From the pages of the Down Recorder, August 26, 1975

From the pages of the Down Recorder, August 26, 1975

26 August 2015

DOWNPATRICK — The absence of a photo finish camera at Downpatrick racecourse could well have been the deciding factor in the failure of an alleged betting coup reckoned to be in the region of £50,000.

In the first race of the meeting, the Directors Maiden Hurdle, 16-1 outsider Dr Hines finished level with Caroline’s Dream and, in the absence of the camera, the official judge decided on the result.

Had his decision gone the other way — and many local well placed racegoers thought that it should have — Dublin bookmakers would have stood to lose a fortune.

This would have been the result of Dr Hines being heavily backed in £15 and £10 bets minutes before the start at 3pm. Due to poor communications between the course, where the starting price is determined, and the betting office, the money failed to affect the price.

Dr Hines, which is owned by Mrs Curley, wife of Enniskillen bookmaker Barney Curley, started in the betting at 10-1, went out to 20-1 and finished at 16-1. The favourite for the race Cannon Gun — also owned by Mrs Curley — opened at 2-1 and finished at 5-4 on. The eventual winner, Caroline’s Dream, was well fancied at 5-1.

If the alleged coup had succeeded it would have been completely legal – a hard hitting fact that annoyed Dublin bookmakers. There is only one phone at the Downpatrick course available to punters and bookmakers. During a meeting it is in almost constant use.

The Dublin bookmakers claim more than £3,000 was invested in various offices, some of it in doubles with the forecast favourite for the 4.30 race, Buck Me Off, also owned by Mrs Curley. Buck Me Off was withdrawn from the 4.30 before the race started.

SPELGA — The greatly reduced water level at Spelga reservoir in the Mournes is causing a nightmare for the people of Castlewellan and Leitrim, who, along with many thousands of others, are having to live with the severe regulations governing the use of water at present.

Spelga is now at its lowest level since it came into use in 1959, yet on April 1 the reservoir was filled to its 600 million gallon capacity. The Indian summer has overstayed its welcome for more than month. Even the spate of thunderstorms at the beginning of the month failed to replenish supplies to any great extent.

Fofanny reservoir is also well down and Loughinislandreavy, near Castlewellan, is also showing the signs of the drought. Islands have begun to appear in the middle of the lough, something that has never happened since the lough was first used in 1948.

KILLYLEAGH — Killyleagh publicans, Mr and Mrs John Sweeney, had their 20 years’ long service at the helm of the town’s International Bar well and truly marked at the weekend by a party thrown by the regular customers.

It came as a total surprise to the couple, who are to leave the trade shortly. Mr Sweeney admitted that he had heard whispers of a celebration, but he didn’t expect anything on the scale he received. They found the bar cramped with people on Saturday night when they went down.

The regulars presented them with a matching pair of tankards, as well as a silver candelabra. Mrs Sweeney also received a bouquet of flowers. Not to be outdone, the staff at the bar presented the couple with cut glass goblets and a cut glass bowl.

Mr and Mrs Sweeney leave the bar this weekend with the new management taking over from Monday. The couple plan to take a rest before deciding what to do with their time left by the ‘early retirement.

For Mr Sweeney it will mean leaving the trade which has been his livelihood all his life. He was in hotel management before taking over the International Bar.

ARDGLASS — A house-to-house collection in Ardglass between August 11-16 and organised by the local branch of the RNLI totalled £100.23. The branch wishes to thank everyone who contributed in raising this sum.

BALLYNAHINCH — Four people were injured on Saturday morning when a bus collided with a car on the main Ballynahinch-Newcastle Road just outside the Millbrook Lodge Hotel.

The accident happened at the 8.45 bus from Newcastle was following an 1100 car down the hill. The driver of the bus said he put his foot on his brakes, but it was not enough to stop him from hitting the car and carrying it into a field. The bus itself then overturned.

Henry Brendan Smyth, the car driver, of Drumaness Road, Ballynahinch, and his passenger, Brendan Trimby, of Cushowen Place, Drumaness, were injured in the accident. Two bus passengers, Colette McEvoy, of Drumaness Road, Ballynahinch, and Henry Walsh, of Cumber Gardens, Drumaness, were only slightly injured.

CROSSGAR — A black white-head bullock owned by Mr S McClurg, Beechview Road, Ballywoollen, Crossgar, has been reported lost. It disappeared some time between 9am and 11.30pm on Tuesday.

SAINTFIELD — Saintfield Heritage Society kick off their autumn programme with a visit to the Public Records Office in Belfast on September 4. From September until March the society will meet at least once a month in the local secondary school to pursue their interest in the history and environment of their area.

NEWCASTLE — Royal Co Down Golf Club professional Ernie Jones received a serious eye injury in a car accident on the Comber Road, Ballygowan, on Saturday morning. Mr Jones (40) was driving home in his Cortina car when he collided with an Escort driven by a Bangor lady.

KILMORE — Kilmore Rec gave their fans something to enthuse about on Saturday by trouncing Malachians 4-1. Unlike the previous Saturday, they played like a team and everyone had something to contribute to the success.

After going behind early on two goals by Lennie Fisher and another by Mel McCarthy had the Rec 3-1 ahead at half-time. The fourth goal came late on when Jim McCarthy’s shot came off the crossbar and fell to brother Mel who hooked into the net with a spectacular overhead kick.

BANBRIDGE — A 36 year-old Banbridge man had a remarkable brush with death in the Irish Republic on Sunday.

Mr Hugh Patrick Donard was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, with burns to his hands and suffering from shock after his articulated lorry became entangled with overhead electric wires carrying 10,000 volts.

Mr Donard was knocked to the ground after apparently trying to disentangle the wires with the aid of an insulator fork. He was on his way from a cement plant at Togher to Downpatrick.

CENSUS — County Down girls will still have to do some chasing to get their man — for there are still more of the fair sex than their opposite numbers in the county according to the latest census figures.

The 1971 figures which have just been published show that there are 1,045 females to every 1,000 males in the county. Altogether there are more than 152,000 males, while there are more than 159,000 females.

In the five years from 1966 to 1971 the total population of Co Down rose to almost 312,000, an increase of more than 25,000.

The population of Downpatrick was swollen by more than 3,000 people. The total number of inhabitants was given at 7,405, an increase of 72.6 per cent on the 1966 figure of 4,291. Much of this increase can be attributed to the extension of the town boundary which took place over the period covered by the census.

Newcastle had to make way for another 308 residents, an increase of 7.1 per cent on the 1966 figure of 4,339. Ballynahinch’s population rose to 3,485 over the period.

BELFAST — The Belfast Telegraph Ideal Home Exhibition, the biggest for five years, was opened  by Lord Dunleath, president of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society.