From the pages of the Down Recorder, November 2, 1976

From the pages of the Down Recorder, November 2, 1976

2 November 2016

DOWNPATRICK — Work will begin within three months on the new £600,000 maternity unit planned for Downpatrick.

The Department of Health and Social Services caused a minor sensation in local medical circles with the announcement that the unit has now been included in a capital works programme for the province.

The news was delivered by a delighted Mr George Flinn, district administration officer in charge of all Downpatrick’s hospital facilities, who claimed it was a triumph for the many people who had fought over the years for its acceptance.

The new 34-bed unit will be built within the grounds of Downshire Hospital and site work is due to commence in January next year.

Mr Flinn explained that Eastern Health Board policy is that all hospital facilities in Downpatrick should eventually be located on the Downshire site and he hoped this was another step towards that aim.

“I am highly delighted not only at this decision, but also the prospects it offers,” he said. “It has been fought for a number of years by colleges on previous authorities and by those on the District Executive team and the Area Board.”

CROSSGAR — Housing Executive plans to build 60 houses on a six-acre site in Crossgar have been flatly refused by planners — and housing chiefs have “no complaints.”

An Executive spokesman told the Recorder that soil tests and trial borings on the site had shown that would be too expensive to develop.

The planners turned down the site because they thought the development would be “out of keeping with character of existing development in the area.”

Crossgar councillor Mr William Cochrane said he had heard that the site would be too expensive and he was confident that another site was being investigated near Killyleagh Street in the town.

SAINTFIELD — Cassette recordings by a Saintfield church minister are being sent to Communist East Germany to meet the demand for recorded sermons.The sermons, recorded by the Rev David McKee, who is minister of First Saintfield Presbyterian Church, are being sent into East Germany from Switzerland by the Christian Interdenominational Cassette Ministry.

Mr McKee said the idea of recording sermons was born during the six years he was minister of a church in Lyss in Switzerland. The tapes were welcomed by sick and elderly people who were unable to attend church themselves.

Mr McKee said some other religious bodies were having to smuggle material into East Germany, but sending the tapes through the post had met with no opposition.

NEWCASTLE — An empty factory is causing a headache for Newcastle Town Committee, who are trying to find a way of filling it. The committee has invited members of the public to submit suggestions as to how the large factory on the Castlewellan Road could be dealt with.

Newcastle solicitor Mr Colman Hanna suggested at a recent meeting that the factory could be turned into several smaller ones to suit small local industry. If this could not be done, the Sports Club Union would like to see the factory turned into a sports centre.

Commander Bill Martin, chairman of the committee, said the committee had attempted to get the factory occupied over the last months.

BALLYNAHINCH — Souvenir hunters will not let Betsy Gray, brave heroine of the Battle of Ballynahinch, rest in peace. What remains of her lies in a little plot in Ballykine Lower on the old Ballynahinch-Lisburn Road.

One of the most colourful figures in the 1798 Rebellion, Betsy Gray’s death was as eventful as her life. She rode into the Battle of Ballynahinch with her brother, brother, and her lover, William Boal, mounted on a pony and determined to share the fate of the men she loved.

Her heroism was rewarded with a bullet in the head, while George and William were murdered by enemy soldiers. The three were buried together, but their rest was not to be an easy one.

Vandalism by souvenir hunters led to the ruin of the grave. A pile of tones was later erected as a memorial, but time and lack of attention have eroded this too.

Now thoughtless people have struck again, this time smashing what is left of the grave of one of Co Down’s heroines, and there is nothing to mark the spot once more.

Many Down people feel that a more permanent memorial to Betsy Gray and her courage should be set up so that she can lie in peace as she deserves.

DUNDRUM — Dundrum Village Committee heard that still no progress has been made with the proposed recreation facilities for the village.

At their meeting this week members were told that assistant recreation officer for Down District Council, Mr Frank Cunningham, took note of the complaints regarding the proposed recreation centre at ‘The Bank’ and ‘The Old Shipyard.’

Nor have the committee heard anything further about the proposed patch of land overlooking the beach which they wish to grass for use of mothers and children who go down to the sands.

This piece of land belongs to the East Downshire Steamship Co and has lain fallow for years. The company are prepared to sell the land to the council, but as yet the council valuer has been unable to evaluate the land.

ARDGLASS — The problem of parking in Ardglass may soon be solved because the Roads Service division of the Department of the Environment now have £70,000 more than they anticipated.

This extra cash was originally to be used for a car park in John Street, Downpatrick, but the Housing Executive, who had first option on the ground, have decided to build on the site. So Mr Dermot Curran, councillor for the Ardglass area, wants the Department to use some of the money to cure the parking problem there.

Mr Curran said that since the imposition of control zones in Ardglass there was nowhere for people to park their cars. He said problems had been raised before, but the Department had always claimed that they had no money to build a car park.

KILLINCHY — Spacedyers, the textile company based in Killinchy, hopes to sew up a large part of the Japanese market when they visit Japan later this month as part of a Northern Ireland trading mission.

Spacedyers, which spins and space prints tufted carpet yarns, will be represented by their yard sales manager, Mr D R D Rogan. This will be the company’s first visit as a member of trade mission to Japan.

Seven firms from all over the province will be taking part in the mission to Tokyo and Osaka on November 13-27.

PORTAFERRY — A Portaferry woman has lost her appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission to establish a new caravan park in Portaferry.

Mrs E Keating of Bellsquarter, Tara, Portaferry, was told that the Commission wanted to support the planning authority in its desire to restrict the establishment of permanent caravan parks in North Down.

CASTLEWELLAN — Castlewellan Square was packed with crowds of eager bargain hunters on Monday trying to pick up some of the many snips on offer at the traditional Hiring Fair.

The Hiring Fair, which is held twice a year in Castlewellan in May and November, has a history stretching back over hundreds of years. Traditionally it was, as its name suggests, a fair where people hired out their labour for the coming six months.

Men and women used to come to the Square to be hired for the princely sum of between £4 and £9 for a half year. All the dealing was usually performed from the Market House and men used to indicate their availability by sucking a straw in their mouths.