From the pages of the Down Recorder, July 4 1978

From the pages of the Down Recorder, July 4 1978

4 July 2018

NEWCASTLE — A Presbyterian minister fears that his holiday home at Dundrum Road, Newcastle, could turn into a scene of tragedy because he cannot get a telephone installed.

The Rev Thomas McIlroy (56) has suffered four heart attacks in the past few years and is worried that he might not be able to contact his doctor should another one occur.

Mr McIlroy, who is minister of Seskinore Presbyterian Church, near Fintona, has not lived in his holiday home until this week, but has repeatedly asked the Post Office to install a telephone.

“I just felt I needed a holiday and decided to take a chance,” he said. “But it is rather unfortunate to be in my circumstances and be unable to make contact with anyone from your home.

A Post Office spokesman said he was not aware of the problem, but believed that the delay could be caused by their waiting for exchange equipment from an underground cables programme.

“We will try to asset in this instance as fast as we can, but with the best will in the world it is difficult to deal with individual cases in certain circumstances.”

LA MON — The trustees of the La Mon House disaster fund have begun paying out £141,000 to dependants of the victims and those seriously injured in the bomb. The pay-out, which is expected to be completed within ten days, will almost certainly empty the coffers of the fund.

A total of £165,000 was collected, most of it within a few weeks of the bomb attack in February which killed 12 people and injured over 30. A small interim payment was made some months ago and after the distribution of the money announced this week only a few thousand pounds will be left in the fund.

DOWNPATRICK — Latest figures show that there are a total of 272 people on the hospital waiting list in Downpatrick. The statistics are contained in the second annual report from the Eastern Health and Social Services Board.

The report also notes that there were a total of 3,122 operations carried out in the Downe and Quoile Hospitals during the year 1974-75. This compares with 3,058 operations in the previous 12 months. Altogether there were 4,160 admissions to the two hospitals during the year — a slight on 1974.

On the staff side the total number employed in the health service in Down district is 1,939 The biggest single employer is the Downshire Hospital, which has 864 workers, ranging from nursing staff to administrators and maintenance men.

There are a total of 195 people deployed in the Downe Hospital and 105 in the Quoile. In the community services there are 740 people working full time, mainly as home helps.

KILLOUGH — An elderly man was tied up and robbed in the early hours of Tuesday morning when masked raiders burst into his Killough home.

Two men armed with a shotgun burst into the house at Chapel Street and began to slap him in the face. They tied him up and gagged him and then began to ransack the house. An assortment of rings and gold sovereigns were stolen along with a considerable sum of money.

The raid is being investigated by Downpatrick detectives and they have appealed for anyone with information about the incident to contact them.

KILLYLEAGH — More than 60 bands and 70 Orange lodges will converge on Killyleagh next week of the first Twelfth demonstration held there since 1963.

An expected 10,000 spectators, together with 3,5000 Orangemen, will throng to the little town on the shores of Strangford Lough, hoping for a repeat of the glorious weather that greeted them in Dundrum last year.

The long range weather forecast reckons that rain may be on the way, but that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of the organising Lecale District officers who hope that it will stay way long enough to make it a memorable day.

Killyleagh police have appealed to motorists to avoid certain areas of the town in order to prevent traffic congestion. ‘No Waiting’ restrictions will be imposed to keep the area clear for the local procession and four traffic diversions will implemented.

CROSSGAR — Fishermen along a stretch of the Glasswater River between Crossgar and Derryboy were angered this week by the poisoning of a large number of fish.

Dozens of native brown trout were taken from the river and all had been poisoned. The fishermen claim that this is the third year that the Glasswater has been polluted. So far no cause has been found for the poisoning.

A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture’s fisheries section said that the river, which is one of the headwaters of the Quoile, did not come under their control. He said there was nothing they could do but pass the complaint on to the Fisheries Conservancy Board.

BALLYNAHINCH — Pupils and staff at Ballynahinch High School held a special presentation for one of the teachers, Miss Elizabeth Dickson, who is leaving to get married.

Miss Dickson was the head of the home economics department and has been a member of the staff since completing her college course 16 years ago. She was presented with a Sunbeam kitchen centre by Misses Mavis Campbell and Adeline Smyth on behalf of past and present pupils.

At a special dinner in the Millbrook Lodge the headmaster and staff presented her with a 16-piece Waterford crystal set and wished her every happiness for the future.

ANNACLOY — Sister Mary Borgia McGrath, who emigrated to America with her parents over 60 years ago, is home in her native Annacloy for a two-month stay.

Sister Mary, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Names teaching order, is based at Los Gatos in California, where she lives in the Mother house.

A teacher all her life, she has now retired and is glad of the opportunity to visit her many relatives. She is staying at the home of her sister-in-law, Mrs McGrath.

“You can travel the world over and not find the beauty that you find in Ireland,” Sister Mary said. “I don’t think the people here realise the beauty which surrounds them and the children are so lucky to live here.”

TYRELLA — Teachers and pupils at Tyrella Primary School paid tribute to their retiring headmaster, Mr Haydn Warman, at a special presentation recently.

Staff and pupils, past and present, gathered in the school to bid their farewell to Mr Warman, who has decided to return to his homeland in Wales. He has been living in Northern Ireland for 41 years and has been headmaster at Tyrella since 1988.

Mr D Carson, the new principal, acted as chairman for the evening when various tributes were paid to Mr Warman and his success at Tyrella Primary School.

Speeches were made by Mrs Maureen Orr, a senior member of staff, Dr J Irwin, chairman of the school management committee, and Col D Preston, on behalf of the 2nd Battalion Light Infantry.

A presentation was made to Mr Warman on behalf of past and present staff by Miss Maureen Bell and a personal presentation was made to Mrs Warman by Mrs A Hamilton.

SEAFORDE — Lady Anthea Forde, of Seaforde, has been reappointed to the Ulster Countryside Committee for a further three years by the Department of the Environment. The Committee advises the Department on matters relating to the Amenity Lands Act and reports on any questions affecting the natural beauty of Northern Ireland which the Department may refer to the committee.

CLOUGH — Clough Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church held a very successful annual Sunday School excursion to Portrush on Saturday. Apart from the children, the party included parents and friends. After a day of fun and games and several hours of shopping, the party returned to Clough via the Antrim Coast Road.