From the pages of the Down Recorder, December 2, 1992

From the pages of the Down Recorder, December 2, 1992

30 November 2022

DOWNPATRICK – The future of a new £5m tourist attraction for Downpatrick will be known later this month, it has been revealed.

A feasibility study into draft plans for a major St Patrick’s Country Heritage Centre will be presented to the town’s Regeneration Project Board for discussion on December 17.

A second team of consultants, appointed to look primarily at the financial turnover and visitor figures of the proposed centre, are believed to be close to finalising their report.

Their study is examining the prediction contained in the draft report, that almost 152,000 would visit the centre in the first year, rising to almost 250,000 by 1997.

The feasibility study was ordered after regeneration officials expressed concern that the projected visitor figures may not be accurate.

A spokesman for the Downpatrick Project Office said it was still “early days” but confirmed that the feasibility study would either “confirm or reject” the figures contained in the draft report.

“Nothing definite has been decided, but we need to have a project on the table if the necessary finance becomes available. The project is designed to complement the Down County Museum, not detract from it,” said the spokesman.

The idea for the scheme was first mooted when consultants were asked to draw up proposals for the regeneration of the town. Work on the draft report commenced in January this year an the consultants were confident the far-reaching recommendations, if implemented, would stimulate and revitalise Downpatrick.

SEECONNELL – The Americans are coming to Co Down, thanks to the hard work of the Seeconnell Initiative.

Representatives from the Initiative have recently returned from America where they have forged a partnership with an American college which will bring scores of students and academics to the Seeconnell project near Castlewellan.

The new links have been forged with Our Lady of the Elms College  in Chicopee, Massachusetts and came about following a visit to America by Seeconnell stalwart, Mr John McGrady, and several of his colleagues.

College officials were so impressed by the case put across by the local delegation that they have agreed to visit Seeconnell in January formally launch this unique venture.

Among the plans already discussed are proposals to integrate interested students and academics into the Seeconnell project. They will come and stay in the restored traditional rural cottages and as part of a semester, will monitor and evaluate the effect in the local community of this rural development project.

BALLYNAHINCH –  After months of intensive campaigning, Ballynahinch Chamber of Commerce has won its battle for the provision of a new traffic management system in the town.

At tonight’s monthly meeting in the Ballynahinch Community Centre, Chamber president, Mr Billy Alexander, will tell traders that an “historic agreement” has been reached with the Department of the Environment.

It is over 18 months since the Chamber proposed changes to the town’s traffic management system and fresh from its victory, it has set its sights on another target.

All-day parkers in the Ballynahinch area are now in the firing line with chamber members gunning for their removal.

The final details of the historic deal, which paves the way for the introduction of the new traffic system, were thrashed out on Monday during a meeting with senior Roads Service officials in Downpatrick.

A number of Ballynahinch councillors also attended the meeting and were assured that the scheme would be high on next year’s priority list.

The new system will see the removal of the existing traffic lights at the Lisburn Street junction, closes to Main Street and outside Brennan’s shop in High Street.

They will be replaced by new roundabouts and when the system is put into place, motorists will be banned from turning right into Windmill Street from High Street.

Mr Alexander was “delighted” with the news and said the long campaign had been worthwhile. 

CARRICKMANNON – A major effort is being made to have St Joseph’s Church at Carrickmannon restored for Christmas after last week’s arson attack.

Last Sunday was the first in almost two centuries on which mass could not be said in the historic church.

Yesterday Fr Raymond Fulton was still awaiting estimates of restoration costs for submission to the Northern Ireland office.

He discovered the damage caused by an explosive device, which had been thrown through a stained glass window close to the altar when he arrived on Tuesday night to celebrate mass.

The presence of so much marble around the altar prevented the fire from spreading to the wooden roof and destroying the building.

Fr Fulton explained that while immense help had been given to cleaning up smoke damage, much of the work was of a specialist nature, requiring professional skills.

“The restoration of the marble is not yet assured,” he said.”It may have to be replaced, Furthermore, there is the restoration of vestments, the electricity and public address systems.

“We are continually updating the estimate  of costs, which we currently believe to be considerably more than £10,000.

The main difficulty is the inconvenience caused to parishioners by close of the building. To attend mass they have to travel up to six miles to either Saintfield or Crossgar.

BALLYKINLAR – A new full-time company of about 100 soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment is to be formed at Ballykinler, the army has revealed.

The formation of the new company, which will be part of the Third Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, is the final phase of a series of major alterations aimed at improving co-ordination between the various branches of the security forces.

The army has also revealed that the headquarters of the third battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment is to move from Ballykinler to Portadown.

The move coincides with the merger of the third and sixth battalions of the regiment to form the 3rd (Co Down and Armagh) battalion and will involve only minimum disruption to local operations.

The Ballyrkinler-Based regiment will take over operational responsibilities for supporting the RUC in G Division which stretches from Newtownards in the north to Kilkeel in the south.

“These changes only involve battalion headquarters and administrative staff, a small number of whom will be asked to work in a different location,” said an army spokesman. “The work of soldiers on patrol at company level will continue just as before.

BISHOPSCOURT – Efforts to turn the former RAF base at Bishopscourt into one of the top motorsport venues in the British Isles have been given a major boost this week.

The 1.8 miles Bishopscourt track has been passed fit to stage kart and car sprint racing next year.

The seal of approval was given by Derek Ongaro, the UK’s top safety inspector who visited the track on Monday.

Mr Ongaro, a former starter of Formula Grand Prix races, walked the length of the track accompanied by owners David Beattie and John Giffin.

Afterwards, Mr Giffin said he was delighted by the response and also revealed details of a major upgrading programme at Bishopscourt over the winter months.

“He was extremely impressed with what he saw. He couldn’t believe the potential of what we have here at Bishopscourt, although he pointed out some areas which could be improved,” Mr Giffin said.