From the pages of the Down Recorder, September 19, 1978

From the pages of the Down Recorder, September 19, 1978

19 September 2018

DOWNPATRICK — Downpatrick’s old town hall is to be turned into a training centre for out of work teenagers in an exciting £500,000 initiative to combat the district’s growing youth unemployment problem.

Work has already begun on clearing the hall and the centre is to expected to be fully operational by January next year with room for up to 30 trainees. Organised by a newly named community group — Lecale Training Workshops Ltd — the scheme will cater for young people between the ages of 16 and 19.

Latest unemployment figures put the total number out of work in that age group in Down district at almost 500. The aim 

behind the new centre is to give them work experience and provide them with basic skills in a variety of jobs.

The idea for the new community group is the brainchild of Mr Bill Hampton, of Down District Trades Union Council. Lending a hand is Downpatrick man Mr Malachi Curran, who is head of the Department of Manpower Services in Northern Ireland.

“The whole idea has ben introduced to help young people who have been unemployed to prepare for work,” Mr Curran said. “It isn’t an apprenticeship, but rather is aimed at teaching them basic skills and perhaps helping them choose the type of career they want to follow.”

Mr Curran said that they hoped to be able to put anything up to 250 young people through the course inside five years.

CLOUGH — The death toll on a road outside Clough climbed to five in three years when a young motorcyclist was killed on Sunday. He was 19 year-old Andrew Stephen Martin, of Ascot Park in Belfast.

Mr Martin was involved in a head-on collision with a car at a spot known as the Rectory on the Ballykinlar-Clough Road. The accident happened at approximately 2pm and Mr Martin died about two hours later in Downe Hospital.

The driver of the car, who was a soldier based at Ballykinlar camp, was taken to the Downe, but was later transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast suffering from severe facial injuries.

Mr Frank Greeves, a local lorry driver, told the Recorder that it one of the most dangerous bends he had ever seen. He asked: “How many more lives have to be lost before something is done?”

A DoE spokesman said there were no plans to carry out work on the road.

STRANGFORD — A party of 130 mentally and physically handicapped children and young adults went cruising on Strangford Lough free of charge on Tuesday — courtesy of the Downpatrick Division of the DoE Roads Service.

The group’ aged between 12 and 25, came from the Downpatrick area and were accompanied by parents and volunteers. They left Strangford in the morning on the MV Portaferry to explore wildlife and points of interest on the lough.

The idea of the cruise originated with the staff of the Downpatrick Roads Division who realised that the ferry — often used for educational and pleasure cruises by many groups — was also ideally suited for use by handicapped people because of its ramps and high sides.

The crew for the outing worked their rest day without payment and the other overheads for running the boat were written off by the DoE as normal test running. Ready Mix concrete stepped in to provide refreshments.

Mr Ray Carter, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister with responsibility for the DoE, was there to see the children off on their cruise.

“This a fine and warming gesture by the crews of the ferries to give up their free time. I know to look at the happy faces around me that their kindness is very well received.”

KILLYLEAGH — A scheme to turn Killyleagh harbour into a boat and leisure centre has proved to be the straw which broke the back of a group of local residents. Already 104 residents have signed a petition against the scheme which has received outline planning permission.

Put forward by Mr Robert Morrow, a local coal merchant and businessman, it sets out his hopes to construct pontoon jetties, a clubhouse, toilet block, bar, restaurant, chandlery, workshop and car parking spaces.

The residents, while believing that there is an urgent need for the harbour to be brought up to an acceptable standard, feel that the scheme falls short of that is required and that it is likely to have a “most undesirable impact on the residential area surrounding the site.”

RATHMULLAN — The Rathmullan Mound is to stay — or at least the best part of it is. After four months of intensive archaeological digging, experts have ruled that the Mound is too valuable to be removed, though they have taken away the top section.

But although the Department of the environment has put a protection order on the site it will not be taking the Mound into public ownership in the way it has done with other ancient monuments.

That decision is expected to anger local historians and Down councillors, who have been battling to save the monument from demolition and who have called for it to be taken into public charge.

The Mound is a rath dating back to early Christian times, with evidence of five different settlements from 700 AD to the 16th century. The top section, which is Norman, has been removed, though all of the archaeologist’s findings have been carefully preserved.

One of the most exciting discoveries was a large souterrain, or underground passage. This 1,000 year-old chamber was used by early inhabitants of the area and is still as perfect in parts as it was when it was first built.

BALLYGOWAN — Female wrestling comes to Ballygowan in a big way tonight when Blackfoot Sue takes the ring at The Squire’s Inn.

The shapely wrestler from the USA gets to grips with another lady grappler, Manchester’s Miss Lena. The bout is sure to be the star attraction at this initial venture by the Ballygowan night spot.

But several other star bouts are on the programme, including world middleweight champion Adrian Street, Prince Jitsu and Bruce McDonald.

ARDGLASS — Hugh Duggan, the newly appointed progressional at Ardglass Golf Club, took up his position at the seaside club on Monday. Twenty four year-old Hugh, formerly attached to Kirkistown Castle Golf Club, becomes only the second professional golfer appointed to the club in its 84-year history.

His appointment, combined with many other improvements both on and off the course, has made Ardglass one of the most progressive clubs in Co Down.

BALLYNAHINCH — Ballynahinch piper Ian Jess took second place in the All-Ireland solo piping championships at Banbridge Technical College on Saturday.

Ian was placed second in the march section and third in the reel and strathspey section, but had to be content to finish runner-up behind Tom Anderson, from Dublin.

Ian is tutored by Joe McAdam, the pipe major at Ballynahinch, and is now regarded as one of the best pipers in the country.

KILMORE — A former pupil of Down High School has obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Lancaster. He is John James McIlhone, from Kilmore, Crossgar, who graduated with a second class honours BA division one in history.

In the junior section Richard Parkes, of Field Marshal Montgomery, came out on top.

SAINTFIELD — A woman was taken to hospital on Saturday night after two cars were involved in an accident on the Crossgar Road, Saintfield. The cars, a Ford Fiesta and a Ford Cortina, struck a wandering bullock on the road. The bullock was killed and the lady driver of the Fiesta was taken to hospital, though her injuries were not serious.