From the pages of the Down Recorder, August 16, 1977

From the pages of the Down Recorder, August 16, 1977

16 August 2017

BALLYNAHINCH — Ballynahinch people of all ages should benefit from an adventurous new leisure centre planned for Windmill Hill.

The proposed centre will include a 25-metre swimming pool, squash courts, a kitchen and coffee bar, activity rooms and outdoor recreational facilities.

The centre, a joint venture by Down District Council and the South Eastern Education and Library Board, was discussed at a recent meeting of the council’s recreation and tourist committee.

Programmed activities at the centre will include swimming, drama, judo, dancing, social events and outdoor sports activities. The centre will also include an informal ‘-in’ area where young people will be able to relax in the social area, play small table games or try their hand at table tennis, darts and pool.

At the moment there is no municipal hall in Ballynahinch and existing school and church halls are used extensively. However, these facilities suffer from design defects and four of the present voluntary organisations in the town are tied to particular churches.

KILLYLEAGH — Dates have at last been finalised to improve the water supply to residents of Killyleagh. The Department of the Environment hope to award a contract in October and work on the project will begin in December or January.

Colonel Denys Rowan-Hamilton who lives at Killyleagh Castle, said: “This means we should have a reliable supply in September 1978.”

Killyleagh residents have been dissatisfied with the situation for some time now and the new scheme will double the water supply to the town. With 100 new houses being built in the heart of the town it is essential that the water supply is increased.

Supply difficulties had been caused because the mains system was not large enough to cope with demands. However, the new scheme will solve this by providing a second, larger main along side the existing one.

SAINTFIELD — Work on the controversial Saintfield timber factory will go ahead as planned. A top level announcement from Stormont Castle made it clear at the project cannot be stopped and will be resumed immediately.

The residents of the small Windmill Hollow housing estate, situated only yards from the large complex, were given the news in a wordy letter.

The decision to allow the plan to go ahead has been taken in the teeth of the fiercest criticism ever levelled against a planning application in Down District and must leave a dark cloud hanging over the motives of the planners involved.

Predictably the faction was bitter. One local councillor described the decision as a “total miscarriage of justice.” A Windmill Hollow resident said: “I’m too sick to talk about it.”

ARDGLASS — Trouble is brewing over sub-contract work on a new pavilion at Ardglass playing fields and it now seems likely the matter could end up in the courts.

According to Down Council’s works manager, Mr James Mitchell, the mechanical services sub-contractor responsible for plumbing is so far behind schedule that everything is being held up.

Ardglass councillor, Mr Dermot Curran, said he was “very disturbed” at the news and he pressed the works department to speed up work on the site.

DOWNPATRICK — Downpatrick’s Sammy Cunningham got the surprise of his 87 year-old life on Saturday afternoon when the Northern Cricket Union’s Senior Cup found its way to his hospital bed.

Sammy, from New Bridge Street, could hardly believe his eyes when Downpatrick skipper Derek McCann, club president Billy Ritchie and official Jim McClurg landed at his bedside with the coveted trophy only minutes after Downpatrick had won it.

It was the first time Sammy had put his hands on the trophy since 1923 when he was a member of the team that brought it to the county town for the first time.

Sammy had been a lifelong supporter or the club and until recently was always seen cheering on the locals at the Strangford Road ground.

SEAFORDE — Seaforde’s Rosaleen Dornan has just joined a bevy of beauties who have won their way into the finals of the Sweetheart of Down competition.

Rosaleen came out on top in the third heat of the competition which was held in the Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, last week.

Now she joins other heat winners for the big final, which will be sponsored by Coca Cola Ltd and organised by Down District Council, at the end of the month.

Rosaleen, who enjoys swimming, dancing and a quiet game of pool, has high hopes of becoming a model.

DERRYBOYE — Police in Killyleagh are investigating an incident in Derryboye where two lambs were found wounded by crossbow arrows.

The lambs belonged to Mr Jams Flynn, who found the crossbow arrows when he was rounding his sheep on Monday morning. Anyone with information should contact police at Killyleagh 222.

CARRYDUFF — Carryduff police have received a complaint of yet another case of potato stealing in the area. Three hundred weight of potatoes were recently stolen from land at Ballylesson and police have asked anyone with information to contact them.

DROMARA — Upper Crossgare Pipe Band, from near Dromara, have become world champions in their first year back in competition.

After a very long absence from the contesting field Upper Crossgare, led by Pipe Major Duncan Graham, returned to the scene this year and scored their nest ever success by clinching the Grade 4 world championships at Aberdeen.

After pitting their talents against 27 other bands, Upper Crossgare played extremely well on the day and pipped all the favourites, including some rivals from Northern Ireland.

Much of the credit must to go Pipe Major Graham who introduced a group of teenagers four years ago to replace many of the senior members who retired. He started the long and tedious task of training them, hoping that one day his efforts would bear fruit.

SPELGA — Water supplies in Spelga reservoir have fallen rapidly over the last two or three weeks and an appeal has been made to the people of Banbridge, Rathfriland and Newry.

A spokesman for the Water Service said: “After the long, dry summer rainfall in the catchment area of the reservoir is such that if the present dry weather continues there is a likelihood that it will be necessary to impose water restrictions next weekend.

“The public can help by keeping their demands to the minimum and obvious non-essential uses, such as garden watering and car washing, should be avoided.”

CASTLE WARD — The National Trust have organised a special Irish heritage gardens exhibition. The event will run until September 2 and will be held in the Castle Ward theatre, Strangford.

GAELIC FOOTBALL — Down’s red and black clad minor footballers assured the Mourne fans of something to cheer about on the fourth Sunday in September in storming through to the All-Ireland final with a 2-11 to 1-7 victory over Mayo at Croke Park on Sunday.

With a scintillating display of power football, brilliant movements and forward inter-passiing that resembled Sean O’Neill at his brilliant best, Down put the skids under the highly talented Mayo side that was big, strong, fast moving and powerful.

Now Down are just 60 minutes way from creating history and bringing the All-Ireland minor title to the county for the first time.

Down: P Donnan, F Rooney, A McAulfield, J Murtagh, P O’Rourke, M Sands, B McGovern, P Kennedy (0-1), J McCartan (0-1), E Toner (0-1), T Bradley (0-2), M McCann, E McGivern (1-1), B Loughran (0-4), J Digney (1-1), Subs: S McNulty, S Carr.