25 YEARS AGO/1997

S t a r – st u d d e d concert for GAA club.

ONE of this year’s biggest star-studded concerts will kick off early next month in St Enda’s GAA centre with a host of top name from the world of Irish showbiz. The programme offers a unique opportunity for the locals to see brothers Johnny Loughrey and Rock Stewart appear together on stage for the first time. And the top class night’s entertainment also includes appearances from Declan Nerney, Philomena Begley, Gene Fitzpatrick and Jimmy Buckley. Compere for the night will be Highland’s own Pio McCann. The concert is expected to be a total sell-out.

Anger at vandalism in Carrickmore.
MID-TYRONE Sinn Fein Councillor Patsy McMahon has expressed anger and concern at a recent increase in acts of vandalism in the Carrickmore area. Mr McMahon said that the incidents of vandalism in recent days and weeks have been caused by “reckless drivers rallying in the built up area as if it was a stock-car circuit.” He said, “Damage has been caused to various walls and fences, to people’s cars and even to the surface of a football pitch at a local
school. “I believe that the vandals need to be confronted and challenged by all of us who are prepared to stand up to them,” concluded Cllr McMahon.

50 YEARS AGO/1972

Evacuation in Drumquin.
RESIDENTS of Main Street, Drumquin, were evacuated for several hours from before midnight on Sunday because of a bomb behind a public house in the village. Two telephone calls – one to the publican Mr Joseph McSorley, and the other to Omagh telephone exchange – gave ten minute warnings of the bomb which had been left in a large oil drum. The detonator went off shortly after midnight but the 50-lbs of home-made explosives failed to explode. Later the army removed the bomb and made it safe. No damage was caused.

Tuesday night is Dromore night’.
TUESDAY night is Dromore night – that’s what the re-opening of another dance season in St Patrick’s Hall, Dromore, will mean for a great many dancers from throughout Tyrone and Fermanagh. In their very determined efforts to raise funds to cover the huge cost of developing Dromore’s ‘Gardrum Park’, the enthusiastic members of the local St Dympna’s GFC ran numerous successful Tuesday night dances here last winter. The leading showbands have been engaged and the programme will get off to a great star this coming Tuesday with dancing to Philomena Begley and the Country Flavour. The following two Tuesdays will feature Dermot Henry and the Virginians, Brendan Quinn and Cades County. Other big names include Bockaroos, Zulus, Smokies, Rocky Tops, Grassroots, Hootnannys, Ventures and Cajun Sound.

75 YEARS AGO/1947

Title holders welcomed home
FOG signals, bonfires, flags and hundreds of wildly-cheering people received the victorious All-Ireland minor title holders at  Dungannon on Monday night. The team were headed by the Pomeroy Accordeon Band, as they paraded through the decorated streets to Anne Street, where a huge bonfire was set alight. The team were welcomed by a number of prominent people. Leaving Dungannon, the team and officials were conveyed by road to Coalisland, where again they were enthusiastically welcomed and following a short parade there, proceeded to Pomeroy, the training quarters.

Clogher nurses claim
AT Clogher Board of Guardians on Saturday, no action was taken when temporary nurse Frances Conway wrote saying she would refuse to work in the maternity ward unless her claim for higher fees was granted.

Trillick water shortage
MR M Donnelly inquired if any reports had been received of water shortage in Trillick, and the Clerk said Dr Matthewson had been speaking to him several times about water shortages there. Mr Donnelly said it as a shame that there should not be water after money being spent on the scheme. Mr J Dunn said if the Ivy Well was cleared it would be sufficient for the village.

100 YEARS AGO/1922

Poteen case
AT Fivemiletown Petty sessions a man named Somers was fined £100, mitigated to £6, for having a barrel for illicit distillation purposes and a pint of poteen in his possession.

Late harvest in Tyrone
THE heavy rains for the past few days delayed harvesting operations in Tyrone. The bulk of the corn has yet to be cut. Some early farmers have had early oats threshed and conveyed to the mills. The harvest is over four weeks late as compared with last season.

Shots near Clogher
IT is reported that a patrol of ‘B’ Specials were fired at about a mile from Clogher and near the Monaghan border, at 2am on Thursday morning. Although 100 shots are said to have been discharged, the patrol suffered no casualties. Reinforcements from Clogher Park were speedily on the scene; and a search of the district was difficult owing to the darkness.

Man charged with turf stealing
A FARMER’S son named Neil Ward deposed that on Monday he was herding sheep on Owenreagh mountain, when he saw the prisoner whom he identified taking turf from Mr Hamilton’s stack. The witness immediately went on a bicycle to inform Mr Hamilton. The accused was remanded to Omagh Crown Sessions.