From the pages of the Down Recorder, March 5, 1974

From the pages of the Down Recorder, March 5, 1974

5 March 2014

ELECTION — Two of Northern Ireland’s leading bookmakers yesterday made Captain Lawrence Orr, the sitting Unionist MP in South Down, the hottest favourite among the 48 General Election candidates in the province.

He was offered at between 14/1 and 10/1 on — which means that the bookies at least simply don’t rate very highly the chances of his two opponents in the constituency, Mr. Sean Hollywood (SDLP) and Mr. Hugh Golding (Republican Clubs).

On the face of it Captain Orr should be home at something less than a canter. In the last election, in June 1970, he had a 13,000-plus majority over Mr. Golding — then a Unity candidate — with a Liberal a further 15,000 odd votes away.

This time the traditional opposition is well and truly split between the Republicans and SDLP. And yet Captain Orr is on record as saying that the South Down seat is a marginal one and that the Unionists have a real fight on their hands in their efforts to retain it

EDUCATION — Teachers from all schools in Downpatrick and the East Down area, including Ballynahinch and Castlewellan, agree that comprehensive education should be introduced, provided that some of the problems experienced elsewhere can be eliminated at the outset.

Meeting in Downpatrick at the invitation of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, the teachers, drawn from all strata of schools, took part in a well balanced exchange of views in response to the decision to abolish the present selection procedure at 11-plus age. They agreed that abolition of selection was desirable, but emphasised that much thought should be given to the form of secondary education to be adopted.

CASTLEWELLAN — A Castlewellan shopkeeper who has been warned by police for removing three bomb boxes from his premises in the past year had a lucky escape on Saturday night when he attempted to foil a fourth attack on his confectionery shop.

Mr. Jim Magill, a 45 year-old Ulsterbus depot manager, tripped on a pavement as he rushed from his shop in Main Street and ped the lethal package only inches away from his prostrate body. Miraculously, the bomb broke apart and failed to detonate. Mr. Magill’s face was cut and bruised and his spectacles were broken. He was put under sedation for several days suffering from shock.

The incident happened as Mr. Magill and his wife, Betty, were serving customers. A man, wearing a black nylon stocking mask, burst through the door and planted a large cardboard box on the floor before fleeing to a waiting car.

Customers fled behind the shop counter and out through a side door while Mrs. Magill rushed to get her two young daughters before making her escape. Mr. Magill immediately seized the box containing an estimated 30 lb. of explosives and darted outside. He had intended placing the box against a wall on the opposite side of the road, but he tripped several yards from the spot.

DUNDRUM — A call for approval of the recently rejected Dundrum coastal path proposals went to the Department of Environment from a public meeting in the village on Wednesday night. At the same time the Roads Service were asked to abandon proposals to make a through pass road which, it was stated, would cause more harm than good to the village and its environment. Instead, they should reconstruct the main street.

The meeting, which was attended by five district councillors, was called by the village development committee as a result of the department’s refusal to approve the coastal path proposals in view of the Roads Service’s intentions to construct a through pass in 1978.

Assemblyman Paddy O’Donoghue said his information was that there was no proposal to build the controversial road, but only to hold the land for 10 or 15 years should the traffic pattern by then require its construction. Accordingly, he felt that the department should be asked to approve the coastal path proposals so that grant could be forthcoming and the work undertaken.

Mr. Vincent Murray, who is at Queen’s University and is preparing a thesis as part of his post-graduate work, said that road engineers in Northern Ireland should learn from the mistakes made by their English counterparts. While Northern Ireland had some of the best roads in Europe there was a great need for a more sensitive approach by road engineers and planners.

SAINTFIELD — Dr. Jim McKelvey, Saintfield, has been elected to succeed his late father as president of Saintfield and District Agricultural Show Society. Mr. Jas. P. Kirk, acting chairman, welcomed Dr. McKelvey as the show’s new president and expressed the delight of all the members that he had accepted the office held for almost 30 years by his father, the late Dr. J. S. McKelvey.

In his report Mr. John Beck, secretary, said that the success of the show society was a worthy memorial to the memory of the late Dr. McKelvey. The society, he said, were privileged to have him as president for so many years.

DOWNPATRICK — Late deliveries of building materials have delayed the start of production at Northern Ireland Spinners’ factory at Newcastle Road, Downpatrick. The new estimated date for production to begin is May and within a year of commencement it is expected that there will be 75 jobs, almost all of them for men.

The company is now seeking a limited number of men to help with the assembly of machines, which they will be trained to operate in due course. A spokesman for the firm told the Recorder yesterday that they were disappointed that things had not been happening as they had anticipated due to supply problems.

CROSSGAR — Two Crossgar runners are off shortly for a four-day trip to Monza in Italy to compete in the international AAA cross-country championships. They are 18 year-old Alan McKee, of Bells Hill, and 23 year-old Tom Price, of Westlands, who have been selected to represent Northern Ireland.

For Alan, a member of the Annadale Striders, this will be his first international outing. He will compete in the Junior cross-country race over six miles. Tom, unlike Alan, is an ‘old hand’ in international events — he has already represented NI in France and Scotland.

Both runners have been working hard for the past couple of months. Indeed, anyone driving out the Downpatrick-Crossgar road is sure to see them most nights of the week. Alan gets through about ten sessions per week, clocking up an average of 80 miles, while Tom stretches his training as far as 12 sessions weekly and taking in about 90 miles.

SPA — Spa Young Farmers’ Club was hailed as a focal point for young people in the area interested in country life, educational activities and healthy social pursuits by Mr. Billy Martin, deputy president of the YFCU at the weekend.

Mr. Martin was proposing a toast to the club at a dinner dance in the Conway Hotel to mark its 30th anniversary. A toast to he club was replied to by Mr. Jim Prentice, club leader. A cake specially baked for the occasion by Miss Caroline Dodd was cut by Mrs. Ruby Hunter, secretary.

MOURNES — Twenty five year-old Ian Sharp, of Beechgrove Rise, Cregagh, Belfast, a member of the Belfast Hiking Group, was killed when he fell 400 feet off Pigeon Rock, near Spelga, in the Mournes.

KILKEEL — Using their new general purpose rescue boat, Kilkeel Coastguard went to the aid of an injured fisherman. The fisherman, a member of the crew of the fishing boat Day Dawn, injured his hand in a winch and the vessel was unable to put into Kilkeel because of an ebbing tide.

SWIMMING — A new event has been added to the Irish long distance swimming calendar. It’s the Killyleagh to Strangford swim, which will be held on Saturday, July 6.