From the pages of the Down Recorder, August 5, 2000

From the pages of the Down Recorder, August 5, 2000

5 August 2020

DOWNPATRICK – The opening of Downpatrick’s promised new hospital could be delayed by up to six years.

Work on the new building was due to start this autumn, but Monday’s decision by Health Minister Bairbre de Brun to order an independent review of acute hospital provision across the province has thrown construction timescales into chaos.

Down Lisburn Trust officials have warned that in the interim they need £1m to continue providing a range of services at the current 200 year-old Downe Hospital.

And they have also revealed the hospital’s fracture clinic is under threat of closure.

The revelations came within hours of the Health Minister’s decision to launch yet another review of acute hospital provision, which is being billed as the biggest ever shake-up of the Health Service.

Ms de Brun confirmed that while a new hospital will be built in the town, the services it will provide are still a matter for debate and an issue which the review team, headed by local man Dr. Maurice Hayes, will look into.

ARDGLASS – One of the district’s favourite summer festivals has been called off for the first time since it began three decades ago.

Ardglass Festival has been commonly renowned for its fun-packed line-up of onshore and offshore events since its launch in the late 1960’s.

But this year, August will not be be brought in with its usual boisterous bang in the fishing village which has had to break with tradition by abandoning the five-day event.

The reason, said Ardglass Festival Committee chairman, Gerry Casey, is that there is simply no interest from community members in helping to organise the event.

Mr Casey said he was “disappointed and frustrated’’ at not being able to go ahead with the popular village event as planned.

CASTLEWELLAN – A shooting incident in Castlewellan at the weekend is believed to be linked to a feud within local republican circles.

A 24 year-old was set upon and assaulted by three masked men in front of his partner and child shortly after midday on Saturday.

Two shots were fired in the air during the attack which took place as the victim stood at the front door of his mother’s home on the John F Kennedy estate in the Burrenbridge area.

The gang made off in a Nissan Sunny car and the injured man later drove himself to the Downe Hospital where he was treated for cuts and bruising.

The getaway car, with registration YIJ 766, was later front burnt out on the Clarkhill Road in the town. So far, nobody has been charge in relation to the episode but police investigations are ongoing.

BALLYCULTER – Concerns about the extension of a telecommunication mast at Ballyculter have been voiced by South Down MP Eddie McGrady.

Mr McGrady explained that local residents have not only opposed the location of the existing mast but have also slammed plans to extend the mast due to the impact on the local environment.

“This is an area of outstanding natural beauty and I would urge the planning service to suspend any decision in respect of the application for this telecommunication mast until the outcome of the cross-departmental ministerial review into the Stewart report on telecommunications masts has been published with a series of points for implementation,” he explained. 

KILLYLEAGH – Drunken youths, who are desecrating church property in Killyleagh, are “acting like ghouls’’ and showing a lack of respect.

That is the view of residents in the town’s Plantation Street who say they are fed up with the behaviour of local teenagers whose weekend antics at the nearby Presbyterian church have been described as “shocking and deplorable.”

Residents claim the teenagers are allowed to run amok until the early hours causing mayhem and frightening many of the elderly people who live in the area.

They say the trouble is particularly bad on Friday and Saturday nights when the teenagers congregate at what has become a regular droning den in a small wooded area adjacent to the car park at the town’s church.

The residents have called for tougher police action and claim that over the past number of weekends, teenagers have vandalised gravestones, held parties close to the graveyard and stoned houses in Plantation Street.

BALLYHORNAN – A fun-packed family day out to Ballyhornan ended in disappointment at the weekend when a Ballynahinch family returned to find their cars had been vandalised.

The King family decided to enjoy the fantastic July weather on Sunday afternoon by holding a barbecue close to Killard Point.

However, when they returned to their vehicles later that evening, they were greeted by police officers who told them windows in their cars had been smashed.

“It was just total disheartening. I was raised in that area and thought what a great and safe place it would be to take the kids to enjoy the good weather,” explained Thomas King.

“We had parked our cars at a lay-by on the Killard Road, close to the old Coastguard cottages, and returned several hours later to find that my car and my 19 year-old son’s car had been vandalised. It wasn’t just our cars, a few other people who had also been using the beach had decided to park there as well and also had windows broken.”

A total of five cars were attacked during the incident and had windows broken. An empty haversack was stolen from one of the vehicles. 

GOLF – A magnificent result for Christy O’Connor Jnr. and a wonderful week for Royal County Down Golf Club. 

The cheers rang out all around Newcastle when O’Connor sank a birdie putt on the 18th green on Sunday to retail his Senior British Open Championship title and life the £63,300 first prize.

But perhaps the real winner was Royal County Down itself. A clearly emotional O’Connor summed up what it meant to win on the world famous links.

“Coming to Royal County Down in the year 2000 and winning. Thank you Lord, it has been fantastic,” he told the mass of fans after receiving the trophy from club captain Geoffrey Menary.

O’Connor treated to the fans to a grandstand finish. He began the final day on six under par, one behind South African John Bland, twice a runner-up in the event and who was to experience heartbreak once again as O’Connor shot a three under par 68 for a nine under par total.

O’Connor made his intentions clear as early as the first hole when he fired a six iron to the green and then sank a tramline 35-footer for an eagle three. Bland could only manage a birdie and so the pair were tied at the top.

GAELIC GAMES – Down’s lady footballers are the new junior champions of Ulster.

The Red and Black machine gave the county faithful something to finally cheer about when they beat Donegal in an absorbing and pulsating final at Clones on Sunday.

Down irrevocably erased the bitter memories of two previous final defeats to life the Hugh Meehan Cup for the first time and set up an All-Ireland semi-final date with New York in the Big Apple.

Down started strongly and enjoyed a lot of good early possession, but shot three wide before Donegal rocked them to the core with a goal in their first attack.

Down managed to compose themselves with two points from Lisa Morgan and Martina McCafferty, but further disaster hit Down when Denise Dunnion got away from the injured Veronica Ward to slot in Donegal’s second goal.

The Down girls displayed great character at this stage and despite Donegal holding a 2-0 to 0-2 lead they refused to panic.