From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 11, 1977

From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 11, 1977

11 January 2017

KILLYLEAGH — An angry magistrate has pledged to end an outbreak of “considerable sectarian warfare” in Killyleagh and has sent a grim warning to young people there to stay out of trouble.

Mr Wishart Mills, RM, pulled no punches with a scathing public outburst in Downpatrick courthouse last week when he promised to send all further sectarian offenders to jail.

His remarks came during the weekly Thursday court. Before him were ten men facing a total of 26 charges involving assaults, disorderliness and malicious damage. Five others are still to be charged and two juveniles have appeared at other courts.

Fines totalling £425 were imposed as well as a six-month suspended prison sentence on one of the men. Most of them were bound over to keep the peace.

Mr Mills described the sentences as “relatively minor penalties,” but he warned that they did not give a legal licence to others.

He emotively described one set of offences as an “orgy of sectarian violence” and another as “part of considerable sectarian warfare which appears to have broken out in Killyleagh.”

He said: “I have a public warning for the young people in Killyleagh. Anyone who appears in this court from this time forth will be sent to prison if they are appearing on offences of a sectarian nature, even if they are first offenders. The people of Killyleagh are entitled to be able to live in peace as far as they can.”

SAINTFIELD — Thirty sheep were slaughtered in two outbreaks of sheep worrying in different areas of Saintfield last week.

Nine were killed on the land of Campbell Patterson, of Ballynahinch Road, and a further 21 were killed on the land of James Orr Collins, of Monlough Road.

Police are concerned about this latest outbreak and dog owners are being asked to keep a tight control of their animals.

DOWNPATRICK — A disused RAF club in Downpatrick will be taking off again, but this time on a different course — as a new folk centre in the town.

Downpatrick Folk Club are planning to turn the old club premises in Pillarwell Lane into clubrooms — the first of their kind of Northern Ireland.

The club have already bought the premises and are to undertake extensive modernisation plans which include a large concert room on the first floor, a smaller room downstairs for sessions and smaller rooms again which they will use for meetings and classes.

The first step in the provision of the club’s new centre was taken in Downpatrick Court on Thursday when they were granted a licence to sell intoxicating liquor. There were no objections to the application and the Folk Club organisers are sure they will not prove a nuisance to anyone.

The plan to have their own premises is the culmination of the club’s rapid growth since its formation in 1975.

KILLOUGH — Killough Village Committee has strongly objected to planning permission being granted to a site which they consider dangerous.

The disputed piece of land has been advertised for sale at the junction of the Downpatrick and Ardglass Roads, which the committee believes to be a very dangerous corner.

Committee members were also astonished to learn that residents of ten houses on the Ardglass Road had to put in their own water supply as there was no mains water available on that side of the village.

NEWCASTLE — Newcastle Town Committee are very angry that for more than 18 months what they regard as a prized public possession is rapidly rusting away in a back yard while the Receiver of Wrecks decides what it is going to do with it.

The prized possession happens to be an anchor that belonged to the Brunel-designed SS Great Britain, which ran aground in Dundrum Bay about 130 years ago.

The anchor was retrieved from the depths in 1975 and at the time Down Council thought that if it were professionally restored and protected it should have a place of honour on a plinth in Central Promenade.

The Receiver of Wrecks stepped in and ordered that it should be impounded, pending the outcome of any claims which might be made. Eighteen months on the anchor is rapidly wasting away at Newcastle police station’s back yard.

Twice this week the Recorder has tried to contact the Receiver of Wrecks to find out why the making of his decision has taken so long. The promised telephone reply is already two days overdue.0

BALLYNAHINCH — Police are investigating an attempted arson at Murphy’s furniture store on the Drumaness Road, Ballynahinch, at the weekend. The fire, which fizzled out, was restricted to scrap material and some cardboard boxes.

SHRIGLEY — What will happen if a much appreciated monument is allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair that it might have to be pulled down? The answer to that question is eagerly awaited by the people of Shrigley — and by Mr Enoch Powell.

The Martin Memorial Clock isn’t just any old monument. It is a mark of villagers’ gratitude to the Martin family, who ran Shrigley linen mill generations before the building became a tannery.

Those were the days when Shrigley was known far and wide as a model village.  Although times change, Shrigley people still want to see the old clock restored. For years and years they have sought help, but that type of aid seems to be a very scarce commodity.

Mr Powell shares the villagers’ wishes and is disappointed that little enthusiasm has been shown by public bodies.

The Housing Executive have prepared tentative proposals should anyone be interested in seeing what might be done if money became available.

BALLEE — Children attached to Ballee Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church set up their own little fund-raising scheme in motion and a result were able to present the NSPCC with a sum amounting to £20.86.

It had been emphasised at the start that this would be no major collection exercise and that monies would emerge solely through efforts involving the children’s own personal savings and their recompense from various household jobs.

It is the general intention for the children to persevere with this type of effort and already the second phase has been launched.

SPA — Spa Young Farmers’ Club held their annual dinner dance in the Millbrook Lodge Hotel on Friday night. The guest for the evening was Mr Billy Martin, president of the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster.

The club has over 60 members and is anxious to extend the hand of friendship to any other would-be young farmers. Last year the club won the homemakers competition in Northern Ireland and also won the best float award at the Co Down rally.

The club has been in existence for 34 years and some of their activities include public speaking, group debates, stock judging and quizzes.

ARDGLASS — Members of Ardglass Women’s Institute were feeling in a holiday mood at their January meeting when the guest speaker was Mrs Hayes, of Downe Travel.

Mrs Hayes told members of short winter breaks to Dublin and the Isle of Man and showed two interesting films of the Channel Islands and Sri Lanka.

The Institute’s president, Miss S Crea, extended good wishes to the members for the New Year and welcomed two new members.

MONEYREA — James McGladdery, the top ploughman at Moneyrea Ploughing Society, had another highly successful day at his society’s annual match held at Clandeboye estate.

At the end of the day he won the Eric Johnston Cup in the world style 10 inch class, the R J Allam Cup for best ploughman in all classes, the T & K McErvel Cup for the best ploughed plot and a special award for the ploughman with the best hint.