From the pages of the Down Recorder, June 26, 1979

From the pages of the Down Recorder, June 26, 1979

26 June 2019

BALLYKINLAR — A UDR officer who defied neck-high floods to snatch two exhausted men from a tractor, after towing a rescue boat by a rope strapped round his waist, is to receive Queen’s Commendation for Bravery.

Lt Michael Butler, who serves with the 3rd Co Down battalion at Ballykinlar, was told on Tuesday that his gallantry had been officially recognised and that he will receive the commendation in due course.

Lt Butler’s night of bravery took place on December 28 when the district was caught up in as raging storm, with floods swirling everywhere.

According to the citation he showed “the highest degree of leadership and physical courage, which undoubtedly saved the lives of two men.”

The rescue happened at Cabra, near Hilltown, after he had been on 24 hours of virtually non-stop flood duty.

He set off with a section of men on a 10 minute journey, after a report that two men had been marooned on the tractor.

In torrential ran and gale force winds; the UDR soldiers tried to launch their inflatable boat, but failed. A local farmer towed it part of the way, until the water was too deep. And then Lt. Butler took over.

He jumped into the water, after spotting the lights of the stranded tractor on the other side of a river which had burst its banks.

After struggling to reach the men, he had to persuade them to get into the boat, even though they were suffering from extreme shock and exposure.

And then, using a red torch above his head, Lt. Butler and an unnamed Lance Corporal managed to tow the boat back to safety.

STRANGFORD — The village square in Strangford is the setting for Ulster’s largest outdoor Sunday market — and already it’s catching on fast. The market opened several weeks ago and crowds, as well as stallholders, have swelled noticeably each week.

The man behind the new venture is Mr Frank Taggart, who says he is delighted with the response to the market idea and hopes to expand further in the coming weeks.

“Obviously everything depends on the public, but so far they have welcomed it and we are now attracting more and more people from further afield”, said Mr Taggart.

He revealed he intends setting up a bus service to the market from Downpatrick, Ballynahinch, Saintfield, Crossgar, Killyleagh and Ardglass and is hopeful that more stallholders will join the Sunday scene.

‘Last weekend we had 24 stallholders, which is pretty good in comparison to other markets, and there is every indication that more will be coming on a regular basis.”

BALLYNAHINCH — The recently formed Windmill Hill Residents Association met on Thursday night to form a working committee and already they have thrashed out a long list of grievances.

The main aim of the Association is to stop the neglect, which, they claim, the estate has received at the hands of different government bodies.

A spokesman for the new association said that he hoped the new working committee would receive the full backing of residents in the estate.

He continued by claiming that since the estate was built three years ago, facilities for residents are sadly lacking. He pin-pointed the lack of a play area for children and lashed out that there were no garages for houses in the estate.

The lack of a public telephone and post box also came under fire and the committee feel that the estate should have a shop.

But the committee are concerned that there pleas will be unanswered and there spokesman stressed that they must receive the backing of the 99 tenants in the estate.

CROSSGAR — The Lord Chief Justice, Sir Robert Lowry, who lives near Crossgar, has been awarded a life peerage in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Sir Robert, recognised as one of the top legal minds in the country, has had a disguised career which led to a knighthood in 1971. 

Born in 1919, Sir Robert was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Cambridge University, where he obtained a distinction in classics. He served in the armed forces from 1940-1946 and was promoted to major.

Called to the Bar in 1947, he was appointed a QC in 1956 and in 1964 became a High Court judge. In 1971 he succeeded Lord McDermott as Lord Chief justice.

DRUMAROAD — Ten year-old Drumaroad Primary School pupil Rita O’Boyle learned this week that she had finished runner-up in an international letter writing competition — the same week when she leaves the primary school for the last time.

Rita, from 7 Chapel Lane, Drumaroad, and a P7 pupil, was joint runner-up in the Northern Ireland section of the Post Office International letter writing competition of the Universal Postal Union.

Her prize was a Girocheque for £5 and four sets of presentation stamp packs — and all because her letter, entitled ‘Places to visit in my country’, impressed the judges, including Gloria Hunniford.

Rita wrote in her letter about the attractions of Tollymore Forest Park and the history of the old primary school in Drumaroad cemetery.

She finishes her education at Drumaroad tomorrow and next year she will don the uniform of Assumption Grammar School in Ballynahinch.

KILLYLEAGH — The 

car slalom on Friday night, organised as part of the Killyleagh Festival, went down a hit and there are hopes that it can be repeated and enlarged next year.

There were around 30 participants at the event, held on Mr Robin Gilmore’s land at Kirkland Road, Toye, with three classes.

Frank Gibson from Toye was the eventual winner of class 1 for cars up to 1300cc.  He had been locked in battle with Andrew McCorkell throughout, but eventually took the chequered flag after several re-runs.

ARDGLASS — Ardglass councillor, Mr Dermot Curran, has received promises of immediate action at the Seaview housing estate in Ardglass on what has been described as a public disgrace and potential death trap.

Mr Curran blasted out a warning to the Housing Executive to act immediately to cover a stinking septic tank at the estate and other manholes, but he has only received temporary measures so far.

The Housing Executive accepted responsibility and promised immediate action. A spokesman said that they had been waiting for heavy duty cover which has just arrived. But when Mr Curran visited the site on Tuesday he found that the tank was only temporarily covered with concrete slabs and the man hoes with piles of earth.

The Ardglass councillor showed no leniency for the Housing Executive, saying that he had first brought the case to attention over six months ago and he was sceptical of their “shallow promises”.

SAINTFIELD — The Saintfield Parish Sunday School Festival was held on Sunday and was conducted by the Rev N W Woodrow with the special preacher being Mr Alan Abernethy.

During the service Miss Fiona Jennings, on behalf of the Sunday School, presented Miss Joy Herd with a cheque for £270 to help children in Uganda.

DUNDRUM — Dundrum Regatta and Sports Day — changed to June for the first time in years — was not exactly blessed with good weather on Saturday. However, although heavy showers and a cold wind had an adverse effect on spectators, there was still high entries in most of the sports events. 

The morning events, which included swimming were threatened by rain. The half mile swimming race, from Ballykinlar Point to Dundrum was cancelled but in its place was a swim alongside the harbour wall.

Conditions, throughout were ideal for regatta races. The fresh south westerly breeze tested yachtsmen to the full over a new course.

The evening events included a veteran car rally, with 16 cars from all over the country attending. 

The rain dampened the display slightly but the old cars, which were turned out immaculately, still brought pangs of sentiment of some of the senior townspeople.