1987: Hockey Club toast Irish Cup win

April 25 2002

Rally tragedy

A DRAPERSTOWN man was killed while taking part in the Monaghan Stages Rally. Shane O’Neill (27), of Drumard Lane, from a navigator in a car which crashed near Scotstown village.

The driver, Chris Rodgers, from Moneyneany, was seriously injured. Local Councillor Patsy Groogan said the Ballinascreen community was devastated by the news.

A Cookstown bar owner has asked what a criminal has to do before the courts will send him to jail. Raymond Conway, who owns the Belfast House in Orritor Street, has expressed “amazement” that a burglar caught red-handed in the premises is still at liberty.

Magherafelt man Brian Ward has gone where only the boldest dare – to compete in one of today’s most daunting quiz shows, The Weakest Link.

A total of £8.5m injection has been spent on community facilities in the Magherafelt district over the past five years, a meeting of the local Area Partnership heard.

Sean Lavery, from Moortown, was hoping to raise £5,000 from a special Pony Drive in aid of Arthritis Care.

Cookstown’s Aaron Hughes led the Northern Ireland international team for the first time when they took on Spain at Windsor Park. The World Cup warm up match ended in a 5-0 defeat for the home side.

Deaths: April 19 – Marlene Bath (nee Donnelly), Sutton Coldfield, interred Cookstown Cemetery; April 23 – Samuel (Sammie) Cameron, Cookstown (formerly of Coleraine); April 16 – Victoreen Cochrane, Carsonville Drive, Upperlands; April 16 – Victorene Cochrane, Brown Drive, Maghera; April 3 – Pamela Lindsay Elliott, aged 81 years; April 17 – Rowley Glasgow, Jubilee Park, Cookstown; April 19 – George McGarvey, in his 90th year, Ballymaguire Road, Stewartstown; April 23 – Robert Stanley Porter, Blackpool and formerly of Ochill, Stewartstown; April 21 – Bobby Stewart, Gloucester and formerly of Toberhead, Curran.

25 Years Ago

April 30 1987

Hockey cup win

AGAINST all the odds Cookstown won the Irish Senior Cup at Blaris for the first time in the club’s history, defeating arch rivals Banbridge 4-0 in the final of a truly remarkable game.

The Mid-Ulster Unionist Association has called on the loyalist people of the area to highlight their continued repugnance of the Anglo-Irish Agreement by again withholding their rates.

Mid-Ulster MP William McCrea hit out at what he called the “abysmal failure” of security following the murders of South Derry man Harry Henry and Pomeroy UDR man William Graham.

Quite a few motorists are beginning to fear that the traffic lights presently being installed in Cookstown at Coagh Street-Orritor Street junction will accentuate the traffic congestion in the town centre, the MAIL reported. They claim that the lights will disrupt the main flow of traffic through the town and thus aggravate the chaos, especially at peak times.

The Rev Raymond Stewart has been appointed rector of Castledawson in succession to the Rev D.S. McLean, now incumbent of Christ Church, Londonderry.

In the top league match of the day at Gulladuff the reigning Division One champions, Lavey, proved too strong for county champions Bellaghy in an entertaining and highly competitive encounter.

Deaths: April 26 – Eleanor Colton, Rockview, Moneymore; April 21 – Annie Mary Creggan, Orritor Street, Cookstown; April 24 – John Alexander Forsythe, Northland Road, Moneymore; April 21 – Harry Henry, Ballymilligan Road, Magherafelt; April 25 – Andrew Lennox, Queen’s Avenue, Magherafelt; April 19 – Samuel Winning, Seapark House, Greenisland (formerly of Castledawson).

50 Years Ago

April 28 1962

Stewartstown

industry

THERE was a large attendance at a meeting of Stewartstown Ratepayers’ Association when Mr W.K. Gitzsimmons, MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Commerce, addressed the members on the help and financial assistance which could be obtained from the Government towards the establishment of an industry in the town.

Some locals were suggesting reopening Cratley coalpit, just over two miles from the town, which closed 25 years ago. All of them have pleasant recollections of the times they spent 180 feet below the Cratley meadow, mining coal that was eagerly bought up by householders throughout East Tyrone.

Upwards of 200 farmers from all parts of County Derry attended a special meeting organised by Derry County Committee of the Ulster Farmers’ Union in Garvagh to protest against the terms of the recent farm price review.

At the monthly meeting of Drumuck Card Players’ Association, Maghera, it was decided to erect a hut for use of members during next season.

The annual Bachelors’ Ball took place in Cookstown Town Hall with hundreds of prizes, novelties, gimmicks and surprises. Dancing was from 9pm until 2am with a 6/- admission charge.

There was a large entry for the Mid-Ulster Kart Club’s event at Toomebridge, when Mr G. Forrest, MP, and Mr W.D. Duff, acted as starters.

Deaths: April 12 – Francis Forde, formerly of Gortreagh, Cookstown; April 11 – Elizabeth (Bessie) Forrest, Loy Street, Cookstown; April 21 – Wilhelmina McKeown, Tamlaghtmore, Stewartstown.

75 Years Ago

April 24 1937

Cookstown

100 cancelled

IT was officially announced that Cookstown “100” motor cycle race, over the Cookstown-Kildress- Orritor circuit would not be held owing to the condition of the roadway at the Mill Bridge, Greenvale. Portion of the road at the northern approach to the bridge had collapsed a few months previously.

A Cookstown ‘B’ Specials miniature rifle competition for a medal presented by Mr S.S. Sloane was won by Sp/Const J. Storey.

At a special service in Desertcreat Parish Church the Dean of Armagh, Very Rev F. Tichborne, MA, dedicated the following gifts – two mural tablets erected to the memory of former parishioners – one to the late Mrs MacGregor Greer, of Tullylagan, and the other to the late Frederick Lindesay, DL, JP, of Loughry – a massive oak communion rail, an antique oak credence table and a silver Celtic alms dish, presented by Mr Thomas MacGregor Greer, DL, of Tullylagan Manor.

Deaths: March 1 – Charlotte Chambre, Winnipeg, wife of Lieut-Colonel H. W. Alan Chambre, Dungannon; March 17 – George Anderson, Red House, Duffless, Cookstown, at Bulawayo Hospital, Northern Rhodesia; March 18 – Tillie Erwin Clements, Buffalor, New York, daughter of Hugh Graham, Cookstown; April 19 – Margaret Gault, Gortreagh, Cookstown; April 20 – John J. Speirs, Coagh.

100 Years Ago

April 19 1912

Appalling disaster

ON April 14 the “Titanic” sank on her maiden voyage after collision with an iceberg, and the “Mail” columns gave prominence to early details of the appalling disaster.

At a special meeting of Cookstown Urban Council it was reported that 54 shopkeepers had voted for Thursday and 20 for Wednesday as the half holiday, and a motion to fix Thursday was carried by five votes to four.

There was a slight increase in the number of dogs licensed in Moneymore and Coagh districts. The Moneymore total was 1,259 and Coagh 565.

Derry County Council approved of a loan of £1,600 for the erection of a Technical School at Magherafelt.

Hen eggs were 8d per dozen and potatoes 3/- per cwt at Cooktown.

Deaths: David Evans, Ballyriff; Thomas Early, Tullyveagh; Mary Davis, Ballyneal; Sarah Early, Tullyveagh; Robert McCleery, Aughrim; Thomas R. McKinney, Unagh.

IF you have an old photograph that you would like published, please contact Stanley Campbell, 14 Rainey Street, Magherafelt; telephone, 02879631780 or email [email protected]