From the pages of the Down Recorder, May 8, 1973

8 May 2013

ELECTION — The only clear cut conclusion to be drawn from Wednesday’s nominations for the Down District Council is that the new form of government will have many new faces. Nominations for the first local government election for six years produced a field of 47 candidates for the 20 seats available.

Fewer than one third of the existing councillors, who represented the territory covered by the new Down district and currently administered by the Council Council, East Down and South Down rurals and Downpatrick and Newcastle urbans, have been nominated. These authorities will be dissolved at the end of September.

The SDLP, with 15 candidates, is the largest in the field. Neither the Unionists, with 11, nor Alliance, with 10, are seeking a majority. All the expected nominations along party lines took place much in accordance with predictions, but there were a few surprises — notably the appearance of five running on Republican Club tickets, five independents and one Vanguard Loyalist.

While few will readily make a forecast about the outcome of the poll, most speculation points to the Unionists as the bunch who have best done their homework on the number of candidates to put up. That’s if voting goes along party lines, but a big body of opinion feels that electors will vote on personalities and cut across political and religious lines.

KILLYLEAGH — A revolutionary new £100,000 extension to Killyleagh Flax Spinning Mill is heralding a new era in the linen industry. The new plant is capable of working 24 hours a day — the first time the mill has been able to do this since production first started.

The system — which is based around some of the most modern machinery available in Europe — has already enabled the factory to increase its male processing labour force by almost 30 per cent.

Mr. A. Taylor, company director, said this week: The new machinery represents part of the continuing process of modernisation at the firm.”

STRANGFORD — The discharging of raw sewage into the tide near the ferry slips at Strangford and Portaferry was strongly criticised by Mr. Richard Dougherty at yesterday’s meeting of Down County Council.

With the dissolution of the County Council in mind, Mr. Dougherty said it might be his last opportunity to protest about a situation which had been permitted to exist for 14 years, despite repeated requests from several bodies.

“For that length of time the Strangford Village Improvement Committee have had plans and money set aside for the construction of a modest swimming and paddling pool, but until the Ministry see fit to approve a new treatment system our hands are tied,” he said.

“Raw sewage in its most obnoxious form pours out only a few yards from the landing places and it depends on the wind and tide just how much of it adheres to the slipways.”

DOWNPATRICK — Downpatrick police are this week investigating an incident on Sunday night when a number of shots are believed to have been fired in the town. Shots were heard at 11.30pm by a number of people.

CASTLEWELLAN — A deputation from Down Education Committee has asked for a meeting with the education minister, Mr. William van Straubenzee, to discuss proposals to scrap plans for Castlewellan’s learner swimming pool.

The group will press for immediate reactivation of the pool scheme, which has been hanging fire for more than three years. The education committee first raised the matter with the ministry in February.

But a ministry reply recently said that the proposal being considered at present was to provide a public pool in Newcastle where facilities would be available for schoolchildren in Castlewellan and Newcastle areas.

The statement brought a sharp rebuke this week from deputation leader, Col. K. C. C. Smith, of Newcastle. “The ministry seems to have the thing muddled up. Newcastle wants a tourist job for the summer months, and they should have one. But there are about 1,000 secondary school children in the Castlewellan area. This provision of a learner pool is very necessary, particularly now that the school leaving age has been raised.”

CROSSGAR — Mr. George Smyth, of Drumaghlis Road, Crossgar, has been appointed as the new vice-principal of Ballynahinch Primary School. He succeeds Mr. Norris Hughes, recently appointed principal in place of Mr. James Paisley, who is retiring at the end of the summer term. For the past six years he has been teaching at Glenwood Primary School.

BALLYNAHINCH — A new county library at Ballynahinch is almost, it was reported to Down County Council yesterday at its half-yearly meeting. The library is being built beside the town’s war memorial on Main Street.

RADEMON — After 13 years as minister of Rademon Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, Rev. Charles M. Kelly said farewell on Sunday. The sacrament of Holy Communion was celebrated at the service, and at the conclusion of his address Mr. Kelly spoke of his happy association with the people of Rademon and thanked them for their generosity and great kindness which they had shown to him, his wife and daughters.

DARRAGH CROSS — The fact that Down and Connor Lay Retreat Organisation’s silver jubilee celebrations were held a year late didn’t bother the 200 people who came to St. Mochai’s Hall, Darragh Cross, on Thursday night. Representatives from every parish in the area joined local members for the celebration. Father Michael Brown, rector of Mount St. Clement’s, Clonard, and Father Pat Clancy, director of retreats, also attended.

The evening began with a concelebrated mass in the Church of Mary, Saintfield. Afterwards about 200 people crowded St. Mochai’s Hall for supper, cabaret and dance.

ARDGLASS — Officers and council elected at the recent annual meeting of Ardglass Golf Club were: president, A. L. Lowe; captain, R. J. Gill; past captain, P. J. Fitzsimons; vice-captain and competitions secretary, G. Mulhall; hon. secretary, P. Stewart; hon. treasurer, T. B. Bourke. Council members: R. Gilchrist, D. McDaniel, W. McNeilly, G. McClure, W. McStay, P. Magee, M. Taggart, C. G. Mooney, J. J. McEvoy and R. Logan.

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