From the pages of the Down Recorder, October 30, 1973

From the pages of the Down Recorder, October 30, 1973

30 October 2013

CASTLEWELLAN — The detention of two men for questioning by security forces in the Castlewellan area sparked off a night of protests and violence on Tuesday night culminating with a bomb explosion which wrecked one shop and caused extensive window damage in the town’s main street.

The explosion at 4.30am ripped the front out of Mr. Tom Bingham’s drapery shop and blew holes in the bedroom floors where he normally slept with his wife and two children. Windows were smashed in more than a dozen premises.

Apparently the bomb – which is estimated to have been about 30lb — was planted by two people just after midnight. The Recorder understands that a local resident spotted them carrying the device across the street from an entry beside Shilliday’s hardware shop and raised the alarm. A forensic expert at the scene on Wednesday said it appeared to have been made from a mixture of fertiliser and diesel fuel.

Mr. Bingham was warned by a phone call from a neighbour to say that something was sitting in his doorway. “I went downstairs and there it was — a tomato box with a cardboard box on top,” he said. “My wife and children sleep directly above the front of the shop, so I didn’t wait any longer, but got them out as quickly as possible.”

CROSSGAR — The idea behind the origin of the newly formed Crossgar Youth Club, which opened in the War Memorial Hall on Monday night, came from the members of the very active Crossgar and District Community Association.

The youth committee is made up of Jimmy McCarthy, John Moreland, Ernie Casement, Conleth McCarthy, Alexandria Brown, Pamela Hayes, Chris Passmore, Rosemary Withers, Jane Moreland and Gemma Bell. The adult sub-committee of Neil McKillen, Gerry Flanagan, Denis Cahill, Rev. S. A. Matthews and Donal Flanagan act purely as a prop.

The committee are considering registration, but at the moment the club is open to anyone from Crossgar and surrounding areas every Monday night. Facilities include table tennis, darts, badminton, chess, and a coffee room.

CUTBACKS — Swimming pools in Ballynahinch and Castlewellan have been chopped from the Ministry of Education’s current programme of approved schemes. Other proposals for long term swimming and sports facilities will have to be on modest lines.

This was the shock news delivered to Down District Council on Monday and there was an immediate reaction of dismay and annoyance. Mr. Paddy O’Donoghue wanted to know why the Ministry were taking upon themselves the council’s job of selecting priorities.

The council members generally were at a loss to understand why there there should be such a drastic clampdown when they had been given to understand some time ago that money was available for many recreational facilities which were the subject of a lengthy survey of the East Down area.

Mr. Seamus Fitzpatrick emphasised the need for a swimming pool in Castlewellan — not an Olympic-sized structure but a simple learner pool. “Castlewellan has a school population of 1,600 and it is quite out of the question in the school time available to say that they can be taken five miles to Newcastle for a swim and then back again,” he said.

The Recorder understands that the proposal to build a big sports complex in Downpatrick is outside the scope of the clampdown. Design work on this scheme was begun last year and construction is expected to being in 1975.

CATTLE — The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society’s autumn show and sale produced some very high prices for quality animals — with local farmers setting the pace by a new record Friesian bull price of 2,300 guineas. The bull, Grovehill Banker, owned by Mr. David Kennedy, of Grovehill, Downpatrick, was bought by Mr. J. P. Kirk, of Ballydian, Crossgar.

DOWNPATRICK — Lord Belstead, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office, opened the new community centre at Killough Road, Downpatrick, on Saturday morning The centre was the first project to be completed under a Ministry of Community Relations scheme to increase its aid to provincial towns and there was a large crowd at the opening ceremony.

Mr. John Doris, chairman of the Killough Road Community Centre management committee, outlined the story behind the initiation of the Ballyvange scheme. It was the tenants’ association, he said, which had continued to press on behalf of this objective and it was a tribute to their tenacity that they had achieved their aim in such a short time.

Mr. Edward McGrady said the tenants’ association was a wonderful example of what could be produced through community work and involvement. He trusted that when the adjacent Model Farm estate was completed, both communities would merge socially and not regard themselves as separate entities, while adopting a policy of isolation.

Lord Belstead said it was greatly to the credit of the people already established in the area that this occasion had been made possible. Mrs. Pauline McKendry, chairman of the tenants’ association thanked everyone who had rendered valuable assistance.

KILLOUGH — The pier at Killough is deteriorating so rapidly that the sea will wash through and cause erosion with costly consequences, Down Council was warned this week. Mr. William McDowell, consultant engineer, told the council that the need for action was urgent.

Mr. McDowell said that part of the snag was that the pier, although unused, was privately owned and virtually untouchable by the council. When it was suggested that the council could encourage the landlord into some action, Mr. McDowell said it seemed that the council would have to buy the property.

TYRELLA — The plan to develop part of Tyrella beach has been delayed by a welter of work in the county solicitor’s office, Down Council were told on Monday. Replying to a question from Mr. Cecil Maxwell, Mr. John Parson, planning executive, said that the plan had been referred to the county solicitor some time ago, but he had become “snowed up” with claims resulting from the troubles.

As soon as the problem of land acquisition had been attended to, the scheme should progress quite speedily, Mr. Parson added.

LOUGHISLANDREAVY — A bomb which exploded at Loughislandreavy, near Castlewellan on Wednesday night, may have been an ambush attempt on security forces. Police confirmed yesterday that a UDR patrol had been operating road checks in the area when the bomb exploded at 11.45pm.

Part of a stone ditch was demolished and large stones were flung across the road. It is not yet known how close the patrol was to the explosion when it occurred. There were no injuries reported.

BLACK MAGIC — Rumours of witchcraft and black magic rituals, which have been rife in the district during the past week, appear to be groundless. Recorder checks on police and local clergy reveal that the stories appear to be groundless.

“There is no need for apprehension or fear,” a police spokesman said. “If we get any evidence of any weird goings-on we will take action. The district is alive with rumour.

Replying to rumours that children had been warned to stick together, rather than walk out alone at night, the spokesman said: “As far as that is concerned, it is just good common sense. We have been visiting schools recently to educate children on road safety matters and we try to point out that it it always safer to be with friends when out on the streets at night.”

CLOCKS — BRITISH Summer Time ends at 3am on Sunday when clocks should be put back one hour to 2am GMT. Summer time will start again at 2am on March 17, 1974, when clocks should be put forward one hour.