25 YEARS AGO/1983

Soldier killed in booby-trap car

A SOLDIER died and another was seriously injured when a 5-10lb. bomb exploded beneath their car in the Royal Arms Hotel park at the rear of Omagh's High Street at midnight.

They had walked from the public bar in the hotel, down the hotel's shopping mews, to their Morris Marina car. The two soldiers were seated in the car when it was ripped apart by the explosion. Either the switching on of the ignition or the moving off triggered the blast.

The driver and owner of the vehicle, Private Richard Biddle, aged 20, a married man whose wife is expecting a baby, was killed instantly. His colleague lost a leg, and suffered burns and other injuries to his face and neck. Both were attached to Lisanelly Camp in Omagh, and were off-duty at the time.

Responsibility for the bombing was subsequently claimed by the Provisional IRA.

Happy end to 'lost boy' story

A SEARCH for a two-year-old boy, who it was feared had fallen into a slurry tank on his father's farm, had, fortunately, a happy ending. For the little boy – whose cap had been found lying on the slipway to the tank – was later discovered playing with a dog in a field, some distance away, unaware of the concern he had caused.

And for his parents, who live at Garvagh, it was a joyous reunion.

Omagh Fire Brigade were called to the scene, but the child had been found prior to their arrival.

50 YEARS AGO/1958

Jail for Tyrone bar manager

A 20-YEAR-OLD Tyrone bar manager was sentenced to three years' imprisonment by Justice McVeigh at the Belfast City Commission. The bar manager, from Sion Mills, had pleaded guilty earlier in the Commission to having in his possession one .45 Webley revolver, three rounds of ammunition, two sticks of gelignite and four detonators in such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable suspicion that he did not have them for a lawful object.

He also admitted another charge of having in his possession a document relating to or purporting to relate to the affairs of the IRA.

Omagh's latest skiffle group

AN AMBITION of every skiffle group is to appear on the Saturday night TV show 'The Six-five Special,' and two Omagh groups are engaged in a race towards that goal. Omagh's Kelly sisters from Bridge Street - Anna, Lillian and Bernie - members of the skiffle quartet, 'The Jeanagers', have started nearer to Broadcasting House - they have been making quite a name for themselves in Doncaster and North of England and have already had one audition for that popular TV programme.

It's a longer road from Omagh to London Town, but 'The Dusters' are not downhearted. This Omagh group - Tony McCrory, Sean McKinney, Drew Duncan and John Joe McGlade - won an unofficial Ulster Championship at Cookstown, but had their biggest audiences when they starred on the Omagh Pantomime programme.

Now the target is that 'Six-five Special'. Will they make it before the Kelly sisters?

75 YEARS AGO/1933

Application for artificial teeth

AT the meeting of Omagh Guardians the Medical Officer reported that an inmate at the poorhouse who had all his teeth extracted would require an artificial set of teeth in order to eat his food. His teeth were extracted for health reasons by a local dentist.

Mr Cassidy doubted if this man was a native of Omagh. Mr Johnston said this would be a new departure, to provide teeth for the inmates. "It is something we have never done before," added Mr Stewart.

Mr Henderson questioned why the Guardians allowed this man to remain so long in the institution. This man, he understood, had left his wife, and he thought it was the height of audacity to ask for the supply of teeth.

"This man is a widower and is destitute," said the clerk. The board refused to supply the inmate with the teeth.

Playing football on the street

AT Sixmilecross Petty Sessions Sergeant Murray summoned Leo Kelly by his father, Bernard Kelly, Beragh, for playing football on the public street. The complainant said there were a number of boys on the street on the occasion, but the defendant was the only one he saw kick the ball. The boy's father, the sergeant added, was a most respectable man.

The chairman, in adjourning the case for three months, advised the father to "take his belt" to the boy if he caught him at the offence again. The father of the defendant assured the magistrate that the offence would not be repeated.

100 YEARS AGO/1908

Sequel to runaway marriage

SERIOUS allegations were made against an ex-policeman named John Sheridan at Sheffield Police Court. His wife, a young good-looking woman, applied for a separation order on the grounds of his persistent cruelty. The parties had been married for six years, and the applicant stated that she was only 13-years-old when she ran away and married the policeman.

The defendant left the West Riding Police Force and took on a public house, and since then he had been very rarely sober.

"He used to start drinking extra strong old beer first thing in the morning, and no woman can stand that," she said. "On one occasion he grabbed me by the throat and said he would 'finish me,' while he had several times threatened me with a carving knife. He is a complete brute and I have had too much of it."

The bench granted a separation and fixed the allowance at 5s a week.

Stabbing affray near Cookstown

A SERIOUS stabbing case is stated to have occurred near the village of Rock. It appears that James Hamilton, a horse dealer from Stewartstown, was returning from Pomeroy fair, and had an altercation with a tinsmith named Charles Sweeney, from Dungannon.

Sweeney and his son were selling wares, and it is alleged that after some words Hamilton stabbed Sweeney with a knife. The accused was remanded in custody for eight days. The injured man was conveyed to the Cookstown Union Infirmary. The doctors hold out little hope of his recovery.

– Nigel McDonagh