Celebrated journalist visits Ballynahinch for research

Celebrated journalist visits Ballynahinch for research

1 May 2013

A NEWCASTLE man who became one of Ireland’s most distinguished foreign correspondents was in Ballynahinch last week working on a new project.

Conor O’Clery, who has now retired after a celebrated career with the Irish Times, visited the market town to carry out research for a new book on the 1798 rebellion in Ulster.

During his time as a foreign correspondent O’Clery personally witnessed the fall of the Soviet Union in Moscow in 1991 and the collapse of the twin towers in New York after the Al-Qaeda terrorist attack in 2001.

Retired from journalism, O’Clery is still writing and made the trip to Ballynahinch to visit the scene of some of the battle sites from the 1798 rebellion.

He was welcomed to the Montalto estate by David Anderson and met up with Ken Dawson, vice-principal of Down High School, a member of the Friends of Down County Museum and an expert on Co. Down in 1798.

O’Clery then visited the Dromara and Katesbridge area which was almost the scene of an early rebellion in 1797.