From the pages of the Down Recorder, June 13, 1978

From the pages of the Down Recorder, June 13, 1978

13 June 2018

SAINTFIELD — Traders in Saintfield called this week for the removal of control zones from the town centre, claiming that the parking restrictions are crippling their businesses.

Already over 40 people who either live in or have shops in the town have signed a petition calling for the removal of controls. Only four opposed the easing of restrictions.

Control zones were established in Saintfield in July 1976. Since then, with no central car park in the town, the traders say commercial life has ped considerably.

“These control zones have made Saintfield a ghost town,” said Mr Albert Carson, a local chemist. “If there was any real need for them I could see through it, but the fact is that they are achieving nothing.

“The traders of Saintfield didn’t want these restrictions in the first place. This was always a quiet area and there is no reason for them.”

Mrs Grace McCormick, who owns a nearby ladies’ fashion shop, agreed. “The question I would like answered is why Crossgar, which is just a few miles down the road, has no control zones while we have,” she said.

Another person feeling the pinch is Mr Austin Fitzsimons, who runs a bakery and restaurant in Main Street. He says his staff have lost customers through having to tell them they cannot park outside the shop.

“To me the restrictions are unnecessary and are a considerable nuisance,” he remarked. “If anyone wants to leave a bomb here they will.”

A police spokesman said there no plans to lift the controls. “These restrictions are in force throughout the country,” he said.

He said that the police had received complaints about the restrictions before Christmas, but a check at the time revealed that the majority of people in Saintfield wanted the control zones to stay.

BALLYNAHINCH — Ballynahinch beauty Bronagh Boyd is a budding rose — for she has taken the first step towards becoming the Rose of Tralee.

Twenty one year-old Bronagh won Friday night’s beauty contest in Newcastle to choose Co Down’s entry for the world famous festival in Kerry.

Bronagh, a civil servant, from Drumsnade Road, will now be competing in the Northern Ireland finals at the Lake Glenn Hotel in Belfast. If she wins she will go to Tralee in September to contend with 26 other girls from all over the world for the title.

The eventual winner stands to collect £1,000, but even by succeeding in the Northern Ireland heat, Bronagh could lift a handsome £100 cheque, £100 worth of Waterford glass and, of course, an all-expenses paid stay in Tralee for the festival.

At the Co Down heat held in the Slieve Donard Hotel, Bronagh was chosen from six other girls to become the first local entry in the contest.

DOWNPATRICK — Here in South Down we are lucky to have the facilities of Downpatrick Special Care School and Workshop where invaluable work is done for the mentally handicapped members of our society.

We are also lucky in having a caring band of volunteer workers who run Gateway and Peter Pan Clubs which give the mentally handicapped a chance to meet and mix with normal people and enjoy themselves.

Net week Downpatrick and District Society for Mentally Handicapped Children is holding a house to house collection. Organiser Mary Loughlin and her 60 volunteers will be hoping to better last year’s figure of £1,345.

The money will go towards financing holidays for the children, Christmas presents, Easter eggs, trophies for sports day, the rent for the television in the school, football strips for the boys, a typewriter and much more.

SAUL — Several thousands pilgrims, led by the Bishop of Down and Connor, Most Rev Dr Philbin, gathered on the slopes of Slieve Patrick in Saul on Sunday. The occasion was the annual concelebrated mass in memory of St Patrick, whose mission in Ireland began at Saul.

During the mass, St Mary’s High School’s choir sang hymns in English and Irish. Boy Scouts and Girl Guides from all parts of the diocese formed the guard of honour as the Bishop led the procession the altar.

The preacher, the Very Rev Joseph Cunningham, PP Drumbo, said: “By any standards St Patrick’s work in Ireland was most impressive. It would be no exaggeration to say that the world in which we live has been shaped much more by the fruits of St Patrick’s work than by Alexander the Great, or Napoleon, or any of the other well known names in history.”

NEWCASTLE — Newcastle’s Castle Park has been undergoing some major changes in recent weeks. The rowing boats on the boating lake are now high and dry and the children’s playground has been the scene of considerable construction work.

Although the park has been out of action for a while as Down Council carries out a badly-needed facelift, it will be back in swing inside the next few weeks. And when it opens it will be better than ever before.

Making a big difference will be the opening of a new £16,000 ‘slippery dip’, a huge six lane slide reckoned to be the tallest of its kind in the British Isles.

The council has been trying to have it built for the last two years and when it opens on Saturday week they reckon it will be a sure-fire hit with the kids.

“We’re hoping this will be a major attraction,” said Mr Bryan Coburn, the council’s recreation and tourist boss.”

KILLYLEAGH — Killyleagh High School is to get a new principal. He is Mr Tom McAuley, a 47 year-old married man from Bangor.

Mr McAuley is chief instructor at Killyleagh Sailing Centre and will succeed the present head, Mr William J Carruthers, who is retiring in September.

BALLYGOWAN — Two young Ballygowan sisters sparked off a full-scale police search when they disappeared on Friday evening. Jennifer and Jacqueline McConnell, aged 11 and 10, left their home around 7.30pm, saying they were going to visit a friend.

However, they failed to turn up and by midnight their anxious parents had alerted the police, who combed the area around their home.

The search went on through the night without success, though at 9.15am on Saturday the police spotted the sisters as they left a barn on the Ballygowan-Comber Road where they had spent the night.

The girls were taken back to their home where they were reunited with their parents and had breakfast before going to bed.

KILLOUGH — With the huge success of the three-day festival in Killough over the weekend, the organisers are already looking forward to holding a smilier event next year. The festival was the first major gala held in the village since 1894 and drew massive crowds from the Lecale area.

“It was absolutely magnificent and we were amazed that things went so well,” said Mr Pat Conway, of the six-man co-ordinating committee behind the festival.

Mr Conway paid tribute to the people of Killough for their support. “Without them it would have been nothing. They organised all the events and catered for the competitors in the various competitions. It was their festival.”

ARDGLASS — Hugh Duggan, one of Ireland’s leading band of young professional golfers, has been appointed the first ever club professional at Ardglass Golf Club.

His duties will commence at the end of August and his appointment marks a milestone in the 82-year history of the club. Mr Jack Martin, captain of the club, is enthusiastic about Hugh’s appointment.

CROSSGAR — Kilmore Rec Football Club held their annual presentation dance on Friday night. Mel McCarthy won the player of the year award and Leo Casement was the runner-up. The second team player of the year was Noel Magee and Alan Foreman was the runner-up. Conleth McCarthy won the young player award.