From the pages of the Down Recorder, December 7, 1976

From the pages of the Down Recorder, December 7, 1976

7 December 2016

CROSSGAR — A storm of protest raged this week over a decision by planning bosses to stop development of a 13-acre industrial site for three factories in Crossgar.

Shocked Down councillors have presented a united front condemning the decision and have pledged to fight it tooth and nail over the coming weeks.

The application to develop an industrial site was made by Crossgar estate agent, Mr Osborne King. His proposal is to develop a site on his lands at Ballynahinch Road, Crossgar. He was told by planners in 1972 that there could be no objection to the scheme. That original decision expired earlier this year.

Leading the bid to have the new veto scrapped is Crossgar councillor, Mr William Cochrane, who said other developments in the area made a “mockery” of the planners’ reasoning.

“At a time when we are looking for employment in this area, anyone who wants to build a factory should be encouraged and not discouraged,” he said. “Crossgar is the only village in the Down district which does not have a factory of any kind.”

Mr Patrick Smyth, councillor for Annacloy and Crossgar, said he was shocked that industrial development should be, as the planners said, related to built-up areas like Downpatrick.

BALLYKINLAR — A UDR corporal demonstrating the role of a sniper in a mock ambush was hit by a sniper’s bullet from outside the perimeter force at Ballykinlar camp.

William James McMeekin was awarded £950 with £380 special damages for malicious injury to his left ankle on January 21, 1973, at a County Court in Newry.

McMeekin told the court what while on training at Ballykinlar he was a sniper at an ambush of a two-man foot patrol with about 20 other members of the platoon observing.

“We were issued with blank ammunition. I fired one blank round at the patrol and one was returned in my general direction. I felt a very severe pain in my left leg,” he said.

A warrant officer told the court that the chance of the shot being an accidental discharge was impossible.

BALLYNAHINCH — Work on a new community hall for Ballynahinch could get underway inside the next twelve months.

The South Eastern Education and Library Board have agreed to finance a joint study with Down District Council on the provision of a hall and a swimming pool in the town.

Mr Bryan Coburn, the council’s tourist and recreation officer, said on Monday night that there was “no reason why a start could not be made within twelve months.

He was speaking after a delegation from Ballynahinch Civic Week Committee had addressed councillors on the need for a community hall.

Mr Hugh Miskelly, leader of the deputation, said normal social interaction in Ballynahinch was non-existent. He said that even though the country was in a difficult economic climate, this should not he allowed to place constraints on normal social activity.

Father Smith, the Parish Priest of Ballynahinch, spoke of the good will and community spirit that existed in Ballynahinch and said a community hall was a necessity for the young people of the town.

NEWCASTLE — A leading youth administrator has admitted that facilities for young people in Newcastle are “not good.” Mr Jimmy Peel, South Eastern Education Board youth information officer, said the town had a basic dilemma over the question of the provision of teenage facilities.

Newcastle has two youth clubs — St Mary’s in Main Street and St John’s, which is off Main Street. Apart from these clubs, teenagers can either travel out of town to attend dances or they can join sports clubs.

Unfortunately, both these alternatives have obvious drawbacks. Few teenagers have access to a car and membership of sports can be expensive.

Meanwhile, young people will just have to make the best of what is available as they face another long, boring winter until the town comes alive again in the summer.

DOWNPATRICK — A young Downpatrick girl dived bravely into the deep waters off Donegal to help search for the bodies of those lost in the recent fishing disaster at Gleann Cholmcille.

Eileen Kelly, of Dufferin Park, was among a party of six Queen’s University divers who made an early morning dash to Donegal in a bid to help search for the bodies of the lost fishermen.

Eileen was not among those who recovered the body of Skipper Ted Carberry from 120 feet of water, but she did discover some pieces of the wreckage. “It was mostly small pieces of wood. I did not see any bodies,” she said.

Despite her diminutive appearance, 20 year-old Eileen is one of the country’s top divers. Her determination and courage in searching for the victims of the sea disaster earned her the admiration of local Garda and fishermen.

ANNACLOY — The protracted proceedings by Mr David Kennedy, of Grove Hill, Annacloy, against Down District Council, in respect of nuisance arising from the dump operated on his lands adjoining the Quoile river, have ended in the High Court.

Mr Kennedy was awarded £800 damages and given an undertaking in lieu of injunction for the future operating of the dump. In essence, this means the council may still use Mr Kennedy’s lands, but only domestic refuse may be dumped there.

The headline-making action began two years ago over breach of contract which involved the dumping of industrial waste. The hearing was adjourned several times at the request of the council to enable them to put the dump in order.

PORTAFERRY — The Rev Tom Patterson, of Portaferry, has been elected the new Moderator of the Presbyterian Church. He came out top in a straight contest with a candidate from Dublin, Dr Brian McConnell.

Voting took place on Tuesday when 1,000 Presbyterians from 22 presbyteries were asked to nominate their Moderator for the next General Assembly. Seventeen of the presbyteries opened in favour of Mr Patterson.

His appointment makes a unique double for the Patterson family. In January Mr Patterson’s daughter, Ruth, became the first female Presbyterian minister in Northern Ireland.

Mr Patterson told the Recorder that he intends to put himself at the service of the community and is keen on building up good relationships.

He is well liked in Portaferry and is actively involved in the affairs of the district. He is also a member of the management committee of Catholic schools in Portaferry.

KILLYLEAGH — Homes in Killyleagh were blacked out for four hours on Sunday night after two electrical insulators were damaged by vandals in the Castleview estate.

The vandals had thrown bricks at the insulators at Riverdale, damaging them to the extent that homes were deprived of electricity until NIES workmen had repaired them early the next morning.

ARDGLASS — The outlook for the future of fishermen in Ardgtlass is icy — and they will be delighted with the news. Only this week outline plans were approved to build a new ice-making machine at the harbour.

This means there will be plenty of ice in future for the fishing fleet and for local processors. The ice machines in Ardglass at the moment are all owned by private firms, but this one will be built by the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority for use by the whole fleet.

STRANGFORD — A new exercise in democracy has been going unnoticed in Strangford for the last three months with a members’ committee having been elected in the local youth club.

A nine-man committee has been running the club and on Saturday night they got their first taste of big organisation when they held a Tramps Ball in Stella Maris Hall.

The committee looks after all the day-to-day activities of the club, including table tennis, snooker, badminton, darts, discos and craft work. The Tramps Ball was a great success and must be a big confidence booster for the committee.