From the pages of the Down Recorder, March 16, 1976

From the pages of the Down Recorder, March 16, 1976

16 March 2016

ARDGLASS — An Ardglass man who wants to establish a small furniture-making factory has been told to restrict his business hours and ensure that his building is sound-proofed.

Local planners say they have imposed the restrictions on Mr Thomas Wills, whose premises are at Shield Hall, High Street, because of several complaints received from nearby residents.

But Ardglass councillor Mr Dernot Curran can’t see what the fuss is about. As he told fellow Down councillors this week: “Up until a year ago there was noise in this building from 6pm to 1am. The premises used to be used as a dance hall, a disco and a picture house. The area is well used to noise.”

A planning representative explained that Mr Wills was being restricted to working between 8am to 6pm. He could, however, apply for an extension to these hours from time to time.

Mr Eddie McGrady thought the restriction on hours was unnecessary. The factory would give employment to an area which needed all it could get.

Mr P J Smyth disagreed that there would be a high noise level.

He thought the factory would have machines similar to those in use in woodwork and metalwork classes in schools, where the noise factor is not prohibitive.

The planners have agreed to review their decision and it is thought likely that they will lift the restriction on working hours.

DUNDRUM — Mr William Keown, the proprietor of Cottage Industries at Church View, Dundrum, received the MBE at the recent investiture at Buckingham Palace. He received the award for services to the rural industries in Co Down. Altogether he employs six people and more than 50 home workers.

Mr Keown’s wife, Elizabeth, and his mother, Mrs Mary Keown, also attended the investiture. Mr Keown said the Queen evidently knew a considerable amount about him and expressed a great interest in his local enterprise.

DRUMANESS — The villagers of Drumaness warmly welcomed the recent completion of work on extensive and badly needed alterations to their community hall. But everything has now turned cold and residents are now wondering whether it was all such a good idea.

The trouble is that the new heating system is not working and because of it attendance has ped at the new-look hall.

So serious is the lack of heat that the local Women’s Institute have stopped holding their meetings at the hall.

Local councillor Mr Dan Rice believes the installation of the new heating system was a very unsatisfactory job. “The place is like an ice box,” he said.

What puzzles Mr Rice is that the old boiler system, which was pulled out of the building, was working perfectly at the time.

Things, however, look like warming up. Consultant architects, employed by Down Council, have examined the system and are hoping that a number of modifications will take the heat out of the situation and put it back into the hall.

NEWCASTLE — Timothy Horgan, from Newcastle, the Down High School pupil who won his way to the final of the ‘Superbrain’ competition, finished third overall in the concluding stages.

Timothy, of Park Parade, was one of four students entered by the local school in the province-wide competition aimed at finding Northern Ireland’s brainiest child.

The final took place at Belfast Academy on Monday night and was broadcast on Radio Ulster later in the week.

BALLYNAHINCH — A number of major redevelopment schemes currently in progress in Ballynahinch could leave a large slice of the town as nothing more than a tar and cement jungle.

Without doubt the combination of schemes make the area one of Northern Ireland’s biggest development sites, but what is worrying is that the combined effort has not been deliberately planned.

The redevelopment area embraces a number of existing housing estates around Ballynahinch Lough and with their finger in the pie are Down Council, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive the Department of Planning and private house-builders.

DOWNPATRICK — A former Downpatrick man, Mr John Malone, attacked the 11-plus selection procedure, calling it the “enemy of education,” at a public meeting in the town this week.

Mr Maloen, a prominent figure in the province’s comprehensive movement, returned to his home town to address an open meeting of Downpatrick Primary School’s parent-teacher association.

“The enemy is not particular schools who do a good job in an unsatisfactory system, but it is the 11-plus selection and the sense of failure that it brings,” he said.

Mr Malone also said that a change of system would enable good schools to do their job even better.

RAFFREY — No one was injured when a small explosion took place outside Raffrey Post Office on the main Killyleagh to Saintfield Road. The explosion occurred after an object had been thrown from a car. Several windows in the Post Office were broken and a small crater was blown in the road. Mr Brian Rice and his sister live in the premises.

STRANGFORD — A Strangford man, who took ill when returning from Belfast, was rushed to Downe Hospital. Mr William McCormick, of Shore Road, was passing through Crossgar when he felt ill, so he contacted the local police. Dr Phillips was brought to the scene and made arrangements for him to be taken to hospital.

CROSSGAR — Two lambs owned by Mr  Deboys, of 42 Kilmore Road, Crossgar, were killed in an outbreak of sheep worrying. A black labrador dog is thought to have been the cause of the trouble.

Another sheep was severely injured in the Drumbo area near Carryduff, where a pack of  straydogs have been roaming.

CASTLEWELLAN — More than 700 rounds of assorted ammunition were found by an army patrol in the Bunkers Hill area of Castlewellan. They were found in a wooden box, buried in a stone ditch on the Drumee Road.

The previous day another army patrol found two hand grenades at Loughinslandreavy, near Castlewellan.

KILLOUGH — Downpatrick firemen were called to Ballylig Road, Killough, where a Ford Escort car belonging to Mr Jack Laird, of Kennedy Park, Killough, caught fire.

COMBER — Goods valued at £40 were stolen from a summer house at Reagh Island, near Comber recently. It is thought the theft took place inside the last two weeks.

SOCCER — For the first time in their history Dundrum United became Newcastle League Division A champions when they had an easy 7-1 success over a depleted Rathfriland Swifts at the Rocks on Saturday.

Despite the scoreline, it was a strangely lacklustre display from Dundrum and only Terry Connor could not be faulted on this performance.

Connor laid on three of the goals and could have scored a couple himself, but for fine saves by the keeper.

Rathfriland could only field ten men and had no answer to the finishing power of the Dundrum forward line, who have now scored 21 goals in their last four matches.

The goals on Saturday came from Peter McCormick (2), Noel Maguire (2), Francis Redmond (2) and Kevin Walsh.

ATHLETICS — Downpatrick cross-country runner Tom Breen underlined his ranking among Ireland’s top juveniles by winning his second All-Ireland title, this time in the Irish Schools’ 3000 metre junior race at Rockwell College, Co Tipperary.

Having won the regional and Ulster titles, Tom made it a hat-trick of schools wins when he took the lead after 1000 metres and held it to the end in a close and exciting finish.