From the pages of the Down Recorder, November 16, 1994

From the pages of the Down Recorder, November 16, 1994

13 November 2024

CROSSGAR – A Crossgar woman, who touched the hearts of people on both sides of the border with the dignity she displayed following the murder of her husband, has won a major award.

Last night at Dublin’s Burlington Hotel, Mrs Jean Withers was presented with the Woman of the Year award during a live broadcast on RTE television.

Mrs Withers was nominated for the award by media representatives and was thrilled to receive the accolade during the Profile of the Year programme.

Last August, Mrs Withers’ husband, Trelford, who was a part-time member of the Royal Irish Regiment, was murdered by a lone IRA gunman as he worked in his butcher’s shop in the village.

Tragically, he was the last IRA murder victim in the province and his death came two weeks before the terror organisation announced a ceasefire.

During her husband’s funeral, Mrs Withers paid her own personal tribute to him and her calming words were beamed all over the world.

DOWNPATRICK – Down Council is on the verge of a dramatic U-turn by providing financial backing for the proposed St Patrick’s visitor centre in Downpatrick.

Despite repeated assurances that the £5m scheme will not cost local ratepayers a single penny, councillors have agreed in a behind-closed-doors meeting to commit £500,000 to the project which has created a wave of controversy.

The council has already agreed to donate the site at The Grove, which is worth an estimated £200,000, to Downpatrick’s Project Board officials who view the Visitor’s Centre scheme as the core of the town’s regeneration initiative.

Two weeks ago, officials at the town’s Project Office said they hoped the council’s only role would be to provide the land for the scheme to proceed, but it appears things have changed dramatically since then.

CARRICKMANNON – A Co Down priest, with a rather unusual hobby, is planning to raise £10,000 for his church.

Fr Raymond Fulton, a curate at St Joseph’s Church in Carrickmannon, has a keen interest in dog racing and has organised a special fundraising greyhound meeting to benefit the church.

The event, which will include food and entertainment, will be held in Dundalk stadium in the New Year and Fr Fulton is hoping people will sponsor the races to help the church.

Fr Fulton, the son of famous Belfast Celtic footballer Bertie Fulton, first became involved in greyhound racing six years ago when he joined Carrickmannon.

“Carrickmannon is a country church and has the facilities to allow me to keep my five dogs,” he explained.

Although his time is limited, as his vocation comes first, Fr Fulton still owns the top sprinter in Ireland – the ‘King of Dundalk’ Claude Rains, named after the actor in the film Casablanca.

ARDGLASS – The controversy surrounding the release of untreated sewage into an Ardglass river last month has taken a new turn.

South Down MP Eddie McGrady has claimed workmen from two government departments were prevented from tackling the problem at the Mill River by “self-appointed representatives” who live nearby.

Mr McGrady’s intervention in the long-running saga is the latest twist in an increasingly acrimonious debate which came to a head several weeks ago when sewage was released from a pumping station into the river.

In a statement issued this week, Mr McGrady explained that he first became involved in the matter back in 1991 when he was approached by residents from the nearby Seaview housing estate who were concerned about the smell emanating from the river.

STRANGFORD – A young Strangford man owes his life to the bravery of a Newcastle father-of-three, who rescued him from a blazing car.

Paul Smyth, from Newcastle’s Shimna Road, managed to drag Nigel Kelly from his overturned car, which had crashed on Downpatrick’s Ballydugan Road on September 25, last year.

The car, which was already on fire, exploded moments after Mr Smyth dragged the injured man to safety.

The early morning crash and Mr Smith’s quick actions were recalled on Monday night at an award ceremony in Downpatrick RUC station, when Mr Smith and two policemen were presented with bravery awards.

NEWCASTLE – A Newcastle mother, whose home was virtually surrounded by water after heavy weekend rainfall, was forced to push her handicapped daughter in a wheelchair through a flood.

Serious flooding means that Bernagh Green resident Kitty McMullan and her husband, John, have to carry their 25 year-old daughter, Deirdre, from the house when they want to go out.

Although Deirdre is able to walk short distances, she uses a wheelchair for longer journeys and the couple, who have been living in the estate for 23 years, are now having to continually push her through several inches of water which surround the house after prolonged rainfall.

They are furious that nothing has been done about the flooding, which is becoming a weekly problem.

Mrs McMullan said that her 84 year-old neighbour is housebound until the floods subside and yet no-one has taken any action.

DOWNPATRICK – Work on Down High School’s new £1m science and technology block could be temporarily halted after a maze of underground tunnels was discovered by workmen yesterday morning.

The tunnels were uncovered below the site of the former swimming pool as workmen were digging foundations for the new development, which is scheduled to be completed next spring.

Several workmen investigated the historic tunnels but did not venture too far along to discover how far underground they go and where they lead to.

Officials from the Down County Museum also inspected the tunnels along with representatives from the Department of Environment’s Historic Buildings and Monuments Branch.

They are keen that work is suspended until they can carry out a full investigation.

ARDGLASS – Two local men, who are recovering from major heart surgery, have set up a unique self-help group to help other sufferers and their families on the road to recovery.

Dick Shannon and Tommy Smyth have both undergone heart surgery, but refuse to allow the illness to dominate their lives.

Instead of sitting back and taking it easy, both men, who live in High Green, are using their experience to help others in a similar situation.

During their recovery period when they both had to walk several miles a day, the pair met up with each other on the road and relised that they needed the support and encouragement of other coronary and stroke patients.

KILLOUGH – Ambitious plans to breathe new life into Killough have been presented to European Union officials in a bid to secure cash from its ceasefire initiative.

Although the details of the schemes are still under wraps it is believed they concentrate on stimulating the economy, developing community spirit and promoting the seaside village’s tourist potential.

The plans, drawn up by Killough Community Association, are an effort to make the village a thriving, vibrant place, according to its vice-chairman, Mr Bobby George.

European funds totalling £300m were promised by EU president, Jacques Delors following the IRA and loyalist ceasefires. He set up a special task force and its advisors were in Belfast recently to identify suitable projects.

A draft copy of the proposals was handed over by Mr George, who claims that the initiatives will exploit natural resources.

BRYANSFORD – A Bryansford bloodhound is set to be a movie star after appearing alongside Hollywood heart-throb Mel Gibson.

Bosun the bloodhound was recently given a VIP trip to Dublin to appear in the superstar actor’s new movie, Braveheart, which was filmed in the Wicklow Hills during August.

Bosun is one of a pack of bloodhounds owned by the newly-formed Down Farmers’ Hunt and he was invited to audition before the cameras after the Braveheart producers needed another hound to make up a pack of ten for the movie.