DOWNPATRICK — Rumours were rife this week that it could be another ten years before the adoption of the £1m-plus scheme to provide a ‘ring road’ in Downpatrick.
Work on the scheme first started in the late sixties and, ironically, the Department of Environment is preparing to make a public announcement within the next two weeks on the route they want the road to take.
But on Monday Downpatrick councillor Mr Eddie McGrady told a meeting of Down councillors that there were local rumours of another ten-year delay.
Within the past 48 hours it has become obvious that the warning could take on realistic proportions.
It seems clear that a wall of objections will be raised of the scheme and it could particularly take years to smooth out negotiations and pare the way for a pubic inquiry, which now looks inevitable.
Mr McGrady’s warning came during a council discussion on a planning decision to refuse alterations and extensions to a dwelling in Saul Street, which is expected to be in the path of the new road.
He drew the council’s attention to a planning approval for squash courts in St Patrick’s Avenue — also likely to be in the path of the road — offering one explanation for the conflicting decisions.
“There are rumours that planning permissions might be given in certain circumstances because it might be ten years before the road is implemented,” he said.
CROSSGAR — The 1st Crossgar Boys Brigade will represent Down Battalion in the Northern Ireland district finals of the squad drill competition in Omagh on Saturday.
The Lissara boys qualified for the finals by wining the annual Down Battalion competition held at Banbridge on Monday night. Second was 1st Ballyroney, with 1st Raffrey finishing third.
This is the most prestigious event in the Battalion calendar and a very high standard of drill was set by the locals, who have been practicing the movements for the past four months.
Apart from the squad competition, there was also a squad commandant cup presented at Banbridge and Sgt M Cuffey, of Crossgar, was the winner.
The overall competition was chaired by Mr D Partridge, Battalion president, assisted by Mr R Dickson, Battalion secretary. The judges were Mr E Torrans and Mr W Price, both from Belfast.
LISSARA — A call has been made for a new minister for Lissara Presbyterian Church at Crossgar.
He is the Rev Samuel Armstrong, at present assistant at Abbey Presbyterian Church, Monkstown, and he will succeed the Rev S A Matthew who left for Bannside Church in Banbridge seven months ago.
Mr Armstrong is married with three children — twin daughters aged seven and another aged 15 months. He is a graduate of Queen’s University and worked as a physicist with Goodyear and British Enkalon.
Rev Armstrong has also completed one year’s voluntary service overseas in Ghana. He was a soccer blue at Queen’s and has played football for Crusaders and Ballyclare Comrades.
The call was made at a meeting of the congregation on Tuesday night, presided over by the Rev James Lamont.
BALLYNAHINCH — The Assumption Grammar School in Ballynahinch is one of ten schools who have won their way through to the finals of the ‘Studying our Past’ competition in the 12-16 years group.
The team will now compete for the overall prize on Monday when their project will be judged along with the other entries by a panel of ten judges at the Elmwood Hall, Belfast.
The competition for young people in schools and colleges in Northern Ireland, is designed to win distinction for history teaching and is organised by the Churches Central Committee for Community Work.
This year the theme is ‘The Settlement of Successive Peoples in Ireland’, and the aim is to encourage children to realise, in the broad perspective of centuries the individual contributions of successive waves of newcomers — the Celtic peoples, the Vikings, the Normans, the Scots and the English.
Through the competition it is hoped to emphasise the value of the study of history and to give competitive enjoyment to children.
SAINTFIELD — A Saintfield man’s designs will give Belfast’s Arthur Street a new look this year.
He is Mr Don Wilkinson and he won a competition to design a central feature for the square. The Department of Environment is now set to make the plan a reality, at an estimated cost of £20,000-£25,000.
Mr Wilkinson has been head of the school of three dimensional design at the Ulster Polytechnic for nine years. He lives in Saintfield but came to Northern Ireland from Bristol.
His winning feature, he said, was a stainless steel structure, depicting the industrial traditions of Belfast, shipbuilding and aircraft, with its tanker profiles and aircraft wheels.
He added: “It will probably be made by Belfast engineers.”
It will stand 16 feet high in the middle of a fountain and pond. Apart from a travelling scholarship he once won to study design, this is undoubtedly Mr Wilkinson’s first big success.
“It was one occasion when I believed designers should make a real effort to present a project. I entered it, wanting to do the best I could. Naturally I aimed to win it if possible,” Mr Mr Wilkinson.
He received £500 from the Environment Minister Mr Philip Goodhart on Tuesday. He will also be responsible for the construction of his sculpture and act as consultant for the overall design.
Runner-up in the contest was Mr Ernest Frazer, from Carryduff, a designer with the Chief Architect’s Branch Department of Finance. He won £250.
NEWCASTLE — Newcastle’s harbour took one of its severest buffetings on Monday when giant tidal waves, reaching more than 60 feet in the air, came crashing over the wall.
The Atlantic-type breakers built up in choppy Dundrum Bay and, with the swell rising as it approached land, they smashed off the harbour wall, sending the spray rising more than 100 feet in the air.
Most boat owners had their vessels on dry land before the storm built up at sea, and only one sought the protection of Newcastle harbour as the local coastline was lashed by the swollen tide.
The crashing tides show a devastating effort of the massive waves at Newcastle harbour.
Gale force winds and driving rain swept Down district at the weekend, causing some damage when trees and electricity/telephone cables were blown down.
Several trees were blown down, blocking roads temporarily between Killyleagh and Crossgar, Downpatrick and Clough, Ballynahinch and Spa, and the Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick, all late on Sunday night or early on Monday morning.
KILLINCHY — The Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster’s group debating competition was held in Knockbreda High School, Belfast, recently.
Local clubs figured well, with many qualifying for the finals in March.
Killinchy YFC took the top awards in the 21-25 section through Johnstone Morrow, David Hanna and Sharon White (248) and Peter Morrow, David Robinson and Kevin Howell (227) and also figured in tow other sections.
These were the 16-18 section, in which Florence Armstrong, Katherine Kelly and Yvonne Magowan scored 261 to take second place, and in the 14-16 section where Laura Robinson, David Martin and Jacqueline Kelly scored 254 points to take third place.
Spa YFC’s team in the 18-21 section carried off major honours through Christine Brown, David Lowry and Karen Brown, who scored 260 points, and the remaining local winners came from the Ballywalter club.