From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 1, 1980

From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 1, 1980

1 April 2020

BISHOPSCOURT — A coroner and an inquest jury have recommended that it should be more difficult for servicemen at stations like RAF Bishopscourt to obtain firearms.

The recommendation was made at the end of an inquest in Downpatrick on Friday into the death of a 20 year-old airman based himself at Bishopscourt, who shot himself in the head with a high velocity rifle last year.

Returning a verdict of suicide on Leading Aircraftman Jack Beale Hawkins, the jury of seven men and three men asked that their comments about the availability of firearms to servicemen should be brought to the attention of the authorities.

The coroner, Dr W Ritchie, felt that not enough care had been taken with firearms and he said Mr Hawkins’ death might have been avoided if he had been unable to get the firearm he used to shoot himself.

Earlier the coroner had been told about incidents leading up to the death of Mr Hawkins at the RAF base on August 28.

The day before he shot himself Mr Hawkins was told he had been passed over at a promotion board. On the day of his death he and three friends had been out drinking in a public house, which was out of bounds. They were to be put on a charge for this.

A colleague of Mr Hawkins told the jury he had seen Mr Hawkins as he went to the laundrette in the base. Mr Hawkins told him he had received a telephone call telling him he had not received his commission.

“He seemed very upset about this,” he said. “In all the time I knew him, I never saw him so depressed.”

SHRIGLEY — A defiant ‘we’ll ride the storm’ message dame this week from the 200-job tannery at Shrigley, near Killyleagh, now in the front line as a UK slump forces the closure of many English tanning factories.

The Shrigley tannery, the only one in Northern Ireland, has already set aside expansion plans in the belief that a trade revival will come.

Mr Leo McDonough, managing director of the Atlantic Tanning Company and Ulster Leather Co Ltd, said bluntly yesterday that the decline in the market will mean the closure of some factories, but not Atlantic Tanning.

“We are one of the best quality producers in the UK and if there is a mistake in an order it is easier to replace from Northern Ireland than South America.

“We view the situation with continuing concern as each month goes by with no improvement in the general economic climate, but we’re quietly confident that we’ll ride the storm.”

Atlantic Tanning makes mainly shoe leather for men’s and children’s shoes and some garment leather, the majority of which is exported to England and the Continent.

ARDGLASS — A team of top economists spent yesterday in Ardglass hearing details of a £1 million harbour investment package drawn up jointly by local businessman and Euro Mp John Hume.

Twenty-four hours earlier the package had been agreed by a group of major fish processors after intense three-hour negotiations involving Mr Hume and an SDLP delegation.

It has been a hectic week of activity for the small Co Down harbour and the timing of the EEC visit yesterday could not have been better.

The previous day Mr Hume was joined by local SDLP colleagues Eddie McGrady and Dermot Curran in a walkabout tour of the harbour, which ended with a private meeting with a group of local fish processors.

Mr Hume told the processors that the EEC was “carefully considering” the case for finance for Ardglass, but that parallel discussions will have to be started with the Department of Agriculture.

Mr Hume said: “The purpose of my visit today is to ensure that the fishing industry in Northern Ireland gets the full benefits from the EEC and, in particular, to ensure that Ardglass gets all it can.”

Mr Hume, a campaigner in Brussels for EEC attention to the fishing industry, promised afterwards he would fight the case for increased grants and investment for Ardglass.

BALLYNAHINCH — A Ballynahinch rally against public spending cuts ended as a wash-out yesterday.

The widespread response expected from both the public and private sectors failed to materialise with less than 150 people turning up to demonstrate against the high rate of unemployment and the Government’s economic policies.

Instead, life went on as normal in the town with buses running as normal. Shops remained open and banks continued to do business.

Much of the support for the rally came from workers at the Plessey factory in the town. It was from here the march set out for the rallying point at the Square.

DUNDRUM — A planning blight, which has prevented major private housing development in Dundrum within the last ten years, has been attacked this week.

Local councillor, Mr Jarlath Carey, is concerned that the village seems to have become a “sterile area for house building” because of planning department decisions.

Mr Carey said there were a limited number of sites for housing development in the village and he was “amazed and appalled” to see the planners rejecting an application for a development in one of the few areas where it is considered to be possible to build.

Newcastle councillor, Mr Paddy O’Donoghue, said he was disappointed at the planners for taking a hard line. He felt they were well aware of the difficulty in getting any land to build on in Dundrum, but they did not seem to be helping matters.

Mr George Worthington, chief planning officer, said planners would reconsider their decision. “I am sorry to learn that some councillors feel we are playing the straight statutory bat. I have been trying to impress on my staff the need for the fullest consultation with elected members,” he said.

DOWNPATRICK — Two sows and 17 young pigs were destroyed when fire broke out in an outhouse at Ballyhornan Road, Downpatrick, on Saturday. The fire, which is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, severely damaged the building. Downpatrick firemen were called to the scene, but were unable to save the animals.

NEWCASTLE — Newcastle and District Ladies Circle held a successful supper dance in the Burrendale Hotel on Friday night. The special guest was Mr  Gerry Kelly, from UTV, and he was accompanied by his wife, Helena.

Proceeds from the evening are to be donated to Cystic Fibrosis Research. The Circlers would like to thank everyone who attended the dance, all who donated the raffles so generously and the management of the Burrendale Hotel.

DROMARA — A Dromara teenager has qualified for the final of the Credit Union all-Ireland essay finals. Angela Moore, a pupil at  St Colman’s High School in Ballynahinch, won the local competition, organised by the Ballynahinch Credit Union with her essay ‘Youth and the Credit Union’.

Angela received her prize from Mrs Maura Hanna, vice-chairman of Ballynahinch Credit Union. Her essay will now represent the locality in the final. Second and third places in the local competition also went to St Colman’s pupils, Martina McGurk and Claire Fleming respectively.

SPA — The members of Spa Young Farmers Club held their final meeting of the season when they entertained their parents and friends with the distribution of annual awards.

The club secretary, Hilda Graham, said the past year had been one of the best in the club’s history and the number of new members had made it one of the largest in Co Down.

A varied and amusing programme by members fo the club was compered by Mr Norman McBriar. Mrs D Dodd, mother of the club leader, David Dodd, presented the awards.