From the pages of the Down Recorder, March 6, 1973

From the pages of the Down Recorder, March 6, 1973

6 March 2013

NEWCASTLE — Tonight’s dinner dance for 250 people at Newcastle’s Slieve Donard hotel will go ahead as planned, despite serious damage caused to the kitchen by a 50lb bomb blast on Wednesday night.

Mr. Bill Hastings, chairman of the Hastings Group, owners of the hotel, told the Recorder that as far as customers were concerned the service would be “as normal” after yesterday’s closedown for tidying up.

The bomb was discovered by a 13 year-old schoolboy, Kenneth Poland, of Dunwellan Park, who was playing football in the yard while waiting for his mother to finish work in the kitchen.

He said he was kicking the ball about when it lodged behind a box, which was covered with a blanket. “I was just nosey and lifted the blanket,” he said. “I saw stuff in a beer crate with a clock on top and wires coming out of it.”

Kenneth guessed what it was and ran to tell the head waiter, Bobby Coulter, and the kitchen staff. Only four people were eating in the dining room and there were 16 guests staying in the hotel. They were cleared from the building.

The bomb went off at 9.40. The door from the kitchen area was blasted across the dining room. Many windows were blown out, but the ornate plaster ceiling was barely marked. The kitchens were damaged, but not knocked out.

DOWNPATRICK — Residents of a Downpatrick housing estate are withholding rents in order to highlight what they consider to be unsatisfactory living conditions. Tenants at McKee’s Meadow, Church Street, complain that a modern under-floor heating system is not functioning properly and they feel electricity bills will be high.

“We’re just not getting any heat from this under-floor system,” complains Mr. Dorman Morrison. “But the electricity meters keep ticking away. I pity the old age pensioners. Some of them will have really high bills.”

BALLYKINLAR — A new headquarters, constructed at a cost of £250,000, for the 3rd (County Down) Battalion of the Ulster Defence Regiment, was officially opened by General Sir John Anderson at Ballykinlar on Saturday.

Sir John has been Colonel Commandant of the regiment since its formation almost three years ago and the new building has been named after him. The Anderson Centre is the first of its kind to be completed and occupied by a UDR battalion. Besides providing training and administrative accommodation, it also offers full facilities for ‘E’ Company, which is based at Ballykinlar and recruited from the area.

General Anderson said that for the UDR to be effective it must not only be operationally efficient, but must be accepted by the whole community as being absolutely impartial.

CASTLEWELLAN — This week’s general election in Eire has had a certain interest for the residents of Castlewellan because two of the candidates in the field have strong local connections.

Dr. Maire Walsh, who was born in the Falls area of Belfast, is the Irish Labour Party’s standard bearer in the Dublin North County constituency. Shortly after she was born — her maiden name is Kearney — the family moved to Castlewellan.

By a strange coincidence, the other Northerner fighting the election was born in Castlewellan. Des Ferguson, a 40 year-old teacher, stood as an Independent Republican in Co. Meath. Like Premier Jack Lynch, he achieved fame on the hurling field, with the Dublin county senior team

COMBER — A Saintfield dog owner had outstanding success at the Welsh Corgi Club of Ulster championship show at the Andrew Memorial Hall, Comber, on Saturday.

The Longwood Cup for the best Irish-bred dog or bitch was won by Eglantine Porthos, owned by Mr. and Mrs. W. J. F. Biggerstaff, of Eglantine, Lessans, Saintfield, who also took the Erskine Cup with Eglantine Coral. The Craigy Cor Cup was won by Eastleigh’s Taramoss, shown by Mrs. T. Bothwell, of Eastleigh, Lisdoonan, Saintfield.

BALLYNAHINCH — A new venture got off to a flying start in Ballynahinch last week when the newly formed gardening club held its first meeting in the Technical College. Over 60 enthusiasts heard Mr. Leslie Slinger, of the Slieve Donard Nursery, described the plants of his choice in a lecture illustrated by a magnificent series of coloured slides.

KILMORE — A film entitled ‘The Singapore Story’ was shown in Kilmore Church Hall on Sunday night last in the monthly Fellowship Hour. The film depicted life in a Japanese prison camp in which the star, a prisoner of war, practised his Christian teaching to such good purpose that many, including his captors, turned from paganism to Christianity. That former prisoner is now the Bishop of Birmingham.

SAINTFIELD — The inaugural meeting of Ballynahinch, Saintfield and Killyleagh district branch of the Alliance Party was held in Saintfield last week. The following officers were elected: chairman, Mr. W. B. Perceval-Price, hon. secretary, Mr. J. Morton; hon. treasurers, Mrs. P. Cross and Mrs. Andrews. Committee: Mrs. C. Gotto, Col. D. Rowan-Hamilton, Mrs. Mason, Mrs. Cochrane and Miss Jackson.

The meeting was addressed by Mr. Basil Glass, president the Alliance Party, who gave a talk on the work required by the branch to prepare for the referendum and the forthcoming elections.

KILLYLEAGH — Killyleagh GAA Club held its annual presentation dinner dance in the Donard Hotel, Newcastle, on Friday night. On display was the Shield won by the senior football team for being the most sporting team in the East Down section and the cup won by the camogie team in the Intermediate Championship. Guests included Mr. E. O’Toole, vice-chairman of the East Down League, and Miss O’Loughlin, chairman of the County Camogie Board. The special guest was the Rev. Fr. J. Moley, a former curate of Killyleagh, who presented the camogie team with their medals.

PORTAFERRY — The Portaferry designed and built Ruffian 23 is the yachting star of the Ulster Boat and Leisure Show, currently running at Belfast’s King’s Hall. The boat is designed by Billy Brown and is fitted out by Weatherly Yachts Ltd., Portaferry. It costs £1,780 in kit form. Alternatively, to buy the boat ready for the water there will be change out of £2,500.