From the pages of the Down Recorder, May 10, 1995

From the pages of the Down Recorder, May 10, 1995

7 May 2025

DOWNPATRICK – Downpatrick is facing a major public sector housing crisis with over 100 people in urgent need of a home, it has been revealed this week.

Local politicians have claimed the situation is set to get worse if more new homes are not built within the town boundary to alleviate the numbers looking for a home.

At present, there are a total of 235 people on the waiting list, with just under half of them classed in the A and B groups of urgent need, but the Housing Executive says it does not have any plans to build more houses until after 1998.

In its annual report to Down councillors which was tabled last week, the Executive claims it will be able to meet demand through it relet programme, but the suggestion has not cut much ice with local politicians.

They are alarmed at the present situation and feel the Executive must take immediate steps to redress the imbalance and reduce the number of families in urgent need of housing.

Down Council vice-chairman, Mr John Doris, has appealed for the planned link road between Lower Market Street and St Patrick’s Avenue to be advanced to allow the significant development of more public-sector housing in the town.

Land at the town’s Ballyhornan Road to build a programmed 80 new homes was purchased a number of years ago, but there has been little movement on this front, despite repeated requests from politicians.

The seriousness of the present situation concerns Mr Doris, although he recognises that considerable sums are being spent renovating buildings. While he has welcomed plans to demolish 41 maisonettes at Kennedy Square over the next two years and replace them with a new development, he said the move will only put back what is already there.

ARDGLASS – Ardglass looks set to become designated the fourth conservation area in Down District. 

And the move could pave the way for a number of new initiatives for the fishing village, similar to those already in operation in Killyleagh, Strangford and Killough.

South Down MP, Mr Eddie McGrady, has been working feverishly behind the scenes for the past number of months and believes that if he village is designated, it will permit the flow of funding to help refurbish a number of buildings within the area.

The MP said this week that with the advent of a regeneration strategy for the village and the extensive proposals for the Phennick Cove marina there is an urgent need for the Department of Environment to launch the conservation area status, in tandem with a new allocation of funding.

Mr McGrady says the Department of Agricultural, in association with the International Fund for Ireland, has already recognised the potential of Ardglass and the need for it to be properly regenerated, through the allocation of funds last year.

YOUTH – Youth clubs across Down District are to take a lead role in the community campaign to retain the South Eastern Education and Library Board.

At a meeting in Downpatrick on Tuesday night, over 200 leaders and representatives from local youth clubs and uniformed organisations pledged to join a letter-writing campaign to save the board.

The campaign is being co-ordinated by the Down Local Advisory Committee for Youth, which is encouraging as many youth groups and leaders as possible to write letters objecting to the board merger proposals to the Education Minister, Mr Michael Ancram, South Down MP, Mr Eddie McGrady, and local councillors.

Parents and young people are also being encouraged to join the letter campaign, and a special youth working party has been set up to co-ordinate efforts to preserve the South-Eastern Board.

In a statement issued after last week’s meeting in Downpatrick Teachers’ Centre, the Local Advisory Committee for Youth commented: “The committee and the youth organisations it represents are in favour of a retention of the five Education and Library Boards. They are proud of a local service delivered locally and are pleased with the quality of services delivered by the South Eastern Education and Library Board.”

CASTLE WARD – National Mills Day will be marked locally at the National Trust property at Castle Ward on Sunday when the estate’s working corn mill will be in action.

Demonstrations of flour grinding at the recently restored corn mill will take place at regular intervals from  from 1pm to 5 pm and as a souvenir of the day all visitors will receive a free bag of flour ground at the mill.

PORTAFERRY – Two abandoned seal pups whIch were adopted by Portaferry’s Exploris aquarium and then flown to England for specialist care, are being returned to Strangford Lough for releases into the wild.

The two grey seals were among six taken in by Exploris staff last year, but since the aquarium can only cope with three seals at one time, two of the pups were sent to the RSPCA in Norfolk which is also a renowned centre for seal rehabilitation.

Now that the pups are healthy enough to fend for themselves in the wild, they are being returned to Exploris for release at the mouth of Strangford Lough.

Staff from the Norfolk RSPCA centre will be accompanying the pups as they travel to Portaferry by Land Rover and the Larne-Stranraer ferry.

Exploris seal rehabilitation expert Tania Johnston commented: “The release of these and other seals in our care is what our programme of seal rehabilitation is all about. We are delighted to work closely with the RSPCA in this field and to add to the body of knowledge on seal behaviour.

This year, Exploris expects to again look after a umber of injured or abandoned seal pups, but they are very keen that only those animals that genuinely need care are taken from the wild.

Says Tania: “If any member of the public finds a pup that appears to be in distress please do not approach it or attempt to move it. Disturbance by humans or pets can cause more harm than good in many cases.”

DUNDRUM – Two small boats got into difficulty during separate incidents in Dundrum Bay on Saturday afternoon.

At 12.40pm local auxiliary Coastguard’s were warned that a small motor boat travelling from the Isle of Man was experiencing engine difficulties.

The Nikos, which was crewed by a husband and wife, lost its main engine and limped into Newcastle on an auxiliary engine escorted by the yacht, Quest.

The boat made harbour safely and is believed to have suffered a seized engine.

At 4.30 pm Newcastle’s inshore lifeboat was launched to assist a small motor boat which was in danger of drifting onto rocks beside the town’s Rock swimming pool.

The boat contained two adults and three children and was successfully rescued and towed to the town’s harbour. One woman and a child swam to the shore before the lifeboat arrived.

LOUGHINISLAND  – Three communities, shattered by violence, were united at the weekend during a charity fundraising cycle run.

Cyclists from Loughinisland, which was plunged into morning when six local men were murdered in the Heights Bar almost a year ago, were joined by those from the Shankill Road and Greysteel to raise money for the Romanian Appeal Helpline and the Ulster Cancer Foundation.

The Quoile to the Foyle cycle event was well supported by people who turned out early on Saturday morning to help Dundrum comedian Paddy Kielty send the cyclists on their way.

Mr Kielty, whose father was murdered in Dundrum in January 1988, said: 

“It is fantastic to see so many people get on their bike to hep such a worthy cause.”