By Nigel McDonagh
25 YEARS AGO/1981
Club members drank almost £1m worth of alcohol
THE 45 registered social and recreational clubs in Tyrone and Fermanagh got through a total of almost £1 million worth of alcoholic drink in 1980, according to figures given in the annual returns for clubs throughout the Six Counties, which were issued by the Department of Finance. In Tyrone, nearly 11,000 members of the 34 clubs which submitted returns spent £817,749 on drink, an average of £74.67 each. The club which topped the "drinks league" in Tyrone during 1979 retained its reputation as a "big spender" in 1980. The 420 members of Gervin's Football, Billiards and Sports Club at Barrack Square, Coalisland, spent a total of £378,425 on drink - an average of £186 per member.
Bomb defused at Omagh''s Coca Cola depot
A BOMB planted at the Coca Cola depot on Omagh's Gortin Road was made safe by British Army experts in a week in which another hoax bomb was planted outside a garage on the outskirts of the town.
According to police, between 50lbs and 80lbs of explosives were packed into a creamery can and left at the gable of the Coca Cola depot premises. The device was spotted by employees as they arrived for work. Although the detonator had already partly exploded, no damage was caused to the building.
Earlier in the week, a suspect device was planted outside the front door of the TC Autos garage on Omagh's Cookstown Road.
50 YEARS AGO/1956
Strabane man in London tries to aid his native town
A STRABANE exile's quest for industries for his native town has come to light. The exile is Fintan Doherty, formerly of Bowling Green, Strabane, who resides at Wembley, Middlesex.
Mr Doherty has been circulating particulars of Strabane's attractions to firms in the London area. He had received a number of replies, which clearly showed that they had considered the possibility of expanding, but due to various causes, they were not in a position to carry out an expansion scheme. Mr Doherty is firmly convinced that if enough firms are approached some will avail of the opportunity of establishing an industry in Strabane.
Eleven-year-old tractor driver fined at Dromore
A BOY, aged 11 years, was summoned at Dromore Court for driving a tractor and having no driving licence. District Inspector Briggs stated that the boy was seen driving the tractor across the main Dromore Road. The boy was aged 11 at the time of the offence and automatically had no insurance or licence. When the boy's father was interviewed, he admitted that he allowed his son to drive, but at the time did not remember that the boy might cross the road from one field to another. His solicitor said farmers were very busy trying to save hay crops, and this boy was quite a competent tractor driver.
The boy was fined 10s for using the tractor without insurance and disqualified from driving for five and a half years.
75 YEARS AGO/1931
Son assaults mother
AT a Special Court in Omagh a young man from Lisnamallard was brought up in custody charged with assaulting his mother. The mother gave evidence that she was the tenant of the house and on the previous day the defendant struck her with his fist and called her an old devil.
He picked up a chair and attempted to strike her with it, but she ran out of the house. He followed her and again struck her with his fist. He locked the door and would not allow her to get into the house with the result that she had to stop in a neighbour's house.
The defendant was ordered to enter into bail to keep the peace or in default on month's imprisonment. As the bail was not forthcoming, he was removed to Derry jail.
Human skull in parcel delivered by postman
TO open a parcel in the ordinary way by the postman and find in it a human skull, was the extraordinary and unnerving experience of Miss F. O'Connell, Derrynane Abbey, Co. Kerry. The parcel was addressed:- "The Owner, Derrynane Abbey, Co. Kerry, Ireland."
"Taken from the Abbey at midnight, 70-80 years ago. Now returned. Contents of no value except owner. Taken from Derrynane 80 years ago. Now returned."
It bore the postmark of Littleton, Winchester, England. Local speculation is busy as to whether is skull is that of a monk murdered by Cromwellian soldiers on Scariff Island, five miles from Derrynane, in the 1700s.
100 YEARS AGO/1906
Asleep for two years
A CURIOUS case is now under the observation of Professor Eulenburg and other professors of the Berlin University of Medicine.
On June 10, 1904, a man aged 27 fell from an electric tramway car and lost consciousness. Since then he has not opened his eyes, but sleeps on in an apparently natural sleep.
He suffers no pain, and the doctors can discover no serious injury. He is being fed at regular intervals, and mechanically swallows food placed between his lips.
Quick jokes
WIFE: "Jenkins is a man of remarkable perseverance."
Friend: "Is he?"
Wife: "Yes, indeed. He has tried six different kinds of hair restorer, and he hasn't given up the fight yet."
SENIOR lady: "I think I'll have to discharge that young fellow whom I engaged last month. He's frightfully lazy.
Junior lady: "Slow in everything, eh?
Senior lady: Well - no, not in everything. He gets tired quick enough!"
- NIGEL MCDONAGH
