When one mentions golf, especially in the Newry and Mourne District the name of Pat Trainor, Warrenpoint is never far away from the conversation. Pat has been synonymous with golf development in the area as a player, team captain, coach, teacher and now his P&B Golf, 3 Springfield Road, Warrenpoint is at the forefront in golf aid techniques such as The Dream Swing and Six Ways to Better Golf presented by Michael Bannon.

Pat is father of back to back Ulster PGA winner Barrie who is also a member of the Europro Tour. It is the interest from others regarding the wellbeing and fortunes of how his son is doing that has prompted Pat to embark on his latest venture, the provision of a glossy Monthly golf magazine called The 19th Lounge

The free to take home Magazine will follow the 12 Irish Golfers on the main European Tour as well as those on the Challenge, Europro and our own Irish PGA tour.The top amateurs will also be featured as will the local results from around the clubs in Ulster.

If the quality and content of the first issue currently in circulation is anything to go by then the future of The 19th Lounge is already assured as there was something that every one connected or interested in golf could relate to.

As for the name of his publication Pat quips “sure it is the place where the best golf is played” Judging by the first issue it will form the part and bring about many a conversation in the 19 th Lounge throughout the golf courses of Ulster and beyond.

By Brónagh Murphy

Residents in the border village of Killean claim they are being kept ‘under siege’ by the antics of boy racers who are converging in the area to carry out dangerous stunts and driving manoeuvres for the entertainment of dozens of on-lookers.

The drivers are using the former Customs Post on the old Newry to Dundalk Road at Carrickarnon as a meeting place, effectively closing off the public road and preventing local traffic from passing.

A spokesperson for the Killean Community Safety Group said, apart from the obvious danger involved, the noise level of screeching tyres has become unbearable for residents and is having a detrimental effect on nearby businesses.

Already a number of locals have also been involved in accidents with some of the racers, the spokesperson added.

The Group claims the meeting has become ‘a fatality waiting to happen’ and has appealed for assistance from the community and public representatives to help bring this activity to an end.

Reckless

The Thursday night event has been ongoing for some time but recently is attracting ever-increasing numbers of participants and on-lookers as a result of followers being encouraged to attend through the social networking site Facebook.

Between the hours of 10.00pm and 2.00am, the drivers converge at the site. For hours they will perform reckless manoeuvers and ‘wheel-screeching’ doughnuts for their entertainment and that of their audience.

The event has turned into ‘a social menace’ and is causing untold misery to the lives of people living nearby, the Safety Group says.

In an attempt to publicly highlight the problem, the Killean Community Safety Group issued a statement outlining the activities and calling on those involved to stop.

“For the past two years, every Thursday night between 10pm and 2am, residents and businesses along the stretch of the old Dublin Road which borders Killean have been forced to endure a curfew enforced by a group of reckless drivers who spend hours on end ‘performing’ wheel-screeching, engine-screaming doughnuts along the main road, to entertain themselves and an ever-increasing body of on-lookers,” the Group’s statement read.

“These ‘cruising’ activities have mushroomed from small beginnings into a major organised anti-social event, with websites dedicated to arranging the meetings and displaying videos and photographs of the night’s activities.  Anyone who is unfortunate enough to unwittingly drive into one of these meetings will be intimidated to either stop and wait to be allowed to pass, or to turn back and find an alternative route to their destination.”

The screams of the engines and screeches of the tyres can be heard several miles away and those who live close to the road are suffering huge levels of noise-induced stress, especially the elderly or those with young children, as sleep is almost impossible during the ‘cruising’.

collisions

The statement continued: “On an even more serious note, two locals have been badly injured in collisions with these cars, and it is only a matter of time before someone suffers a fatality at their hands.  If there were to be a serious incident in the locality requiring the emergency services on a Thursday night, they would have a serious problem getting through, and this is another fatality just waiting to happen.”

Influence

“Killean Community Safety Group, local residents and business owners are appealing to anyone with influence over these ‘cruise’ meetings to stop abusing our area and to think about the stress and danger you are bringing to our community.  We are also appealing to the parents of those who are openly attending these meetings.  Understand that these are not benign social gatherings – your child is either directly or indirectly contributing to an organised, threatening and dangerous anti-social mob.

“We would welcome assistance from all community, political and legal bodies to assist us in bringing an end to this social menace. It has already gone on too long, and we cannot allow mob rule to continue making the lives of local people a misery on a weekly basis.”

The Safety Group spokesperson says the PSNI and the Gardaí have been informed but to date no active measures have been taken against those responsible.

Detrimental

The activity is also having a detrimental effect on local businesses, particularly the nearby Carrickdale Hotel, which has, on occasions, been forced to compensate guests whose stays have been ruined by the antics of the boy racers.

Michelle Barrett is the General Manager of the Carrickdale.  She says the event is giving the area a bad name and is upsetting tourists staying in the hotel.

“It’s very dangerous and someone is going to be killed.  It’s very scary for visitors, especially those with young children, as they don’t know what is going on.  We had one family staying with us last week and, while they loved the hotel, they said they’ll never stay here on a Thursday night again,” Ms Barrett said.

Ms Barrett also pointed out the dangers posed to staff and users of the hotel’s leisure centre who travel on the road.

“It’s very dangerous for our staff who have to go home along that road at night and also for people leaving the hotel and leisure centre,” she added.

Councillors call for end to joyriding

Sinn Féin councillor Packie McDonald has spoken out about the persistent joyriding which is occurring weekly at the Carrickarnon border.

Local residents have reported that when the joyriding is at its worst up to 100 vehicles may be congregated along the roadside.  This staggering figure has prompted Councillor McDonald to appeal to those involved to stop their actions.

“This unbelievable level of joyriding has to stop before somebody is killed or seriously injured,” he said.

“I have been speaking to local residents who are extremely worried about what will happen if the joy riding does not stop.  Killean Community Safety Group have been receiving reports from concerned residents and parents of this dangerous activity for weeks and weeks so we have decided to take some action now.

“Our main priority is the safety of other road users and also of those who are participating in the joyriding.  Most of those involved are young men in their teens and early 20s and most of the vehicles leave a lot to be desired.  I know that it is in the nature of young people to want to try new and exciting things but this joyriding has gone too far, it is too dangerous now and I am appealing for young people not to be involved in it.”

The Slieve Gullion councillor also called on parents to make themselves aware of what their children are doing, particularly if they are out of the house late at night.

Also actively working on the issue is Sinn Fein Louth County councillor Jim Loughran who added: “Sinn Féin has decided to take a cross-border response to this joyriding as this sort of activity is not confined to one side of the border.  For this reason I think any response from the Gardai or the PSNI must also be linked up.

“At the end of the day the safety of people using the road is the most important thing but we must also take into consideration the effect that this joyriding is having on businesses in the area and the impression that it leaves on those visiting this area.

“It is essential that action is taken as soon as possible to curtail this dangerous activity.”

By Brónagh Murphy

A large amount of suspected counterfeit car parts have been seized in south Armagh, police have said.

The joint operation with Trading Standards discovered the substandard parts, including brake pads, at premises on the Concession Road in Culloville during a raid  on Wednesday.

A large amount of cash was also recovered.

The police have said anyone concerned that their vehicle has been fitted with sub-standard parts should contact Trading Standards or the police.

PSNI Inspector Davy Beck said: “If these parts had ended up being fitted to vehicles being driven on local roads the consequences could have been deadly.  While many counterfeit parts look very convincing, testing by Trading Standards has revealed serious safety implications.

“We are working hard to prevent these parts being circulated in south Armagh and this work will continue over coming weeks,” he added.

GRANEMORE DEFEAT CHAMPIONS OGS

PEARSE OG 0-5 GRANEMORE 0-9

Inspired by the superb fielding of Kieran Toner and the class of Chrissie O’Connor Granemore pulled off the big shock by deservedly defeating reigning champions Pearse Og. A month or so ago this result was a pipe dream for Granemore as their second division promotion hopes looked in tatters following a couple of defeats. A lacklustre performance in beating Intermediate champions St Michael’s in the first round of the senior championship sparked new life into Granemore. Terrific league wins over their promotion rivals Armagh Harps and Ballymacnab brought back the confidence and swagger which was a feature of their good showing in last year’s championship. But at Abbey Park they faced the acid test in the shape of the defending county champions Pearse Og, who were once again minus their main talisman Ronan Clarke.To compound the champions problems two more forwards Sean Moore and Marc Cullen were ruled out through injury.

In the opening minute Chrissie O’Connor from a free gave the underdogs the lead. Seven minutes later Declan Doyle doubled that lead before a Declan McManus pointed free opened and closed the champions scoring for the half. Anthony Mullen from a free made it 3-1 before two super points inside a minute from Caolan Rafferty extended the lead to 5-1. A scoreless 17 minutes followed as Og’s clocked up the wides while under intense pressure from opposition full back Darren Hughes and impressive number 6 Martin Murphy. In added on time, half back Brendan Doyle ventured forward to end the scoring drought with the last score of the half which left the toothless champions trailing 6-1.

The out of sorts Ogs would surely come out a different proposition in the second half but just as in the first that man O’Connor from a free increased the lead.The same player jinked around four players to notch a very personal point and it was 8-1 as the Ogs wide count reached 11. Half back Tommy Turley showed his forwards how to score as he got the Og’s first point for a half an hour. Two minutes later an exhibition point with the outside of the boot from a free by O’Connor had Granemore heading for cruise control but this proved to be their last score of the game The midpoint of the half was to be disasterous for Granemore as a second yellow for Caolan Rafferty gave the Ogs an extra man for the final quarter. It was backs to the wall stuff from the challengers with every man putting in his shift to, in truth, easily repel a disfunctional Og’s attack that never produced a clear opportunity to grab the real lifeline of a much needed goal. Ross Clarke, from play, reduced the deficit but it was 12 minutes later that their next score arrived courtesy of a McManus free and the last score of the match from centre back Chris Rafferty came in the fifth minute of added on time.

The champions may have amassed 16 wides but they will be the first to acknowledge that they were soundly beaten on the night.This terrific win for Granemore has them in the last four and fearing nobody.

MICEAL POINTS THE WAY FOR DROMINTEE

BALLYMACNAB 0-11 DROMINTEE 2-12

In wet and windy conditions at a sparcly attended Cullyhanna Second Division leaders Ballymacnab were more than holding their own, level 0-11 to 2-5 with some 8 minutes remaining of their championship quarter final tussle with Dromintee.Miceal O’Rourke stepped up to the plate when needed with two pointed frees and a third on the trot from a sideline kick to launch Dromintee on a 7 point splurge to victory as the challengers faded badly in the final minutes. Gareth McCrink, Gareth O’Neill, substitute Kevin Dyas and finally Miceal O’Rourke added the last score of the match (his fifth) to put a flattering finale to what had been a struggle for a long time for the winners. The ‘Nab were out of the traps the quickest with the game’s top scorer with 0-6, Brian McCone, accounting for the opening three points of the game. Oliver Gaughran was on hand to avail of poor ‘Nab defending to raise the games first green flag to level matters but it did not deter the underdogs who replied with points from McCone, Paul Kennedy and Gavin McParland to restore their 3 point lead.

Eddie Martin soloed upfield to notch the first Dromintee point before disaster in the shape of a second goal arrived to undo all the ‘Nabs good work. Shane Carroll carried the ball in along the whole end line with everyone waiting for him to be put out over the line but he jinked his way past all challenges to plant the ball in the back of the ‘Nab net for a 2-1 to 0-6 lead that was never relinquished. The best score of the match followed from the boot of Rory Grugan to level things for the second time. In added time Miceal O’Rourke gave Dromintee an undeserved interval lead of 2-2 to 0-7.

Ten seconds after the restart full forward Martin O’Rourke extended the lead with a point. The closest the ‘Nab came to a goal followed as they had three poor shots at goal scrambled away to safety before Grugan combined with McCone who then pointed 2-3 to 0-8. Shane Carroll made it a two point game with a fine point before Martin O’Rourke fisted a point when baring down on goals 2-5 to 0-8 ten minutes into the second half. The ‘Nab with a trio of points from James Gray, McCone (free) and one from half time substitute Pauric Gribben, drew level but alas this seventeenth minute equalising point was to be the soon to be promoted side’s last score of the match as Droimintee took over as earlier described.

CROSSMAGLEN RANGERS 1-12 ARMAGH HARPS 3-4

The final scoreline flatters the losers as they played second fiddle all night on a night that the poor playing conditions weatherwise matched the fare on offer especially in the opening half. A slow start produced only 3 scores in the opening 20 minutes but by the time the interval arrived points from Jamie Clarke, Aaron Cunningham and the evergree Oisin McConvill (who finished Rangers top scorer with 0-5) helped Cross to a 0-6 to 0-2 half time lead. Harps points came from frees by Gareth Swift and Kevin Kelly.

One sensed that the match. needed an early Harps goal to get it going but the opposite happened as Stephen Kernan effectively killed the game as a contest when he slammed home the games opening three pointer. With Aaron Cunningham and McConville tacking on points the former champions were on their way to the last four. Joe Quigley threw Harps a lifeline with a converted penalty but Aaron Cunningham replied almost immediately with a point. As the game entered its final moments there was plenty of drama left. A second expertly dispatched penalty from Quigley was followed by an excellent Kevin Kelly goal but the whistle sounded after the last goal which had reduced the Rangers lead to just two points. Cross are in the last four with plenty of work still to do as for the second championship outing in a row they struggled big time at midfield. The Rangers lack of physicality in comparison to of old is also a concern but their application and ability to win break ball and give a good supply of quality ball to their forwards has gotten them through two rounds of the championship. With the semi-final draw on Wednesday night and the champions out of the equation the other four teams remaining, Dromintee, Granemore, St Patrick’s or Maghery will not want to be paired with the former kingpins.

* The fourth quarter final between St Patrick’s and Maghery is on Sat Sept 18th with the semi-finals pencilled in for the following weekend*

The semi-final pairings for the Junior championship turned out to be all divisional pairings with the two Division Three sides Belleek and Tullysarran meeting while Tourth Division sides Grange play Corrinshego. If you use the league meetings or current positions as a form guide Grange and Tullysarran are warm favourites to make it through to the final.

Grange have score a total of 2-34 to 1-5 for Corrinshego in their two league meetings this year and are poised for a return to Division Three football. But Corrinshego have shown better application in the championship to date, recording wins over Eire Og and Clady to rightfully take their semi-final berth.High scoring Grange have hit a staggering 8-43 in their wins over Phelim Brady’s, Crossmaglen Seconds and Mullabrack. Complacency could be the main worry for Grange ahead of this championship clash.

While the Corrinshego challenge in the first of the double header semi-finals at Ballymacnab on Saturday 4pm will be a lot better than that in their league meetings Grange have too much in hand on them to allow the upset to occur.

The second of the double headers at 5-30pm is between two sides who could be heading for different divisions next year. Belleek have reserved their best football for the championship with wins over St Patrick’s Seconds and Clonmore under their belts. In the league they are in danger of dropping down to Division Four but ironically the spark that halted their poor run and return to form was a 0-12 to 1-7 home win over Saturday’s opponents who had walloped them 1-11 to 0-3 earlier on in the league. With the priority of promotion already in the bag for Tullysarran they can enjoy the remainder of the championship which should include a final appearance as all round they appear too strong for Belleek. The underdogs though, with nothing to lose, have shown over the years that they carry a sting in their tail and will not be easily beaten

The death has taken place of the former bishop of Dromore, Dr Francis Gerard Brooks, at the age of 86.  He died peacefully at his home, Drumilleer House, Jerrettspass on Saturday morning.

A native of Rathfriland, Dr Brooks  was ordained a priest in 1949 and taught in St Colman’s College until his appointment as Bishop of Dromore in 1975, in succession to Bishop O’Doherty.

He was ordained bishop in Newry cathedral on January 25 1976 by Cardinal Conway, Bishop O’Doherty and Papal Nuncio Archbishop Alibrandi.  Dr Brooks retired from active ministry in 1999 and was succeeded by the present bishop Dr John Mc Areavey.

Bishop Brooks’ remains were removed from his home on Sunday to the Cathedral of St Patrick and St Colman where he will lie in state until Requiem Mass is celebrated tomorrow (Tuesday) September 7 at 12.00 noon.

By Brónagh Murphy

Toxic waste residue from a diesel laundering plant has polluted a rural area of south Armagh, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Fourteen thousand litres of laundered diesel were seized in a raid on the plant on Concession Road, Culloville on Wednesday.  The search was carried out jointly by officials from HMRC, police officers and staff from the NI Environment Agency.

Three tonnes of toxic waste as well as bleaching agent were removed from the site.

An oil tanker, storage tanks, trailers and laundering equipment were also seized.

HMRC said the plant had the capacity to produce up to 10 million litres of illicit fuel a year.

Mike Connolly, assistant director of HMRC’s special investigations team, said: “Fuel laundering is unregulated and dangerous. This plant was operating on scrubland just metres from the road - its only cover was trees and hedges.

“Indiscriminate dumping of the waste from the laundering process causes severe damage to our environment.  Taxpayers and local ratepayers are then obliged to meet the costs of the clean-up.”

By Brónagh Murphy

This weekend, Silverbridge GFC will host a special concert to welcome the well-known and renowned RTE broadcaster Donncha Ó Dulaing to the club.

Presenter of the popular ‘Fáilte Isteach’ programme on RTÉ Radio 1, Mr Ó Dulaing’s visit is the fulfilment of a promise made earlier this year when he was unable to honour an invitation to visit as part of a sponsored walk commemorating the Flight of the Earls.

The concert, commencing at 9.00pm on Friday September 11th, will feature some of south Armagh’s most talented musicians and will be broadcast during the presenter’s Saturday night show later this month.

In April Mr Ó Dulaing led a sponsored walk to commemorate the now famous journey by Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, Rory O’Donnell, Earl of Tyrconnell, the Maguires of Fermanagh and dozens of elite soldiers and scholars who, on September 14th 1607, set out on their journey from Donegal to Europe seeking refuge and assistance for their cause in Ireland.  The event became known as ‘The Flight of the Earls’, marking the end of an ancient Irish order that had survived over 1,000 years and made way for the plantation of Ulster.

Commemorating this historic period in Irish history, the ‘2010 Flight of the Earls Walk’ was initiated to raise funds for the Irish Wheelchair Association.  The ambitious project involved a series of walks across the country and the local leg of the tour included a stop-off at Silverbridge club for rest and refreshments.

Unfortunately, Donncha was forced to miss this leg of the walk and, expressing his regret at not being able to visit the area, he made a promise to return to show his appreciation to the club and local participants in the walk.  This Friday he will fulfil that promise.

Ann Connolly, on behalf of Silverbridge GFC, says the club is honoured to welcome the popular presenter to the area.

“Silverbridge club is both delighted and honoured to have this opportunity to welcome Donncha Ó Dulaing to the area.  Donncha is a household name across the country and his popular Fáilte Isteach programme on RTÉ radio is enjoyed by thousands of listeners every week. We in Silverbridge are delighted that he will get to sample some of the fantastic musical talent we have in our own area.  It’s also a wonderful opportunity for these musicians to be featured on the Fáilte Isteach programme on RTÉ radio,” she said.

Among the impressive line-up of acts performing on the night are the musicians from the Ring of Gullion Comhaltas in Forkhill and several other finalists from the recent All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil.  Young singers, dancers and musicians who represented Silverbridge in Scór na nÓg earlier this year will also take part.

Everyone is welcome to attend and be a part of this significant and celebratory occasion.

Session musicians are particularly welcome to join in an end-of-evening traditional music seisiún.

By Brónagh Murphy

The mains water infrastructure across south Armagh is to benefit from a multi-million pound upgrade.  

Northern Ireland Water is to finance the £5.9million project which entails upgrading 90km of water mains pipes from Slieve Gullion, through Forkhill and Mullaghbawn, to Crossmaglen.

When complete, the work is expected to dramatically improve the quality and reliability of water supply in the area while also reducing leakage.  It is anticipated the work will begin within weeks.

A spokesperson for NI Water said the existing infrastructure does not have the capacity to accommodate an increase in housing or tourism in the area.

“The work is part of the ongoing water mains rehabilitation project which represents a total investment of over £100 million across Northern Ireland over the next five years,” the spokesperson said.

Crossmaglen SDLP councillor Geraldine Donnelly has lobbied extensively for the upgrade over the last number of years.

“I have had several complaints from across the area on the issue of poor water supply, in particular in the areas of the Castleblayney and Cornonagh Roads.  There has been a fairly constant interruption to supply and problems with low pressure in some areas around Crossmaglen,” Councillor Donnelly said.

In the past Water Service has made only minor repairs to pipes and she is very pleased the whole system will be overhauled.

“This work is long overdue and this investment will save money in the long term compared with doing small repairs here and there, which has been the practice of the Water Service in recent years,” she added.

Sinn Féin councillor in Crossmaglen, Terry Hearty, also welcomed news of the investment.

“This is a major investment by the Department of Regional Development in the water infrastructure of the area.  This initiative must be highly commended and demonstrates the commitment by DRD to providing the highest possible standards for the people of south Armagh,” Councillor Hearty said.

In order to celebrate the reminiscence work which has taken place throughout the Newry & Mourne area, Newry & Mourne Museum in partnership with the Valuing Heritage by Valuing Memories Project, is holding a celebration day on Tuesday 14th September in Newry and Mourne Museum at Bagenal’s Castle from 11.00a.m. to 3.00p.m.

The aim of this day is to celebrate the wealth of work which has taken place, encourage people to use reminiscing to appreciate their life stories as a rich resource for themselves, their families and their communities, and to share ideas on carrying out projects. If you have been involved in reminiscence work and would like to take this opportunity to showcase your work, either by setting up a display or giving a short presentation on how you carried it out, you are more than welcome to attend.

If, however, you are interested in getting started in a reminiscence project or recording memories for the future then come along and get ideas, hints and tips on how it can be done.

A light lunch will be provided and participants can then attend a Reminiscence with music session facilitated by Danny Doran and a Reminiscence Art workshop facilitated by Sinead Boyle. The workshops will provide ideas on how to integrate reminiscence into everyday activities.

If you would like more information or to register for the event, please contact Katrina Lavery, Reminiscence Worker, on 07936 898638 or email katrinalavery@rnni.org Places are limited and must be booked in advance. The event is free and will include a light lunch.

For those interested there is also a larger Celebration Event. The Valuing Heritage by Valuing Memories Project, which was established to provide opportunities for people of all ages to recall, preserve and celebrate personal memories, has been in operation for the past three years and is now coming to an end. The project has worked in Partnership with the Museums in Craigavon, Newry and Derry as well as the Ulster American Folk Park.

To celebrate the work of the project in all four museum sites and to share the lessons learnt we are holding a celebration event with guest speaker Joe Mahon, from UTV’s Lesser Spotted Ulster on: Wednesday 29th September in The Glenavon House Hotel, Cookstown 9.30 a.m. to 3.30p.m. A bus will be run from Waterside House, Craigavon.

The event will also see the Launch of the Celebration Handbook and each participant will receive a free copy.

Places are limited and early booking is advisable so if you would like your name registered now contact Katrina on katrinalavery@rnni.org or on 07936898638

Newry and Mourne Museum is open to the public seven days a week with admission free of charge. For opening hours, information on events and exhibitions, other services and bookings please phone 028 30313178 / 028 3031 3175 or visit www.bagenalscastle.com.