WE look at the stories that were making the headlines in the Andersonstown News this week in 1985
THERE is growing concern in Twinbrook this week that the local Post Office may not re-open, leaving the area without postal facilities until the Dairy Farm Centre is built in 1986.
The Post Office was closed ten days ago, following the latest in a series of robberies. In the armed robbery, shots were fired through a door at the postmistress, and she was hit in the hand.
To date, Post Office heads have refused to provide a re-opening date for the centre. Local Tenants' Association activist Damien Gibney says the closure has affected "all sections of the community.
"Everyone uses the Post Office for one reason or another, and this closure is causing considerable expense and hardship to local people. I would hope that the G.P.O. will quickly deny the rumour that they intend to leave Twinbrook without postal facilities until the Dairy Farm Centre opens in 18 months’ time."
He said that in Twinbrook there were 300 pensioners who would have to make the journey to the Head Post Office in the city centre.
"For many people travelling to the city centre means borrowing money for transport and having to wait longer before they can get their benefits cashed."
Mr. Gibney called on the Post Office to give some indication as to when they would be re-opening so as to help people budget money they would usually spend on electricity or telephone stamps. A spokesperson for the West Belfast Taxi Association said they would be circulating all drivers to ask them to provide an increased service for Twinbrook.
"Drivers are being asked, starting from Monday 11th February, to wait at the Twinbrook stops between 10 a.m. and noon."
A spokesperson for the Post Office rejected any suggestion that the Twinbrook service would be withdrawn. However, he said some delay was unavoidable as the Post Mistress was still under medical care.
“The normal procedure after a robbery is for the office to close to check stock and review security", he said. "It is Post Office policy to restore the service as soon as possible. This policy applies to the Twinbrook office."
MAITH SIBH: Pádraig Ó Maolchraoibhe makes fáinne presentations in Ardoyne this week back in 1985
SF row with BBC over Irish
A ROW has blown up between Sinn Féin and the B.B.C. over the comments made by a radio presenter and S.D.L.P. spokesperson Brid Rodgers, on the Irish language programme An Dara Sui.
On lodging a formal complaint with the BBC, Sinn Féin's cultural spokesperson Máirtín Ó Muilleoir demanded the right of reply to the item.
By Monday, however, the BBC were refuting the Sinn Féin complaint and claiming that the party had not been singled out for criticism in the programme.
However, Sinn Féin were adamant that a transcript of the interview between Cormac Ó hAdhmaill and Brid Rodgers validated their allegation.
In the course of the interview, An tUasal Ó hAdhmaill said: "Ceist amháin ansin agus tá mé féin rud beag tógtha faoi seo. Sin go bhfuil contuirt ann, mhothaigh mé an chontuirt seo le roinnt blianta anuas, go nglacfaidh páirti polaitíocht amháin seilbh ar-an Ghaeilge. Agus sílim féin, b'fheidir, gur ceart don SDLP seasamh éigeanan a ghlacadh air seo. Nior mhaith liom an páirti féin a lua ach tá fhios ag gach duine cad é tá i gceist agam. Sílim go ndeanfadh sé an-dochar do Ghluaiseacht na Gaeilge dá mba rud é gur shil daoine gurb ionann cainteoir Gaeilge agus duine de lucht tacaiochta an páirti seo. Cad é do bharuil féin air sin?" (Rough translation: "I am a bit concerned that there is a danger, and I have felt this danger for some years now, that one political party would take possession of the Irish language – and I think the SDLP should take a stand on this. I wouldn't like to mention the name of the party but everyone knows what I am talking about....")
Senator Brid Rodgers replied that she agreed with the interviewer and said she herself had made the same point at the party's annual conference. "Sé an páirti a bhí i gceist agam sa ná Sinn Fein," she said. (Roughly: "The party I was speaking about was Sinn Féin.") The presenter then responded in Irish to Mrs Rodgers speech by saying, "That's it exactly, well of course I agree with you there...."
An tUasal Ó Muilleoir said Sinn Féin had repeatedly stated that they have no monopoly over the Irish language. "However, we are actively involved in a wide range of cultural schemes", he went on, "and run 30 Irish classes in Belfast alone.
"We support the unity of all parties to promote the Irish language and demand the right to reply to this SDLP party political broadcast on 'An Dara Sui.'"
