WE look back at the stories that were making the headlines this week in the Andersonstown News in 1982
Patrick, Mary and Patricia McGrath with Rose, Vincent, and Mary McGroarty at the Divis Darts League presentation event in the Terry McDermott Social Club
Extensive raids in the West of the city
OVER the last few days, raids have been carried out on homes in most of the areas of West Belfast. Areas involved include all of Andersonstown, St James’, Balymurphy, Clonard, Turf Lodge and Beechmount.
A spokesperson for the ALJ said there had been widespread arrests, mainly under seven-day orders.
“Since Tuesday morning the ‘phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” she said.
The raids even extended as far as a house near Colin Glen which was raided and searched for almost 12 hours, from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.
Ballymurphy was sealed off by British troops on Tuesday night as a series of house searches began.
The worst damage inflicted during the Tuesday morning raids was to the home of Mrs Gillen in Lenadoon Avenue. The woman of the house was staying with a sick relative at the time of the raid and the only person at home was a 16-year-old boy.
British soldiers tore up carpet and floorboards and smashed in a new fire just installed four days previously. Even the chimney flue was broken by the raiding party. One neighbour commented: “What do they think people can hide in the flue of a fire used every day?”
Census: A’town News gets it right
Lenadoon residents protest at the Housing Executive decision not to install central heating in houses occupied by squatters
LAST week’s preliminary report on the 1981 Census in the six Counties has vindicated claims in this paper that the census results would reveal a change in population figures here. In an article in January, one of our reporters disclosed four facts emerging from the census – facts he alleged, that the Census Office was eager to cover-up.
These politically explosive facts were:
The has been a decline in the total population of the Six Counties due mainly to Protestant emigration;
In the last ten years, the Catholic population has grown substantially;
The ratio of Protestants to Catholics has now decisively and permanently altered – projections indicating that within ten years, Catholics will form a majority of the population;
The figure proves the fallacy of the claim that there are “a million Protestants” in the Six Counties.
Last week’s Preliminary Report acknowledged that since 1971 there has been “a net outward 15,000 persons per year.” If the 20,000 people who are still refusing to return census forms are taken into account, we are still left with a least 13,000 people per year, or approximately 250 a week, leaving the Six Counties.
It is presumed that the majority of the people migrating are Protestants, and especially, the skilled tradesmen among that community. However, births since 1971 have offset the migration figures and the actual decline in population is only in the region of 20,000.
Bombay Street under siege during 12th
Rab and Marie Quinn and Isobel and Martin Lawlor at the Divis Darts League presentation event in the Terry McDermott Social Club
IN what has now become an annual occurrence, homes in the Bombay Street and Cupar Street areas came under sectarian attack in the run-up to the Twelfth of July demonstrations.
From Thursday 8th on, people in Bombay Street were “treated” to loyalist songs and tunes by drunken ruffians who congregated beside the peace wall. On several occasions, these loyalist mobs began throwing stones and bottles over the wall into Bombay Street.
On the Eleventh Night, two huge bonfires – one right beside the peace wall and Catholic homes, the other about 100 yards away – were lit, and a false coffin with the name Bobby Sands painted on it, burnt.
Residents of Clonard Gardens, Bombay Street and the Springfield end of Cupar Street are complaining that sporadic sectarian attacks have occurred in the area over the last month with no action against the culprits being taken by the RUC. On one occasion, a young girl had paint poured over her St Louise’s uniform.
There have also been disturbances at the Falls Road end of Cupar Street with locals being harassed by loyalist gangs. These gangs have banged drums and hurled abuse at the Catholic residents of the Ashmore Street Hostel which is situated beside the ‘peace line’.
Three C’s were runners-up team at the Divis Darts League Presentation event in ther Terry McDermott Social Club
