From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 8, 1973

From the pages of the Down Recorder, January 8, 1973

8 January 2014

DOWNPATRICK — Two employees of Richard Kew & Son Ltd. have been made directors of the Downpatrick company which makes belts and braces at its Strangford Road factory. They are Mr. Alan J. Barnes, who will be production director in charge of belts, and Mr. Aidan Killen, who will take up a similar position in charge of braces.

Mr. Killen is a 38 year-old Downpatrick man who joined Kews 22 years ago when he left St. Patrick’s High School. He is this year’s president of the La Salle Union. He plays bridge and is a member of Downpatrick Golf Club. Married and the father of four, he lives at Knocknashinna.

Mr. Barnes, who is 43, joined the firm in 1969, coming from Rolls Royce where he specialised in light engineering. A native of Reading, he came to Northern Ireland with another engineering firm. His wife is Belfast-born and they have two children. He lives in Dundonald.

Mr. George Kew, managing director, said both men had valuable experience to give to the firm and both had an excellent record of service.

Mr. Kew states that the company is poised for good results in 1974. “We had a very busy year in 1973, in spite of the many difficulties in getting the necessary materials, and we have been extremely successful in the last two months selling for next year.

“Our order book is already half full and if we can overcome the national difficulties we will all be set for a good year.”

BALLYNAHINCH — The pupils of St. Colman’s Secondary School, Ballynahinch, would like to thank all the people who have been helping them to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. So far, £50 has been raised and sent to Jonathan Dimbleby, the TV commentator. Before Christmas 18 pupils and two teachers went out into the streets of Ballynahinch to sing carols for the fund. Thanks to the generosity of the people, this raised £17.40.

ARDGLASS — Ardglass will have a new harbour master from February. He is Captain Ronan Fitzsimons, of the Commercial Hotel, Ardglass, who succeeds Captain J. N. McCaughan, now chief executive of the NI Fishery Harbour Authority Board based in Downpatrick.

Captain Fitzsimons will prove a popular choice with local fishermen. He has been a master mariner since 1966 and is greatly respected for his wide knowledge of the local harbour and the fishing industry. Born in Lisburn, he has spent most of his life in Ardglass where his grandfather, the late Joe Mulheron, and his great grandfather were associated with the industry.

He worked for the British Petroleum Oil company for three years and is presently head of the department of navigation in Kilkeel Technical College. He is in charge of the pre-sea section for O Level students and is a lecturer for the Department of Trade and Industry Certificate of Competency.

He will be in charge of the general maintenance and day-to-day running of the harbour. He will be responsible for ordering stores, etc. and collecting harbour dues. Work will begin shortly on the construction of a covered fish market at the harbour and there are plans for an ice-making plant. These are part of a phased plan for the harbour which will eventually include work on deepening the harbour floor.

“Ardglass has a fish market reputation throughout the world,” he said. “One thing is certain and that is that there will always be fishing boats coming into Ardglass.”

NEWCASTLE — Lt. Col. K. C. C. Smith, of Newcastle, received the award of the OBE in the New Year honours list for his services to social welfare in the province during the past 16 years.

Col. Smith, a 65 year-old retired army officer, has served on a long list of organisations in the South Down area, including Newcastle Urban Council, of which he was vice-chairman, Down Welfare Committee and Down Education Committee.

He is vice-chairman of the Eastern Health Social Services Board and has served as president of the Newcastle district scout council for many years. Keenly interested in the affairs of the Royal British Legion, he is chairman of its Newcastle branch.

LEITRIM — For almost two hours a man and his family were tied up as raiders ransacked their grocery and public house at Leitrim, near Castlewellan, over the holiday period and made off with a considerable sum of money.

It is believed that four men, two of whom carried revolvers, took part in the 4am raid. Mr. Bernard McAnulty, who runs the local post office in association with his grocery shop, said: “Apart from the Post Office money they got £280 of mine. They took all that was in the safe in the shop,”

Mr. McAnulty, who is 47, has been involved in the family business for almost all of his life and succeeded his late father in running it.

Police are anxious to receive the slightest scrap of information which may help them in their inquiries.

BALLYGAWLEY — Colonel E. D. R. Shearer, of Salt Water Cottage, Ballygawley, Downpatrick, has been appointed chairman of the new Sports Council for Northern Ireland. In the New Year honours Colonel Shearer was also awarded the CBE.

Don Shearer will be remembered by local sportsmen for his long and distinguished career as a cricketer and footballer. He played cricket for City of Derry, North of Ireland, Ulster and Ireland. He played soccer at amateur level for the Irish League, England and Great Britain. He is also well known in many other circles.

Making the announcement, Lord Belstead, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office with responsibility for education, said: “The new Sports Council will play a vital role in the development of sport and physical recreation in Northern Ireland and it is important that it should have a chairman of the highest calibre. Colonel Shearer will bring to the council a unique blend of administrative experience and sporting knowledge.

KILLYLEAGH — For 17 year-old Karl Rice, of Kerry Wynd, Killyleagh, today has a very special significance. Around four o’clock this afternoon Ireland’s Young Scientist of the Year will be announced and Karl is among the contenders for the title.

He is one of more than 400 exhibitors from all parts of Ireland, who will be taking part in the tenth Aer Lingus Young Scientists Exhibition, which opens at the RDS, Dublin, today. Karl, a student at St. Patrick’s High School, will examine the use of visual or audio feedback to improve control of the body.

The exhibition, with several hundreds pounds wrapped up in 45 prizes, will be judged behind closed doors. The winner will be announced the official opening by the Eire Minister of Finance, Mr. Ritchie Ryan.

NEWCASTLE — Business people in Newcastle are being advised by the Chamber of Commerce to check on insurance cover if they decide to use heating or lighting other than that supplied by electricity during the present restrictions.

DOWNPATRICK — Mr. D. J. McNeill, former principal of Downpatrick Technical College, has been elected as one of the officials of the Building Trades and Handcraft Teachers Guild of Northern Ireland for the coming year.

TYRES — The AA has appealed to drives to make sure their cars have a spare tyre. “With many garages closing earlier, it is becoming virtually impossible to find a spare after 5pm,” a spokesman said. Cars had to be towed to a garage and left until the next day.

FIREMEN — A record 163 calls were answered by Downpatrick firemen in 1973. Among the largest was the breakout at the Regal Ballroom in Ardglass, when the building was completely destroyed.

Over the Christmas period they had two calls, the first on December 23 when they answered a call to 6 Vianstown Park where an electric motor had gone on fire. On December 27 they were called to the sewage treatment works on the Belfast Road where they recovered the body of a man.