From the pages of the Down Recorder, December 13, 2000

From the pages of the Down Recorder, December 13, 2000

9 December 2020

DOWNPATRICK – It was lights, camera and action at Downpatrick Railway Museum last week with the shooting of a new £4.5 million movie.

With cameras rolling, flood lights glaring and well known actors walking around, the station could have been mistaken for a Hollywood set.

Two scenes from the film ‘Puckoon’, based on the book by Spike Milligan, were shot last Tuesday evening at the railway.

A member of Downpatrick Railway Society, John Keenan, plays the stationmaster in one of these scenes, opposite well known actor and comedian Griff Rhys Jones who plays a character called Major Stokes.

Major Stokes is waiting for his platoon to arrive from Belfast and during the scene he has a heated argument with the station master while waiting for the train to arrive.

Mr Keenan, a great Railway Museum supporter, said he was delighted to be Station Master of the railway at long last.

“It was a splendid opportunity to play the station master. The station looked fantastic and many of the visitors who hadn’t been there before were very impressed by the museum,” he said.

The film is a comical interpretation of the partition of Ireland set in the fictional town of Puckoon in 1924.

KILLOUGH – Christmas is going to be that little bit extra special in the home of a starry-eyed Killough toddler this year thanks to the medical staff at the Downe Hospital.

Just over a month after his mother rushed him to the hospital after he became seriously ill, Conor Chillingworth is now back in his Kennedy Park home patiently waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.

But it could all have been so different. Celine Dornan is convinced that had it not been for the doctors and nurses at the Downpatrick hospital, her son, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder, would not be alive today.

She believes if the local hospital’s accident and emergency department had not been so close to her home, Conor, who suffered a convulsion almost four weeks ago, would not have survived what she has described as a “nightmare journey” to a hospital in Belfast.

The toddler’s relieved mother has this week paid a glowing tribute to the medical staff at the Downe and urged the Department of Health to do all it can to retain lifesaving services in the area.

SAUL – Education officials have this week confirmed St Patrick’s Primary School in Saul is to be replaced with a new state-of-the-art building.

The construction of the new school has been given “high priority status” in the Department of Education’s capital planning list and work on the scheme could start some time next year.

A site has already been identified, but its location is being kept a closely guarded secret until a project manager is appointed to oversee the new development.

The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools is to meet shortly to help choose the new project officer with the appointment expected to help pave the way for the compilation of a detailed feasibility study and economic appraisal.

News that a new school will be constructed in Saul in the near future has been confirmed by South Down MP, Eddie McGrady.

BALLYNAHINCH – Cross community groups in Ballynahinch have this week pledged their support for the forthcoming peace walk in the town.

They are delighted the event will take place just a few days before Christmas to provide local people with an opportunity to promote the positive image of life in Ballynahinch.

The organisers of the walk say the December 23 event is designed to show those responsible for escalating sectarian violence in the town that their actions will not be tolerated and arfe simply not acceptable.

Mr Gerry Crawford, of the Langley Road Community Association, and Mr Nat Morrison, of the Hillfoot/Windmill Gardens Community Association, believe the peace walk could not have come at more opportune time.

ARDGLASS – Fifty years ago, a group of enterprising women in the Ardglass area invited countrywomen to join them in forming a new branch of a thriving association.

Last Wednesday almost 30 members of Ardglass Women’s Institute enthusiastically celebrated their golden anniversary at the Courtside Restaurant in Downpatrick.

Their invited guests included Mrs Joan Shanks, chairman of the Federation of Women’s Institutes of Northern Ireland, together with the presidents of the Quoile Area Group, former Executive members and former presidents of the Ardglass branch.

During the evening, Mrs Shanks presented the current president of Ardglass Women’s Institute, Mrs Avril Burgess, with a beautiful piece of Limerick lace, designed as a map of Northern Ireland and mounted in a glass tray. This tray will be used in future years for needlework competitions.

KILLYLEAGH – Down Council chiefs have this week been urged to bring forward an important meeting to discuss safety measures at a river in Killyleagh.

Rowallane area councillors are due to meet early in the New Year to discuss measures to improve safety at the Dibney River, close to the Braeside housing estate in the town.

But local community worker, Mr Billy Walker, says the meeting must take place as soon as possible with the safety measures put in place as a matter of urgency.

Earlier this year, a young boy almost drowned after toppling into the river which was high as a result of heavy rainfall.

Mr Walker said that given the recent poor weather and the huge rise in the level of the river, it is important major improvements are provided.

Council chiefs are currently carrying out a risk assessment, which is due to be discussed at the New Year meeting, but Mr Walker has appealed to the council to bring the talks forward.

DRUMAROAD – Drumaroad residents battling to save their parish hall are hoping to reach a compromise with the priest who planned to demolish it.

Parishioners have been given breathing space to try and come to an agreement with Fr John Moley, after they secured a temporary court injunction preventing the premises being demolished.

A number of residents have volunteered to form a working party who will represent the community in an active campaign to retain the 31 year-old building.

The group is due to meet with Fr Moley next week with a number of proposals which will hopefully safeguard the future of the former dance hall in the heart of the village.

Hundreds of parishioners crowded into Slieve Croob Inn at Seeconnell on Monday night to meet with a number of delegates who had been elected to speak with Fr Moley last week following a mass protest outside the hall.

GAA – GAA clubs throughout Down have been told to clean up their disciplinary act, or else face the consequences.

The stark warning was issued by county chairman Eamon O’Toole at Sunday’s annual Down convention in Newcastle.

He told delegates that they should take a strong stand in discipline within their clubs and on the playing side.

There were a number of unsavoury incidents during the year which were of no credit to the individuals, clubs concerned and to the GAA in Down.

“I will continue to seek improvement and if there are serious misdemeanours I will expect the referees and appropriate committees to take the required action. To do otherwise would be an abdication of all our responsibilities. I will not turn a blind eye,” he warned.

Mr O’Toole, who was returned unopposed, said clubs should be run in a professional manner in accordance with best practice as recommended in the various courses and officer manuals.