From the pages of the Down Recorder, July 5, 1977

From the pages of the Down Recorder, July 5, 1977

5 July 2017

DOWNPATRICK — The move of G Division police headquarters from Downpatrick to Newtownards has been condemned as highly regrettable by the chairman of Down District Council, Col Denys Rowan-Hamilton.

The change of headquarters took effect from Monday and involved the departure of the divisional commander and his deputy to Newtownards.

Col Rowan-Hamilton, who is chairman of the council’s police liaison committee, said that the council had not been consulted about the move. “It is extremely regrettable that one more administrative headquarters has left to the county town of Down,” he said. “The move is line with the general drift away from our capital town.”

A police spokesman said that under the pre-1971 police divisions Downpatrick had been a centre-point, but now it was llc aged in the south end of G Division. Netownards and Bangor, where there was a greater concentration of population, were better sites for a central headquarters. He stressed that the move would not make any difference to police operations in Downpatrick.

Nevertheless, Col Rowan-Hamilton was adamant in his disapproval of the move. “There are more things to be considered that just the wishes of those senior police officers who took this decision.”

The council vice-chairman, Mr Eddie McGrady, said that he hoped the transfer of police headquarters to Newtownards would be a temporary one.

KILCLIEF — There are no immediate plans to build a nuclear power station in Northern Ireland, the Minister of State, Mr Don Concannon, announced in the House of Commons. This announcement puts paid to rumours that a possible power station was to be sited in East Down, specifically in Kilclief.

A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Electricity Service said that should a nuclear power station be built it would need to be built along the coast or along the shores of Strangford Lough. However, he added that the NIES were currently building a station at KIlroot and because of the electricity crisis it would be unlikely that a second station would be constructed for some years to come.

NEWCASTLE — Saturday’s big parade to launch Newcastle’s Festival Fortnight will include vintage cars, six bands and a record number of floats.

The chairman of Newcastle Town Committee, Commander Bill Martin, is confident that the parade will spark off a fortnight of festival fun, which will be even better than the last two years.

As well as the co-operation of Down District Council in the planning of the summer season in the town, Newcastle Town Committee have received strong financial support for their festival fortnight.

A sum of £250 has been received from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to finance entertainment in the bandstand and Gallaghers have given £150 to sponsor an outdoor bowls tournament. Mother’s Pride bakeries and Guinness are also sponsoring events.

However, committee treasurer, Mr Fred Wadsworth, and assistant treasurer, Mr Aidan O’Neill, say that more money  is still required from the town’s business community.

“We have worked hard and produced a very good programme and our efforts deserve the support of everyone in the town,” Mr Wadsworth said.

Radio Newcastle will again be in action throughout the festival, organised by the town committee and for the rest of the season by Down District Council. The times of its use will be restricted, but it is intended to keep up the festival atmosphere and to keep people informed of events and where things are happening.

BALLYNAHINCH — Ballynahinch Chamber of Commerce members have been promised a helping hand by its parent body, the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce. This was the promise made to Ballynahinch business folk at the Chamber’s second meeting by Mr G L Avret, secretary of the Northern Ireland Chamber.

There were a number of new faces at the meeting, suggesting that the Chamber will become a force in the town. Various topics affecting Ballynahinch were discussed and strong feelings were voiced on the inadequate parking space.

Members decided to contact Down District Council and the Department of the Environment about the parking problem and about the long-promised community hall for the town.

The deplorable state of some of the smaller street road surfaces was also discussed and it seems likely that this topic will also be raised with the Council and the DoE.

Because of the holidays it was decided that the Chamber would not meet again until the first Monday in September.

SAINTFIELD — The Kurdish civil war on the Iran-Iraq border is causing problems for a Saintfield student and eight of his friends. If the trouble continues then 22 year-old Allister McQuoid and his companion from Queen’s University Mountaineering Club will have to alter their plans for a once-in-a-lifetime mountaineering trip.

The group had planned to head off in a mini-bus on an eight-week trip to the Clio Dag mountain range. However, because of the trouble they can’t get confirmation of their expedition from the Turkish government.

Past graduate physics student Allister, a former pupil of Down High School, is the leader of the nine-man expedition.

The team have been training on mountain ranges all over Ireland for months and they expect that the trip will cost around £3,50. Most of the cash is coming out of their own savings and from club funds, but several firms have offered to provide food for the trip.

DUNDRUM — More than 60 bands and over 70 lodges, comprising 3,500 Orangemen, will converge on Dundrum next week for the first Twelfth demonstration to be held there since 1962.

Providing the weather holds, the route through the seaside village is expected to be lined with as many as 10,000 spectators.

Altogether, there will be five districts attending the demonstration. The host district, Castlewellan, will lead the procession and will be followed by Lecale, Saintfield, Comber and Ballynahinch districts.

Roads into Dundrum will be closed from 10.30am and traffic diversions will be in operation until late in the afternoon. The religious service will start at 2pm and will be conducted by the Rev J D Caldwell, Castlewellan district chaplain.

PORTAFERRY — Sunday night saw the end of a 13-month labour of love for many people living in the Portaferry area.

For over a year now they have been going out at night armed with picks and shovels to devote a few hours’ work to a very special project — the building of a new road and footpath to the ancient monument of St Cooey’s Wells.

It was not unusual for gangs of up to 20 local men to converge on the wells each night. They worked entirely voluntarily and with the help of a local contractor the entire scheme has been completed in good time.

Sponsored by the local parish priest, the venture has been done on a voluntary basis and subions have been sent in by parishioners and other well wishers. No government funds or sponsorship was applied for.

The ancient ruins of St Cooey’s Wells have long been a place of interest to tourists and several pilgrimages have been organised to the spot by the Church. On the site there are remains of a ninth century church dedicated to St Cooey, along with a flat rock on which the saint prayed.

On Sunday night a special Mass was said at the wells to mark the opening of the new road and footpath, and it is reckoned that between 2,000 and 3,000 people turned up.

“I think the project has been great,” said one Portaferry man. “The people have really put their backs into it.”