From the Archives

25 YEARS AGO

2000

Orange hall gutted in Bailieborough

THERE has been widespread cross-community condemnation following the burning of the Breakey Orange Hall at Curkish, Bailieborough shortly after 1.30am on last Thursday morning. The small hall with a galvanised roof and wooden floor was gutted by the inferno thought to have been started by an ignited object being flung into the building.

Gardaí received a call about the fire just hours after the twelfth of July celebrations had ended in the North. The hall was damaged beyond repair before the fire services could rush to the scene.

The County Cavan Grand Master Willie Foy said that the local lodge was devastated by the burning of the hall and he called on those who had burned the premises to stop.

"I am absolutely gutted that this could occur in a little place like Bailieborough or even in County Cavan".

Mr Foy said he did not agree with the "carry-on" at Drumcree. "I have never agreed with it. I agree with their purpose, to walk back to the Orange Hall, but I don't agree with the manner in which they are going about achieving that".

He said he did not agree with vandalism and blocking roads and causing mayhem and firing petrol bombs at the security forces.

Riotous incident in Clones leaves two Gardai injured

GARDAI in Clones are pursuing a vigorous investigation of a riotous incident which occurred in the Border town in the early hours of Monday morning and which left two members of the force seriously injured, writes Tom Carron. It is understood that the incident occurred at about 2.30am when a sergeant attempted to stop a motorcyclist at Lower Fermanagh Street.

The motorcyclist failed to stop and subsequently collided with a Garda patrol car further up the street. According to the Gardai, at that stage a crowd exited from a local fast food outlet, ran up the street and surrounded the patrol car. Two gardaí followed the crowd to maintain order and were violently set upon.

Both Gardai were given a severe beating and kicking and but for the intervention of nearby residents the injuries could have been even much greater, or worse.

Both men sustained severe facial injuries, and they will be off duty for sometime. During the assault on the two gardai a third member of the force, was trapped in the patrol car and felt in great peril as the crowd attacked the vehicle.

Official opening of bus station

THE official opening of the redeveloped and expanded Bus Eireann station in Cavan coincide with the provision of a fast track hourly service from Cavan to the capital which Bus Eireann have just introduced this week. Serviced by new, state of the art coaches, people from Cavan can travel to Dublin on the hour, every hour, from 6 am to 8 pm daily, Monday to Saturday inclusive.

Buses now leave Dublin on a half hourly basis bound for Cavan from 6.30 am to 8.30 pm daily, Monday to Saturday, inclusive, while on Sunday buses depart Dublin for Cavan on a half hourly basis from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm. Cavan Bus Eireann Inspector, Michael McCormack, states that the new service is already a run-away success.

50 YEARS AGO

1970

Loch Gowna factory gutted by fire

The factory of Aircell Ltd., Polystyrene Manufacturers, Loch Gowna, Co. Cavan, was completely gutted by fire on Thursday night of last week. The factory, which employs 23 people was established about five years ago in the local parish hall and moved to a newly erected premises about 18 months ago.

The Cavan and Killeshandra Fire Brigades were quickly on the scene but despite valiant efforts the building was completely gutted.

The firm, under the Directorship of Mr. George Curran, was on the way to a record year of production as it was working around the clock.

Price of new potatoes dropping

THE PRICE of new potatoes has been dropping since last weekend when the Government took the unusual step of asking the Irish Potato Marketing Board to import supplies in order to depress the price of home-grown potatoes.

BBC employs brilliant Irish violinist

Miss Camilia Allison has been given a contract for life with the BBC Radio Orchestra in London. Although faced with competition from a large number of experienced players from England and abroad, she was given the job immediately after auditioning before a panel of judges which included the celebrated violinist Max Jaffa, who was highly impressed with her performance.

Camilla, whose mother lives at Drumelton House, near Cootehill, the home of her great-grandfather's family for generations left for London in December last year.

She had been offered a job in the pending London run of the stage musical 'West Side Story' in Shaftesbury Avenue Theatre.

Dowra man murdered by Chicago bandits

Our Chicago correspondent writes — Mr Patrick McGovern, a native of Dowra, County Cavan, who emigrated to the United States about fifteen years ago, was instantly shot dead in Chicago on Monday, June 22, by two bandits, who made good their escape in a waiting automobile. Mr McGovern joined the police force of this city six years ago, and was one of the foremost officers in the prevention of crime.

He lost his life while escorting a theatre manager to the State Bank Building with receipts to the value of £1,000. The pair had hardly walked 400 yards when two men jumped from an automobile with drawn revolvers and ordered the policeman "Hands up". McGovern's reply was to reach for his revolver in his hip pocket, whereupon the bandits fired six shots into his stomach, death occurring in a few minutes. The bandits then fled to the automobile, taking the receipts with them.

The sad news of his death was at once conveyed to the brother Lawrence, who is another member of the city police, and the five sisters, one of whom is a Nun in Indianna, the other four being telephone operators in different parts of the city.

Prior to the funeral 400 friends passed before the casket for a final good-bye. In twos and threes they passed to offer words of sympathy and condolence to the relatives and to Margaret Walsh, the girl McGovern would have married within a month had not the killer's bullet found his heart.

Patrick McGovern was laid alongside his brother who was killed about two years ago while fighting a fire in a large grain store.