BALLYNAHINCH — More than 3,000 Apprentice Boys invaded sun-drenched Ballynahinch on Easter Monday for a big rally in the town.
Apprentice Boys from 40 clubs in Down, Antrim and Belfast, accompanied by 31 bands, took part in the parade to mark the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Ballynahinch branch.
Thousands lined the route from the assembly point on the Old Belfast Road to a field at Millbridge on the Downpatrick Road.
The speaker at the field was the Rev William Beattie, DUP deputy leader, and he told the audience that Loyalists would never yield to the SDLP proposal for power-sharing in government between Unionists and Republicans.
Mr Beattie said power-sharing was not only a dead duck since 1974 — it had now been cremated. He said that when Secretary of State Humphrey Atkins meets Eire Foreign Affairs spokesman Brian Lenihan in Dublin later this month, he should remember his Government’s pledge that the future of Northern Ireland was a matter for the people of Northern Ireland, her Majesty’s Government and the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Mr Beattie said Mr Lenihan should be warned that Loyalists would not tolerate interference by Eire in the internal affairs of Ulster in order to prop up the SDLP or in any SDLP proposals for power-sharing or a Council of Ireland.
“Mr Atkins should take note we will never surrender to any pressure from Dublin or London that would hasten the arrival of a united Ireland. We would rather die than submit to Republicans,” he declared.
DOWNPATRICK — Down Cathedral has been desecrated by vandals. The cathedral was entered on three occasions — on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Two collection boxes were forced open and the contents stolen. More than £45 was taken and police also found that the front door, which had been forced open, was badly damaged.
They also said excrement was littered around the balcony and that someone had urinated in the building.
STRANGFORD — The Strangford car ferry service experienced its busiest ever Easter period in its 11-year history. There was a marginal increase of 45 on last year’s record total of 5,861 cars carried across, although the number of passengers using both ferries ped from 13,601 last year to 12,415.
Inevitable delays developed in both Strangford and Portaferry as the two ferries tried to cope with the rush of motorists to the Ards Peninsula and Lecale coast.
Easter Sunday was a particularly busy day for the ferry crew with 1,471 cars and 2,974 passengers being carried across — a considerable increase on last year’s figures. Monday was again the busiest day of the year with a staggering 2,467 cars using the crossing and 5,896 passengers.
The ferry superintendent, Mr Louis Fitzsimons, paid tribute to the work of police in Strangford in keeping traffic moving. The new one-way system in the village also seemed to work well with little congestion or snarl-ups.
NEWCASTLE — Thieves made off with jewellery valued at more than £2,000 when a jeweller’s shop in Newcastle was broken into on Tuesday morning. The target was a shop belonging to Mr H F Law and the thieves shattered the main window, collecting what they could before making off.
Detectives have released details of the jewellery stolen and warn that the thieves may try to pass these off at markets across the province. They appeal for anyone who is offered any of these items to contact them immediately.
The haul included a heavy gold identity bracelet worth £1,000, three ladies’ gate bracelets valued at between £700 and £800, a gold chain worth £60, a gold necklet with diamond earrings to match worth £70 and two silver necklets valued at more than £40.
KILLYLEAGH — A bumper week-long festival is on the cards for Killyleagh this year. Instead of the usual one-day event, six days of fun are planned, from Monday, June 16, to the following Saturday.
The organisers, the local Town Committee, have only tentatively discussed the festival idea, but in the next two months they will be anxiously working behind the scenes to map out a sparkling package of entertainment.
They intend concentrating on getting clubs in the town to run events such as discos and dances, and they aim to tie all these into an enlarged festival programme.
It is unlikely any blueprint will be drawn up before the end of the month, but it is believed the usual finale of a late night open-air dance has been ruled out. Instead, more emphasis will be placed on children’s activities and other novel events, such as a car slalom.
KILLOUGH — Down District Development Committee are to seek a meeting with the management of the firm which owns the closed Killough brickworks. The committee are anxious to meet the firm, Tyrone Brick, and to find out if there is a market for the Poroton brick made at the brickworks.
CASTLEWELLAN — Complaints have been received by police in Castlewellan about the frequency of cattle wandering on the roads in the Leitrim, Ballyward and Ballylough areas.
Farmers and persons who have lands taken in these districts are requested to check their fences and gates as uncontrolled animals on the roads are liable to cause accidents, police say.
KILKEEL — Mr Mervyn McErlane, a Kilkeel schoolteacher who dived into a lake to rescue a man in difficulties, has been awarded the Royal Humane Society’s Testimonial on Vellum.
The citation says that two workmen launched a home-made rafter on Dromantine Lake, Jerretspass, Newry, but less than 100 yards from shore the raft broke up and one of the men got into trouble. Mr McErlane, who was on sick leave after a heart attack, swam out and towed the man back to safety.
COMBER — Thieves broke into 1st Comber Presbyterian Church on Saturday and stole £42 from a cupboard. The next day the Gillespie Arms in The Square, Comber, was entered and £50 stolen from the till.
Also over the weekend, there was a break-in at the Commercial Vehicles premises in Killinchy Street and a caravan used as an office was damaged. Comber police are investigating the incidents and would welcome any information.
CRICKET — Downpatrick Cricket Club’s bid to win the Northern Cricket Union title this year has received a tremendous boost by the signing-up of an Australian professional this week.
Rex Bennett, a 25 year-old opening bowler and middle order batsman, is due to arrive in the county town with a fortnight, in time for the opening game of the new season.
The club’s decision to sign a professional was taken several months ago and it was through the negotiations of chairman Bob Law that the deal was clinched.
Bennett will become the first Aussie professional in Northern Ireland. A right arm fast/medium bowler, he will add some impetus to the Downpatrick attack and his middle order batting should steady the locals in a position which has given them trouble over the past two seasons.
RALLYING — Two of the five local drivers competed the gruelling Circuit of Ireland Rally on Tuesday morning, the other three dropping out over the exhausting five-day event.
Ernest Kenmore, from Killinchy, and Comber’s Craig Canmore were the two who proudly drove through their cars through the finish line at Belfast City Hall, although the main honours went to Scotsman Jimmy McRae, who was the overall winner.
Other local drivers taking part were Warren Craig, from Downpatrick, Brian Dickson, from Seaforde, and Stanley Orr, from Killinchy.