From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 20, 1976

From the pages of the Down Recorder, April 20, 1976

20 April 2016

KILLYLEAGH — Schoolchildren playing truant are breaking into houses unoccupied during the day, Mr W J Carruthers, the principal of Killyleagh Secondary School, has claimed. The police are aware that a large proportion of burglaries are committed by children who should be at school, he said.

Mr Carruthers made the startling claim at the school’s annual prize distribution and open evening recently when he told parents and friends of schoolchildren that attendances at the school had been giving cause for concern.

During the last school year the attendance rate was just over 90 per cent and for the calendar year 1975 the rate was almost 91 per cent. This meant that on average 24 pupils were absent every day with perhaps less than half having a genuine excuse for their absence.

From the school’s point of view the “mitchers” were losing a day’s lessons, but the far more disturbing aspect was the outbreak of crime, Mr Carruthers said.

The principal also hit out at some boys’ refusal to wear school uniform, saying they seemed to be adopting a “couldn’t care less attitude” and opting out of the moral, decent and law-abiding school society of which they should be a part. He linked those who did not wear school uniforms with the truants and the pupils who gave trouble in school.

CASTLEWELLAN — The Director of Public Prosecutions has ruled that there should be no prosecution in a case where, it is alleged, a four-man army patrol manhandled a Castlewellan man when arresting him at the family home on November 17 last year.

At the time the parents of the man claimed the four members off the patrol from the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment had assaulted their son before dragging him by the hair to a Land Rover and attacking him again.

The also claimed an RUC constable who accompanied the patrol could only look on as he was threatened with the same treatment.

The news of the decision has come from South Down MP, Mr Enoch Powell, who was concerned with the length of time which elapsed before he received a substantive reply from the DPP.

DOWNPATRICK — The Northern Ireland Police Authority have agreed in principle to sell a derelict site in Irish Street, Downpatrick, to the Housing Executive — almost four years after deciding the site was unsuitable on which to build a new police station.

This means that the three-year battle between local councillors, who have urged the sale of the site, and the Police Authority has come to a sudden end.

Down Council vice-chairman, Mr Edward McGrady, broke the news this week to the Downpatrick branch of the SDLP. He told them that the Authority had agreed in principle to sell the site to the Executive, although other public bodies were interested.

Mr McGrady, however, was critical of the delay in receiving a reply from the Police Authority. He explained that he had to “extract” a reply using the Northern Ireland Office and help from a Minister of State.

He was also critical of the lack of progress in tidying up a part of the town centre which had been an eyesore for such a long period.

“The Police Authority had taken a decision as early as 1972 that the site was unsuitable for them,” he said. “Yet they continue to sterilise this important piece of the town centre by refusing to dispose of it.

“This has resulted in a derelict waste within a residential area, causing unnecessary nuisance and ugliness.”

STRANGFORD — All sorts of records were broken in the brightest and best Easter holiday weather for 24 years (according to the Met men).

But at Strangford and Portaferry only one question had to be answered satisfactorily — how many cars and people could be ferried on Easter Monday now that two vessels can be in service together?

On Monday night the answer rang loud and clear — nearly 1,000 more cars than the previous best. It was the result of splendid team work, good organisation and good service.

Easter Monday has always been the busiest day of the year on the ferry. The previous best was achieved by one boat a couple of years ago. It totalled a shade more than 1,000.

This year with two boats — the second ferry only came into service last week — the figure jumped to 2,574. The two boats also carried 8,250 passengers. Each boat made six crossings per hour.

NEWCASTLE — Increased holiday pressure on Newcastle brought a 400 vehicle car park into operation well ahead of schedule. It is part of the big Castle Park development scheme which Enterprise Ulster should have complete within 18 months’ time.

The car park adjoining Shimna Road could have come into use at a better time. The town had more visitors over Easter than it had at any other time last year.

The new park will not be properly surfaced until completion of the new shelters and toilets nearby. The next plase of development, which should have a considerable effect on the future, will include enlargement of the pitch and putt course to 18 holes.

ARDGLASS — Ardglass Golf Club held a special ceremony to mark the opening of a new function room. The club captain, Mr J S Boyd, welcomed the large gathering of members and guests and said it gave him great pleasure to ask the past captain, Mr Cathal Mooney, to formally declare the new function room open.

Mr Mooney had been the driving force behind the whole idea during his year as captain and it was fitting that he should now perform the opening ceremony.

BALLYNAHINCH — Two members of First Ballynahinch Boys’ Brigade were presented with their President’s Badge, the second highest award in the movement, at the company’s annual display recently.

The two, Wilbert Lyons and Rodney Patterson, also received Duke of Edinburgh bronze awards. It is ten years since someone in the company last received the coveted President’s Badge.

CROSSGAR — Crossgar farmer, Mr James Gabbie, one of Northern Ireland’s most successful breeders of Large White pigs, has sold a six-month-old boar to an American breeder for £1,000 — the highest price paid for a pig in Northern Ireland.

The boar, Ballywoollen King David 47th, with the stamp of a champion, had been entered by Mr Gabbie for the Royal Ulster Show at Balmoral in May and also Saintfield Show.

KILLOUGH — An army technical officer was called to deal with a wartime Mills grenade which was found on a beach near the entrance to the Coastguard station in Killough. The grenade had been found by a man looking for shells on a beach.

LISTOODER — Listooder Orange Hall was packed for the Easter Monday night dance when members, their wives and friends danced to the music of Bailliesmills Dance Band. A ballot for a set of glasses and a box of biscuits was won by Mr Bertie Campbell and Mrs L Musgrave. They handed the prizes back to the lodge for auction.

LOUGHINISLAND — More than 60 parishioners of Loughinisland Parish were entertained by a number of artistes after a tea in St Macartan’s Hall on Sunday. Master of ceremonies was Vincent McGlew. Artistes taking part included Joyce McCoubrey, the Maddon family, the Dornan sisters, Sonny Leahy, Christy O’Prey, Colm Welsh, Hugh Dornan, Dessie Owen, Mrs Austin Killen and Seaforde YFC.

DROMARA — Harold Hook, the Pipe Major of Dromara Pipe Band, took first place in the senior grade piping section in the Ulster Solo Piping and Drumming championships at Banbridge.

In the senior grade drumming, Raymond Dickson, also of Dromara Pipe Band, finished second.