From the pages of the Down Recorder, March 13, 1973

From the pages of the Down Recorder, March 13, 1973

14 March 2013

DOWNPATRICK — There is a widespread sense of shame at the burning of jumps on the eve of Downpatrick Race Club’s Harp Lager Ulster National meeting.

Perhaps the most disappointed man was the registrar, Mr. Barry Ross, who was deeply dismayed that politics should interfere in sport. “The north and south are very united in sport, especially in horse racing, and this saddens me,” he said.

The blaze was first seen by a Vianstown Road resident who called the police. Firemen dealt with outbreaks at two jumps about halfway round the course.

Of two other jumps burned the night before the August bank holiday meeting, only one had been rebuilt, so the course was without three jumps on Wednesday.

The Provisional IRA had issued a warning that the course had been booby-trapped, but after two searches soldiers could not find anything but matches and containers which had been used to carry inflammable liquid. The Provisionals has also warned southern horse breeders not to come to the meeting as their vehicles would be hijacked on the way.

BALLYGOWAN — Police are anxious to obtain information which could lead to the arrest of thieves who stole over £400 worth of furniture and ornaments from a temporary unoccupied home. Mrs. Martha Boucher had been away from her Tullygirvan, Ballygowan, home for about ten days and on her return found that it had been burgled.

The thieves had broken a window in the front door and taken away a new Chesterfield suite, several silver and brass ornaments, some china and lustre ware.

BALLYNAHINCH — The mother of a two hours-old baby girl found abandoned on a pavement in Ballynahinch on Saturday is asked to come forward to the welfare authorities for help.

The 5lb baby girl was found at 6.50pm wrapped in a green cardigan, white shirt and white shawl. Dr. F. J. O’Hare was contacted and he had the baby sent to Hardy Greer maternity unit in Downpatrick.

The infant was found opposite the Roman Catholic church in Church Street where a baby boy was found in June 1971. The mother was never found and the baby was taken into care by church welfare authorities.

CASTLEWELLAN — A Castlewellan man whose left eye was seriously injured when he was working on the construction of the Europa Hotel, Belfast, on September 3, 1970, was awarded agreed damages of £7,000 in the High Court this week.

He is Arthur O’Hare, of Ballymagreehan, and he sued his employers, Farrans Ltd., building and civil engineering contractors, Dunmurry. Mr. O’Hare was going between two lift shafts when another employee struck him on the eye with a steel bar. The eye was injured with vision considerably reduced.

KILLYLEAGH — Four Killyleagh Scouts, Glenn Houston, Derek Houston, David Moore and Alan Marshall, set out from Killyleagh Parish Church Hall to do their twelve-mile hike for part of the Advanced Scout Standard. They walked to Crossgar, then along the Downpatrick Road to Inch Scout Hall and into Mr. H. Matthews’ farm. There the boys camped overnight in a field and made their way back to Killyleagh next morning.

CROSSGAR — A most successful daffodil tea was held in the War Memorial Hall on Thursday evening when a large number of friends were entertained to a lovely supper, followed by a musical programme by the Crossgar junior singers and linnets, under their conductor, Mrs. R. McKillen, who also rendered a solo. Gifts were handed over to the conductor and Mrs. H. King, pianist, as a token of the children’s appreciation.

RALEAGH — Mr. Hugh Newell, of Raleagh, owns a ewe which gave birth to five lambs. Four of the quins are still alive and doing well, two being reared by their mother and the other two are thriving with a foster mother.

KILLOUGH — Mrs. Dita Ash is holding a special musical evening in Killough House on March 16. The special guest will be Anna Kurton. A raffle will be held in aid of Downe Hospital.

SAINTFIELD — A 79 year-old lady presented Saintfield Church of Ireland parish with a worked thread cloth as her contribution towards the parish hall building fund. Parishioners were asked to guess how long it took Mrs. A. Butler, of Dromore, to complete the cloth and £44 was realised for the building fund. The lucky winner was Mr. Desmond Welsh, of Downpatrick Street, Saintfield. And the time it took? Eight weeks, three days and three-and-a-half hours, or 258 hours and 30 minutes.

COMBER — The Northern Ireland branch of the Scottish Pipe Band Association held a solo piping contest in the Andrews Memorial Hall, Comber, on Saturday last, and it was well attended by competitors and spectators. During the presentations it was a great honour for Pipe Major Joe McAdam to see Thomas Tate, of Ballynahinch, receive the prize for the youngest competitor.

NEWCASTLE — More than 300 bird lovers from all parts of Ireland and from England and Scotland met at a conference in Newcastle last weekend to discuss a wide variety of topics including forestry, the impact of vermin on bird life, bird conservancy and wildlife in general. This is the seventh all-Ireland bird conference of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Irish Wild Birds Conservancy.

The conference organiser, Mr. Bryan Coburn, the society’s Irish regional representative, who lives in Downpatrick, says there has been an amazing upsurge in the study of birds and the countryside.

CROSSGAR — Crossgar company of the Boys’ Brigade came second in the final of the Down battalion physical education competition held in Ballynahinch Secondary School on Friday. The Rev. C. W. McKinney, battalion president, chaired the event and welcomed the teams and the judges.

DOWNPATRICK — Some 500 young people from the main churches are to hold a night-long vigil for peace in Downpatrick. The vigil, starting late on Friday, March 16, and lasting until Saturday morning, is to be held outside Down Cathedral. A spokesman for the Church of Ireland said the vigil will be “a night for thought, discussion and prayer on our present situation.”