From the pages of the Down Recorder, February 17 1976

From the pages of the Down Recorder, February 17 1976

17 February 2016

ARDGLASS — An Ardglass councillor has attacked the lack of fire hydrants in the village following fires on Saturday night and asked: “Are lives to be lost before the Department of the Environment takes steps?”

Mr Dermot Curran said it was a “public disgrace” that firemen had to work under adverse conditions when fire broke out at Hilditch’s drapery store in Bath Street.

He claims the firemen had to pump water from a river 400 metres from the fire because there are only two hydrants in the village. “If the wind had not ped the whole of Bath Street would have been engulfed,” he said.

Fire broke out in Mr Sam Hilditch’s drapery store shortly after 1.30am when an incendiary device, planted earlier, exploded. Another shopkeeper, Mr Angus Cochrane, managed to save his premises by checking for bombs after hearing of the Hilditch fire.

Mr Cochrane arrived at his store at the harbour in time to see the incendiary device beginning to smoke. He alerted one of the fire engines at the Bath Street blaze and managed to save his business.

Mr Hilditch’s shop, his home at the back of the shop and his daughter’s boutique above the premises were completely gutted. The firemen prevented two public houses on either side of the drapery store from being set ablaze.

Public representatives and community leaders condemned the attacks and offered their sympathy to the two businessmen.

COMBER — An inquest is to be held on a ten day girl who was found dead on a lane way off the Ballyrainey Road, near Comber. The child, who was found in the morning, is thought to have been dead for several days.

A post mortem was held in Newtownards. Police have already received come information, but would welcome further help.

DOWNPATRICK — The death-knell for Downpatrick racecourse has sounded with the news that aid to the track will be discontinued in two years’ time. According to the Department of Agriculture, only the Down Royal course at Maze, near Lisburn, has sufficient potential to justify investment.

The Department has announced that £25,000 raised by a charge on bookmakers in the province will go towards improving the Lisburn track. It was also made clear that the £6,000 grant to Downpatrick will continue for two years subject to Parliamentary approval. After that the grant will be withdrawn.

That means that the Downpatrick course will almost certainly be closed unless an alternative way of supporting it can be found. Some time ago a working party from the English Jockey Club recommended that the course should close and all racing take place at the Maze.

Many people in the province latched on to the theme and an ‘axe Downpatrick” lobby was formed.

PORTAVOGIE — The search for a 30 year-old Portavogie fisherman, missing at sea since Monday, has been called off. He has been named as William Adair, a married man with three children.

The incident happened on Monday 12 miles south east of Ramsey, Isle of Man. Six vessels from the fishing fleet spent Monday night searching for him.

CASTLEWELLAN — Two masked youths who left a no warning incendiary device last Tuesday night made Mrs L E Connelly, of Main Street, the ninth Castlewellan trader to be bombed out since 1969.

Mrs Connelly was serving a customer at 7pm when the two youths carried a box with a plastic bag inside into her shop. They ran off without giving a warning, leaving Mrs Connelly to clear the area.

 A detonator set fire to a can of petrol in the box, gutting the fancy goods department of the shop before Newcastle firemen got the blaze under control. An Army expert later determined that the detonator had failed to touch off ten pounds of explosive in the box.

The incident means that since 1969 24 bombs have exploded in Castlewellan. Another six devices did not explode.

CROSSNACREEVY — Five lambs were killed as a result of another outburst of sheep worrying in the Crossnacreevy area, near Carryduff. There have been previous instances of sheep worrying in this area and dog owners are advised to keep their animals under control.

SAINTFIELD — A road leading to a Saintfield school has been labelled as a deathtrap by anxious parents and residents.

Parents of children who attend St Mary’s Primary School on the Old Grand Jury Road say that speeding motorists will sooner or later claim a victim. Because the road has no footpath they say that many of the children stray into the middle of the carriageway and due to the hollows in the road motorists may not see them in time to stop.

Parents are so worried about the situation that they called at meeting in the village where they were joined by local residents, an RUC representative and three councillors. A petition with more than 150 names has been sent to the Department of the Environment asking for the footpath to be constructed as soon as possible.

Since the road was resurfaced a few years ago the volume of traffic has increased. Coupled with the fact that it is just outside the village boundary and not subject to a speed limit, it has become a danger. Children from the village now have to be escorted along the road to and from the school.

NEWCASTLE — Northern Ireland’s top resort, Newcastle, has a health hazard caused by sewage being discharged into the sea. Newcastle, in common with many seaside resorts, has no treatment works and so raw sewage is released into the sea.

Although the dilution rate in the sea is high, it is still considered to be a health hazard under certain climatic conditions. The shock news is contained in a report prepared by Down Council’s Environmental Health chief, Mr Frank Nixon.

A plan for the town, including extensions to take in new development, had been approved before 1973, yet nothing had been done. The health chief said it was a necessity that a scheme is provided.

Of the district’s sewerage systems, only those in Ballynahinch and Saintfield are satisfactory, according to Mr Nixon, who said his department was concerned about inadequate and unsatisfactory sewage disposal in many of the built-up areas of the district.

KILLYLEAGH — An objection against the renewal of an entertainments licence for a Killyleagh community hall failed at a Down Council meeting. The objection was made by four people, whose property runs in front of the hall on the Shrigley Road.

Mr Sam Osborne said the people had a valid objection. “I’m 19 years in a council and I’ve never objected to a seven-day licence before,” he said.

Col Denys Rowan Hamilton said there was a successful youth group and children’s playgroup in the hall and he asked the council not to tramp on it. 

BALLYNAHINCH — A week of ministry meetings by the Rev Samuel Workman came to a conclusion on Friday when an evening of sacred music was held in the Christian Workers’ Union in Ballynahinch. The chairman for the evening was Mr Hector Crory, of Newcastle.

DUNDRUM — Harry Clarke Cup holders Dundrum United cruised through to the third round of the competition with an effortless 6-0 win over Ballynagross.

Dundrum were put under pressure for the first ten minutes by a lively Ballynagross forward line well led by Oliver Gilchrist, but once the initial pressure was overcome it became a rather one-sided affair.

Dundrum scored four goals in the first half through Francis Redmond, Jackie Leitch and the goal of the match from Eugene Deegans, who scored from 30 yards with a tremendous shot to give the young keeper no chance.

Ballynagross played slightly better in the second half, but two further goals, both scored by substitute C Trainor, saw Dundrum into the next round.