From Down Recorder July 24th, 1973

From Down Recorder July 24th, 1973

24 July 2013

ARDGLASS — Seventeen year-old Paul Ross’s quiet stroll around Ardglass harbour on Tuesday afternoon was interrupted when he became the hero of a dramatic rescue.

For there, flailing in the high tide, was 14 year-old Frankie Morgan who, seconds before Paul’s arrival, had slipped off an oil drum and fallen into the murky water, 12 feet deep at that point. Paul, of 3 The Ward, Ardglass, quickly discarded his shoes and dived in to haul the drowning boy to safety.

Paul told the Recorder that he was walking along the pier when he noticed a boy, fully clothed, floundering in the water. A number of other youths were shouting so he knew something was amiss.

“When I reached Frankie I was a bit worried that he would panic and make it difficult for me to bring him in,” he said. “However, he was quite calm. He put his arms around my neck and remained limp while I swam to the pier steps.

Frankie, a non-swimmer, had been playing on a 15 feet long oil drum which is tied to the pier. The continuous bobbing eventually dislodged and he fell into the water.

Paul, a joinery student at Downpatrick Technical College, is a keen swimmer. The scene of the rescue, however, was anything but a swimmer’s paradise. The water is choked with oil, grime and seaweed.

And what did Frankie think of his narrow escape. “I thought I was a gonner.”

DOWNPATRICK — Check that fiver in your pocket — it may be a forgery! That’s the warning issued by Downpatrick police this week after a bogus £5 note turned up in the district.

“It’s the first case of its kind we’ve had for years,” a police spokesman told the Recorder. it may be only an isolated instance, but you can never tell and it pays to be careful.”

The forgery is a passable imitation of a Bank of England note. The printing is slightly blurred and not so clearly defined as on a genuine note.

KILLYLEAGH — Killyleagh has been earmarked as the site for a massive £750,000 project for a specially built yacht harbour, the largest of its kind in Ireland.

Down County Council has accepted a consultant engineer’s report outlining proposals to construct a large marina which would make Killyleagh one of the most attractive centres for yachtsmen in the country.

The largest marina of this type in Ireland is at Carrick-on-Shannon where a £500,000 project is underway to cater for 500 boats. The Killyleagh project would accommodate up to 800 boats.

Among the proposals are a quay for the use of fare-paying passengers and fishing boats and the provision of at least 775 car parking spaces for visitors and boat owners. It is also planned to construct slipways, boatlift and cranage for craft of varying sizes. A number of buildings are envisaged for the site, including harbour control, a chandlery and marine supply store, a boat repair building and bars and restaurants.

According to the report, “the town of Killyleagh will benefit significantly from the numbers of visitors expected with the opening of the marina.”

There is only one hotel and several small cafes in the town and, says the report, there is room for expansion in this type of trade and others associated with tourism.

CASTLEWELLAN — A record crowd of over 10,000 attended Castlewellan Show Committee’s annual horse and agricultural event in the town’s forest park on Saturday. It was the committee’s seventh show and although the weather wasn’t too favourable the attendance soared above the figures for previous years.

Inspector I. J. McComiskey, show secretary, praised the work of a number of Castlewellan townspeople, including children, who volunteered a lot of work in the organisation of the show. He was delighted with the number of entries, although he was disappointed that in the cattle classes the Charolais were not well supported.

Other classes, while not as high as he would have liked, were satisfactory. “it is a great pity that the Mournes, well known for Blackface sheep, could not produce some of the animals for the show,” he said.

STRANGFORD — Strangford’s annual regatta and sports day on Wednesday attracted a large number of entries well supported by a record gallery of spectators. A total of 94 entries lined up for a full day’s racing which provided some keen tussles.

A cold Wednesday evening didn’t keep the numbers down at the children’s fancy dress and sports at the Harbour Square. Led by Saul pipe band, a large procession of fancy dressers paraded through the streets of the town and round to the Square.

BALLEE — Excellent weather permitted a good attendance at a garden fete held at the Manse, Ballee, by the joint congregations of Ballee and Clough Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Churches. The amount raised to date for church funds was approximately £300.

The highlights of the afternoon were three performances in the church hall by the concert group of young church members, who under the excellent direction of Miss Ann Hay, of Clough, produced a very colourful and professional entertainment. Other favourites were pony rides and bowling for a pig. The pig was won by Master Brian Denvir, of Ballee, and the winning ticket was drawn by Lady Anderson.

BALLYNAHINCH — Lodges of Ballynahinch and District LOL 17 paraded to the Congregational Church for their annual service, led by Magheraknock accordion and Upper Crossgare pipe bands. the service was conducted by the Rev. R. Courtney.

KILLINCHY — There was a good turnout of members at Killinchy YFC’s summer outing to the new park at Rostrevor. Members began a climb to Slieve Martin, but only a few of the more energetic types made it to the top, where the magnificent view more than rewarded their efforts. All this climbing gave them a good appetite for a most enjoyable tea at the Great Northern Hotel, Rostrevor.

CROSSGAR — Crossgar’s annual summer league kicked off in fine style this week with 14 teams participating in the two-league championship for boys and girls of the district. The highly successful series is organised by local soccer enthusiast Paul Teggart, who first started the league on a small, 30-yard bumpy pitch in the Westlands estate three years ago.