Escort travelling towards Comber at 3am on Saturday. He was taken to Downe Hospital where he died five hours later.

The other two soldiers were taken to the Ulster Hospital at Dundonald and placed in intensive care where they are seriously ill. The driver of the Escort was taken to Downe Hospital and detained with two broken lefts and a broken arm. Passengers in a third vehicle were treated for shock.

The dead man and his two colleagues were due to leave the province for Gibtraltar hours later, his parents in Sunderland were told shortly afterwards.

The blackspot has claimed four victims, the most recent being less than five years ago when a 19 year-old youth died. Less than 500 yards away a nine year-old schoolgirl was killed in November last year in a road accident.

It was this which prompted a Killyleagh Presbyterian minister, the Rev J C Boggs, to criticise the road as a constant death trap which was in need of improvement.

DOWNPATRICK — A Downpatrick woman had a narrow escape when her home at Glebetown Drive caught fire in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Mrs Betty Elmore had been in bed sleeping when she began to choke from smoke fumes and on investigating found that the living room was ablaze.

She sounded the alarm and local firemen arrived at the scene. They used breathing apparatus to fight the blaze and confined the fire damage to the living room. However, several of the other downstairs rooms were damaged by smoke.

It is believed the fire started in a chair in the living room. Mrs Elmore was in the house on her own as her three children were on holiday.

BALLYNAHINCH — Ballynahinch Road Safety Committee is alive and kicking. This week the committee’s secretary rapped Down councillors on the knuckles for thinking the committee was inactive and demanded the councillors should publish a statement to put the record straight.

The confusion arose at the council’s annual meeting several months ago when appointments were being made to a number of voluntary organisations in the area.

Several councillors claimed that during the previous two years they had never received notification of any meetings of the committee and believed it was no longer active.

In a letter to councillors this week, the committee secretary, Mrs Dorothy Walsh, explained that notifications had been sent to councillors, but were stopped when councillors did not attend for meetings.

She said: “As we get a very small allowance we have to watch our expenses. Unlike councillors our committee does not get paid for its work. It is voluntary.”

KILLOUGH — The closure of Killough brickworks, owned by Tyrone Poroton, was described this week as “disgusting”. The attack was made by Mr Eddie McGrady, who claimed there was no need for the closure and the resultant loss of jobs.

Mr McGrady told Down councillors at a meeting on Monday that he felt the closure was simply a transfer of operations to another part of the Tyrone company.

He said the Department of Commerce had poured thousands of pounds into the Killough venture and they should be asked for their views on the closure.

Mr McGrady claimed there was no likelihood of the Killojugh plant re-opening and he wanted a council deputation formed to meet Department of Commerce officials.

NEWCASTLE — Newcastle’s new lifeboat, the Jane Hay, which comes into service in October, sails today from Holyhead in Wales.

The lifeboat will sail Donaghadee, with an overnight stop in the Isle of Man, where she will be anchored alongside the Donaghadee lifeboat. The new boat, a 37 feet Oakley class, will be fitted out at Bangor boatyard.

The refit will be completed some time in October when the new boat will replace the present lifeboat, the 36 ft Liverpool class vessel, the William and Laura. The old boat will be placed in reserve.

Three of the Newcastle crew are in Holywood to form part of the passage crew. They are the station G Murphy, James Smith and Michael Leneghan junior.

DUNDRUM — A £253,000 scheme to provide modern playing fields in Dundrum has been rejected by local councillors as too costly.

This week the consultant engineers who devised the scheme were told to draw up another, “more appropriate to the council’s capital plan for the district.”

The engineers, who had spent several months carrying out trial borings at the site, had prepared a scheme with included full-size GAA and soccer pitches, a junior size soccer pitch, nets and hard training area for cricket, a grassed area to be used for training, changing and shower facilities for 100 sportsmen and car parking for 60 cars.

CASTLEWELLAN — Fresh hope for two textile firms in Castlewellan emerged this week with the leakage of news that the head of an interested firm has been in contact with the official receiver.

The receiver, Mr Noel Stewart, of Coopers and Lybrand, of Belfast, is the man heading the search for a new owner of two factories belonging to the Moss Lane Spinning Company.

He told the Recorder last week that he was drawing up a list of companies likely to be interested in the factories.

The fresh initiative with a mystery man could spell new hope for the 100 workers laid off earlier this month. It is believed that negotiations with the interested firm will start soon.

ARDGLASS — The decision to extend Ardglass Silver Herring Festival from a three-day event to a week of fun and enjoyment has proved to be a master switch by the organisers.

Although there are several days of the action-packed programme still to go, the indications are that the events will be equally well attended both by competitors and spectators.

The grand opening parade was one of the early highlights, although there was a little confusion as to where it was going start. However, when the problem was sorted out everything went smoothly and the hundreds gathered along the route were impressed.

CROSSGAR — Sir Robert Lowry, from Crossgar, took his seat in the House of Lords last week. Lord Lowry, the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, received his title in the Birthday Honours list. His sponsors were Lord Scarman and Lord Diplock, two men who had close associations with the province during the last ten years.

TYRELLA — Litter wardens have taken up patrol at Tyrella beach with orders to keep the area free of litter and speeding cars. The new wardens, who will be known as inspectors, are employed by Down District Council.

COMBER — Sixty-eight pupils of Comber High School sat the Northern Ireland Certificate of Secondary Education examination and the latest list of passes in the 17 subjects has been released. 

Thirteen pupils obtained grade one passes, these being equivalent to GCS O Level passes.

GAA — Down minor footballers regained the Ulster title at bright and sunny Clones on Sunday when they swept aside the challenge of holders Tyrone by 1-7 to 0-6 in a game that promised so much, but fell as flat as the proverbial pancake.

Reigning champions Tyrone failed in their strategy of spoiling tactics against a fitter, more balanced and greater footballing combination before a 35,000 crowd.

Down, full of confidence, played some delightful football and rode some very hard tackles to win much more convincingly than the four-point margin at the finish would suggest.