From the Archives

Compiled by Seamus Enright

25 years ago

1995

Tourism booming in Border region

The peace dividend was considered as having been responsible for a major upsurge in tourism related businesses in the Border region in 1999, according to the North/West Regional Tourism Organisation and a broad cross-section of the operators in the hotel industry.

Overseas visitors who previously opted for destinations south Dublin and Galway were now coming north to Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim and the other Border counties, with a steady criss-crossing too of Border tourists.

The boon included those from continental Europe, eager to sample life in Northern Ireland a year after the paramilitary ceasefire.

The level of business on the Shannon/Erne Waterway was also exceeding expectations...

Concern over proposed Carrick bypass

Monaghan County Manager, Joe Gavin, said he was confident the difficulties surrounding the proposed Carrickmacross bypass could be resolved to the satisfaction of the business people of the south Monaghan town.

Fears the location of the access points or slip roads from the by-pass were too far removed from the town, thus damaging commercial enterprise, were raised at a public meeting in the Nuremore Hotel.

Carrickmacross Urban Council had decided to meet the consulting engineers who have drawn up the design plan for the £13m by-pass in bid to resolve the problem.

However, the Co. Manager believed that another point of access just north of the Nuremore Hotel, much more convenient to Carrickmacross, could be provided thus ensuring that through traffic would remain...

Canadian Ambassador to visit Cavan

The Canadian Ambassador, Barry Mawhinney, was set to travel to Bailieborough and Killybegs in Donegal.

He would unveil a plaque to Lord Lisgar, Second Governor General of Canada, in the Church of Ireland graveyard.

Right Rev Michael Mayes, Lord Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, the Rev Denis Wann, rector, and Willie Coleman, a member of the Bailieborough Select Vestry Committee, would be present, accompanied by local dignitaries and parishioners.

Ambassador Mawhinney who presented his credentials to President Mary Robinson last November, was to be accompanied by his wife, Islay.

50 years ago

1970

Belturbet man's Navy post

Acting Sub Lieutenant Ian Smyth (20) from Belturbet achieved a post in the Navy after graduating from college.

Son of Mr and Mrs F. Smyth, who lived at Ulster Bank House in Belturbet, Ian passed out of the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

A former pupil at The High School, Dublin, he joined the Navy in September 1967...

Concern over frozen poultry

Some concern was expressed about outbreaks of food poisoning in Ireland and investigations have disclosed that improper handling of deep-frozen chickens and other poultry is one of the principal causes.

The Cavan County Medical Officer, Dr P. Quinn, noted the Public Health Authorities investigation which had found evidence of food poisoning from failing to adequately thaw-out the meat.

Dr Quinn stressed that such poultry is an excellent food and absolutely safe when handled properly. He added that exhaustive tests had been carried out in Ireland and England following a serious outbreak of Salmonellae in Liverpool, and these had shown that it was imperative for absolute safety to observe a basic set of rules when preparing the meat...

Unionist split widens in Fermanagh

Chiefly because of the ban on parades, the split in the Fermanagh Unionist party widened and a number of Orange Lodges stayed away from the religious service at Ballinamallard which was substituted for the traditional demonstration.

Lisbellaw, Maguiresbridge and Enniskillen lodges did not attend the service, which was conducted by Rev W.J. Vance, Presbyterian Minister, Crumlin Rd, Belfast.

A new political right-wing Unionist Party was formed in Fermanagh styling itself the Ulster Loyalist Association Lisnaskea Constituency, and instead of attending the county function at Ballinamallard, many of its members travelled to the Apprentice Boys celebration in Derry.

This new organisation opposed the sitting Unionist member in the Lisnaskea constituency, Captain John Brooke, and in statements called for him to resign.

100 years ago

1920

Engine driver kidnapped

John Smyth, engine driver in the employment of the GNR, while on his way fom his residence in Drumavanagh (Farnham road), Cavan, to the railway station was arrested by armed men and taken to an unknown destination.

He had recently worked trains conveying armed police to Cavan.

A few weeks before other officials of the company were taken similarly from Clones and released after some days detention on signing a declaration submitted to them.

On Sunday night, on the arrival of-the 10 o'clock train from Warrenpoint at Edward street, Newry, engine-driver Edward Fulton, Caulfield Place, and William McKee, fireman, Commons, were taken of the engine by seven armed and disguised men.

They were then made strip and tarred as a reprisal for the railwaymen's resolution pledging themselves to carry troops and ammunition to, as the raiders put it, destroy other people's lives.

The tar was applied with brushes, and afterwards the contents of the bottles were thrown round Fulton's and McKee's bodies. Both were then tied back to back.

The alarm was raised and the police and subsequently the military searched the houses of some Sinn Féiners without result.