From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 4, 1977

From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 4, 1977

4 January 2017

DOWNPATRICK — Three members of a former Downpatrick family of six, who emigrated to Zambia five years ago, were killed in a road crash in neighbouring Tanzania when the New Year was a matter of hours old.

The dead are Mrs Jan Harris, whose husband, Brian, is seriously ill, their eldest son, Michael (15), and their youngest son, Alan (6). Their second son, Colin (12), is believed to be slightly injured and their 14 year-old daughter, Patricia, walked away from the crash scene with little more than bruises.

The Harris family had spent their Christmas holidays at an Indian Ocean coastal resort and it is understood they were on their way home when their car was in collision with a bus.

Mrs Harris, a former Ulster hockey star, will be remembered for the vigorous part she played in teaching local children to swim after the opening of the Downpatrick pool in 1967.

Mr Harris’s part in Ballynahinch Rugby Club’s successes will be remembered with affection. He helped bring home the Towns Cup in 1964, the Junior Cup in 1966 and again in 1967.

The family were due to come back to Northern Ireland next September for a break.

CASTLEWELLAN — A 44 year-old Castlewellan woman was seriously injured in a booby-trap explosion in Belfast on New Year’s Eve.

Miss Monica McCavera had been delivering a present to a former workmate and had just got into her car when a 10-12 lb bomb wired to the engine compartment exploded.

Although Miss McCavera now lives in Dublin, she had spent Christmas with her family in Castlewellan and had gone to Belfast in her sister’s car.

She parked the vehicle at the junction of Joy Street and Sussex Place and left it for several hours while visiting her friend. The blast tore the bottom out of the car and ambulance men had to work for several minutes to free the badly injured woman from the wreckage.

BALLYNAHINCH — Nine year-old Gillian Drury, the Ballynahinch girl who did not go to school for 11 weeks, is now back at a desk – even though she may have to walk the four miles home every day.

Gillian was enrolled at Ballycloughan Primary School after a magistrate advised her father, Mr Samuel Drury, that she should be attending school.

But even now Mr Drury still faces prosecution for not registering his daughter at school from September to November last year. He will be appearing in court next week.

The dispute arose over where Gillian should go to school after the small Ballymacarmery school, which she was attending, closed in June last year.

Her parents, who live on the Ballylone Road, decided that she should go to Ballycloughan rather than the new primary school which had been built in Saintfield. However, the South Eastern Education and Library Board were adamant that they would not provide special transport for one child to attend Ballycloughan.

Gillian’s parents maintained that the Board gave them a choice as to what school their daughter should go to and they felt it was up to the Board to provide transport.

And so, as there was no bus available to take Gillian to Ballycloughan, they did not send her anywhere, but kept her at home and taught her themselves.

BALLEE — Downpatrick will soon have a place on the fashion map if young Ballee designer Barbara Cleland has anything to do with it.

Barbara has designed an up to the minute coat using webbing and straps made by Ollard Westcombe, a Downpatrick textile firm.

Barbara, a student at the Cheltenham College of Art and Design in London, designed the coat in conjunction with top designer Sylvia Aston. A former pupil of Down High School, she believes that there is a market for the sort of clothes she designs.

She has a particular interest in designing wedding clothes and, in fact, will be designing her own wedding dress when she marries her fiancé, who is a commercial artist.

Barbara thinks that the main feature of 1977 fashion will be colour. Elegantly styled clothes in primary shades of red, blue and yellow will be brightening up our economic gloom in her opinion.

PORTAFERRY — Several hundred Portaferry residents have petitioned Ards Borough Council to stop the rebuilding of a bomb-damaged bar in the centre or their town because they fear another terrorist attack.

The petition was drawn up after plans were submitted for the rebuilding of the International Bar, which has been blown up twice in the last three years. Organisers of petition feel that if the bar is restored it will be a target for further bombs and prove a danger to life and property in the narrow Church Street where it is situated.

Other buildings in the street were severely damaged in the past two attacks and in the second, in June last year, a 22 year-old man was killed.

However, the former owner of the bar, Mr Eddie McGrattan, dismissed the petition as a waste of time. “I don’t see the point it,” he said. “It’s jealousy behind it rather than fear.”

Mr McGrattan said he doubted that there were “six people living in the street who put their names to it.”

Mr McGrattan said he had sold the bar and it was being rebuilt by the new owner at a cost of £80,000.

CROSSGAR — More than 1,000 bales of straw were destroyed by fire in a hayshed near Crossgar on New Year’s Eve.

Downpatrick firemen fought the blaze at Mr D Jackson’s farm on the Derryboye Road for six hours. Apart from the straw, the hayseed was extensively damaged.

LISTOODER — Listooder LOL 1607 held their annual festive season dance in Listooder Orange Hall on Boxing Night. The music was supplied by Jimmy Heaney’s Band and the vocalist was Mrs Belle Houston. The master of ceremonies for the evening was James Cairns.

The ballot winners were Miss Janet Hewitt, from Saintfield, who won a bottle of sherry, and Mr Donald Nelson, of Crossgar, who won a Christmas cake.

COMBER — Complaints have been forwarded to the Department of the Environment and the Electricity Service about the street lighting in Comber.

At the December meeting of the Town Committee members complained of poor street lighting and about the number of lamps which were defective.

The committee is also to request the Eastern Health and Social Services Board to allow them to use Comber Health Clinic for their meetings.

LOUGHINISLAND — Loughinisland GAC held their annual dinner dance in the Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch, on Boxing Night when more than 300 people were in attendance.

Guests of honour were Mr Harry McEvoy, chairman of the Down Activities Committee, Mr Sean Magorrian, chairman of the East Down Board, Mr and Mrs Caldwell, from Ballynahinch Rugby Club, and Fr Bready, president of the Loughinisland club.

Mr McEvoy presented the East Down League Cup to the senior captain, Kevin Gordon, and plaques to the players. Mr Magorrian presented the East Down Reserve League trophy to Tom Toman and plaques to the players. The clubman of the year award was presented by Fr Bready to Pat Murdock, who has been a referee in the East Down area for 39 years.

SOCCER — Downpatrick Rec turned the highly acclaimed Border Regiment Cup final into a highly one-sided New Year’s Day stroll with a 6-0 rout of Ards Rangers to lift their third major trophy in three consecutive years.

In a polished and lively performance, crowned by a glorious Barney Fitzsimons hat-trick, they never looked in any danger from a side bent on avenging a Clarence Cup final beating two seasons ago.

Tactically the Rec were in a different orbit from their unimaginative opponents.