From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 14, 1975

From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 14, 1975

14 January 2015

CRIME — Local police maintained a 51 per cent detection rate in 1974, although the area suffered a considerable increase in malicious damage and burnings, according to a report published this week.

The report, said a police spokesman, is a success story of detection in the RUC 'G' division, which covers Downpatrick, Ballynahinch, Ardglass, Strangford, Carryduff, Saintfield, Comber, Newtownards and Bangor.

Detective Chief Inspector A. R. Shepherd regarded this as a tribute to the co-operation of the public as well as to the efforts of police, but felt that both detection and prevention of crime could be improved even more. He hoped that an even greater degree of co-operation would make 1975 an unhappy year for the criminal.

The list of terrorist crimes in the division for the year 1974 includes six murders — four of which have been solved — 22 bombs, eight aggravated burglaries, 24 possession of firearms, 12 possession of explosives, two hoax bomb calls, four illegal membership, 48 cases of arson, one case of manslaughter and two of intimidation. Of that total of 181, 98 have been detected, leading to the arrest of 108 persons.

Divisional Commander R. H. Magill, said that the police under his command deserved congratulations, but that the public were to be congratulated the most, for it was only through public support and confidence that a police force could perform its duty.

BALLYNAHINCH — Members of Ballynahinch's Eventide senior citizens club will receive gifts of groceries and a bag of coal as a result of the efforts of Ballynahinch Temperance Silver Band, who toured the town and district before Christmas and raised £82 for the purpose. The club was also treated to the annual Christmas party by the Ballynahinch old people's welfare committee during the holidays.

An appeal for new members has also been issued. If you qualify as a senior citizen you will be made more than welcome any Friday at Magheradroll Parish Church Hall between 2.30pm and 5pm.

DOWNPATRICK — Moves to establish the province's 18th citizens' advice bureau under the auspices of the Northern Ireland Council of Social Services will get underway at a public meeting in Downpatrick Technical College.

The establishment of a bureau is the idea of the Downpatrick and District Community Committee, which believes that this corner of the province is in dire need of a service such as the bureau can provide.

Even though things are still in their infancy, the committee has already several offers of help from volunteers in Downpatrick, Killough, Castlewellan and Seaforde — but they are looking for more, as well as other things.

If a decision is taken to establish a CAB it may well be September before a management committee can finalise plans to open a centre.

Citizens' Advice Bureaux have been set up in many parts of the UK with the express aim of helping, free of charge, the ordinary man or woman with any problem he or she may have.

KILMORE — Hopes for peace in Northern Ireland in the near future are stronger than ever, Mr. Enoch Powell, MP for South Down, told Unionists at Kilmore on Tuesday.

The reason for this was not the present ceasefire, but rather the changing attitudes of the two major cross-channel parties. Until recently both parties had regarded the solution to the Ulster problem as merely the reunification of Ireland.

This was now changing, he said, and the opposition seeing the matter in a different light. "They know now for a fact that Ulster is going to remain an integral part of the United Kingdom for as far ahead as the political eye can seem," Mr. Powell remarked.

SAINTFIELD — Employment in the Saintfield area may receive a boost with the news this week that the Kilkeel firm of C. E. Stevenson have been given the go-ahead to proceed with their plans to extract shale and install plant to make lightweight building blocks at a site at Doran's Rock.

Although the project is still in the discussion stage it is thought that many new jobs will be created. The 20-acre site will produce a rare type of silurian slate which when bloated can be used making lightweight blocks for the building industry.

For the first time since the reorganisation of local government in 1972 it was Down Council members who took the decision to let the project proceed. Reaction to the proposal from councillors was favourable.

Mr. Seamus Fitzpatrick said he was glad to hear that some of the rarest stone in Ireland was to be found in the area. While it may detract from the visual appeal of the surrounding area, it would provide jobs and the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages, he said.

ANNSBOROUGH — Down Council's scheme to erect a sports pavilion and playing fields at Annsborough seems to have hit its last snag. After many months of investigations into a number of problems, the District Valuer has been unable to acquire the land by agreement with the owners.

Not unnaturally there was an air of disappointment in the council chamber on Monday night and it was summed up by Mr. Jarlath Carey when he said: "It's going to come as an awful blow to the people of Annsborough.

NEWCASTLE — Miss Mary Kane, of Newcastle, has been chosen as the outstanding student in post graduate business studies at Queen's University, Belfast, this year. Together with students from University College, Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin, and University College, Galway, she received the Sir Charles Harvey award from the Irish Management Institute at a function in Dublin.

COMBER — A small Comber building firm has won its first major overseas order since it started production several years ago. McComb Plastics, situated about a mile outside on Comber on the main Comber to Killinchy road, have received an order from Philadelphia for eight GP 14 sailing dinghies. These are to be shipped across the Atlantic at the end of the month.  There is also the possibility of another three being ordered from America.

The yachts have been bought by North American GP 14 champion John Wright, who was also a member of the crew aboard Courageous, the yacht which took part in last year's America's Cup race.

ARDGLASS — St. Mary's Hall, Ardglass , was filled to capacity on Sunday for a concert, the second in two months, organised by the Ardglass and Dunsford Social Committee. Artistes taking part included the Highlights, the Gribben Sisters, Hugh Curran, Gerry and Helena, the Crolly Sisters and Mrs. Cecilia Crolly. John A. Bryce, from Downpatrick, compered the show.

RAHOLP — There has been another outbreak of sheep-worrying in the district, this time at Raholp and Strangford. One sheep was killed on the land of Mr. George Carson, of Ballyrenan, and several were reported injured on the land of Mr. Peter Craig, Raholp.

Some sheep in the Ardglass area have also been troubled. Police remind dog owners to keep a tight control of their animals.

KILLINCHY — Killinchy YFC have once again proven themselves to be the most competent public speakers in the county with three of their representatives winning their respective sections in the County Down competition.

Two of the winners, Shelagh Robinson in the U-14 prepared section and Max Ervine in the 21-25 impromptu section, went on to take third place awards in the NI championships last week. The third county victor was Pamela Moore in the 16-18 impromptu section.

KILKEEL — Plans to turn the Whitewater River in Kilkeel into a reservoir have come up against opposition from local people who claim that if the plans go ahead the Whitewater will turn into a 'sheugh' similar to the Kilkeel and Annalong rivers.

Should the scheme, announced by the Department of Environment Water Services department, materialise, then Kilkeel will lose its last river as the Kilkeel and Annalong rivers have already been harnessed for water supplies to the Belfast and South Down areas.

RECORDER — Because of soaring production costs, next week's Down Recorder will cost a penny more — seven pence. It is a decision made with the greatest reluctance and very largely dictated by dramatic increases in the cost of newsprint.