25 YEARS AGO/1981
Inquiry on shopping complex
THE arguments for and against a shopping complex, costing several million pounds on the outskirts of Omagh, will be thrashed out at a public inquiry to be held in the Town Hall next Wednesday, when the local Chamber of Commerce will voice strong objections to the proposed centre on the Dromore Road.
The issue has attracted keen interest throughout the community since it was first revealed in May that Equipment Sales Ltd had applied to the local Planning Authority for a change of use for their current premises. It was also disclosed then that the complex planned would be along similar lines to the Abbeycentre in Newtownabbey and the Clandeboye development near Bangor.
It is understood the businessmen belonging to the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Omagh, after canvassing around the town recently and drawing up a petition in support of their opposition to the shopping centre, have pooled their resources to hire leading legal representatives for the inquiry.
Traffic chaos in Pomeroy
SCORES of schoolchildren in Pomeroy have to walk from one end of the village to the other in all weathers because traffic congestion is so bad that the school buses cannot get up the main street. This was claimed by Cookstown District Cllr Larry Loughran at last week's meeting of the council.
Dozens of children attending schools in Cookstown and Dungannon were often drenched with rain, sleet, and snow on their way from the extreme north end of Pomeroy to the extreme south - over half an hour's walk for many of them he added.
50 YEARS AGO/1956
Carrickmore man promoted
IT WAS announced by government buildings , Dublin, on Wednesday afternoon that the Irish Government has appointed Terry Rafferty MA to be secretary of the Department of Education as from next month. Mr Rafferty is a native of Carrickmore, and for the past eight years had been assistant secretary in the department.
News of his appointment to the highest post in the Ministry was learned with delight in Carrickmore, and throughout the county, where the Rafferty family is both widely known and held in the highest regard.
Mr Rafferty from his youth has been actively interested in the native language and culture, and his appointment crowns a distinguished scholastic, teaching and administrative career.
MP urges factory for Omagh
EVERY effort should be made by the government to bring an advance factory to Omagh in view of the unemployment in the town, stated Mr R H O'Connor at Stormont when he asked the Minister of Commerce whether he had received and considered representations by Omagh Urban District Council seeking the erection of a suitable advance factory in Omagh; and, if so, whether he is prepared to make a statement on the subject, in view of the necessity of providing employment for male workers in Omagh, as the Ministry have recognised it as an area in which there is a high percentage of unemployment.
Lord Glentoran responded, "Written representations were received by my Ministry last month. In the reply it was explained that, while male unemployment is high, there are other area where the position is worse and had to be given priority in the present programme of advance factories."
75 YEARS AGO/1931
Election in Tyrone-Fermanagh
THE position as affecting the nationalists of Tyrone and Fermanagh is concisely put by the Nationalist candidates - Joseph Devlin and Cahir Healy in a manifesto issued to the electors.
They point to the gerrymandering of the divisions by the Unionist Party, and the means adopted to deprive the majority of people of their of citizenship, and emphasises in a convincing manner the failure of Unionists to provide for the needs of the agricultural community.
As the standard bearers of nationalism, both candidates accept the challenge to oust them from representation in the British Parliament, and call upon the voters to pronounce their verdict in no uncertain manner at the polls.
Fairy Water drainage deferred
AT A meeting of Tyrone county Council held on Monday, Mr Rowley Elliott MP presiding, in reference to the drainage scheme of the Fairy Water, Messrs Dickie and Carson solicitors, wrote intimating that they were prepared to completely go ahead with this scheme, but before doing so they thought that the whole scheme should come up for reconsideration.
They pointed out that the figures that had previously been before the council had been considerably increased, and the present state of the Finances of the country would have to be considered .
The original estimate was somewhere over £17,000 to which would be added to the engineers fees and law costs making a total of £18,500. They anticipated a grant from the Ministry of Labour amounting to £4,500 with the remainder to be provided by means of a loan of £14,000.
100 YEARS AGO/1906
Omagh man moves to Chicago
WM Thompson, principal of the firm of Thompson and Co., auctioneers, John Street, Omagh, has decided to settle down in Chicago where he has recently secured a lucrative position.
He was well known in Omagh as a first-class business man and had by his ability and energy, built up a large connection in Tyrone.
As Secretary of the Tyrone Farming Society he deserves the credit of having made the Omagh Shows the most successful held in the county. He was also secretary of and officially connected with various organisations which will very much regret his absence.
However, the knowledge that he has gone to fill an important position in America is a great satisfaction to his numerous friends in Tyrone, who wish him in the land of his adoption every happiness and success.
A Plucky Act
WHILST we frequently read in Irish journals of men risking their lives for their fellow men, we do not so often read of a man risking his life for a mere dog. Yet this is what Michael McCarney a car driver in the employment of Mr T. Tully, Trillick, did on last Tuesday evening.
A young dog, the property of his employer, through some accident fell into a deep well in the hotel yard. Its pleading cries touched the feelings of Mr McCarney and calling on a few neighbours, amongst them the local blacksmith, Bernard Higgins, and W. Armstrong a carpenter. He went down the well with a rope held by the two stalwarts mentioned and succeeded in bringing to terra firma the canine victim alive and kicking.
– MARK McKELVEY
