We look back at the stories that were making the headlines in the Andersonstown News this week in 1979
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
THIS year’s St Patrick’s Day Parade promises to be a tremendous success, with more people participating, more bands in the procession and more floats. 22 bands will be taking part, and seven of these will travel all the way from Scotland for the occasion.
The various clubs, societies, etc will form up in their respective sections in the Townsend Street and Albert Street area of the Lower Falls at 12.30pm on St Patrick’s Day, and the parade will commence at 1pm. The Parade Committee would like all club and society members and especially GAA club members to fall in behind their club banners and make this year’s parade the biggest yet.
Floats should be decorated completely, covering as much of the float vehicle as possible and especially the backs and sides of lorries. The Committee have introduced a number of novelty items into this year’s parade and one whole section will be devoted to life-size Disney characters.
Piped music will be laid on at various vantage points on the route, including the Clonard Street, Whiterock Road junction, and outside Casement Park itself.
After the ceremonies and judging in the Park, a novelty football match will be held between well-known GAA members and the Disney characters participating in the parade.
The general public should note that no parking will be allowed on route after 12.30pm and the Committee appeals to everyone to assist the stewards in this very important function.
Last but not least, the Committee are asking everyone to come out and participate by marching or as a spectator, but above all to make this a real family holiday to be remembered.
Finn and Rosie Gough, Joe and Deirdre Chapman, Gerard Kane and Colette Cassidy during the Saint Patrick's Day Parade Association function
Attack on taxis
A CONCERTED and well organised attack on Falls Road Black Taxis took place at the weekend, when almost 20 black taxis had their windows broken.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, a group of men in a red 1100 car, toured the Turf Lodge, Ballymurphy and Andersonstown areas of West Belfast systematically breaking the windows in every black taxi they could find.
One taximan told our reporter of having to find over £40 on Sunday to replace the front and rear windscreens of his taxi which had been vandalised at about 5.30am that morning.
In this particular case, a neighbour heard the breaking glass and opened the bedroom windown in time to see the perpetrators jump in the red 1100 and make off after shouting ‘That will teach you, you Fenian bastards.’ But whether this was a senseless sectarian attack or whether they shouted this remark to confuse the issue, no one knows.
The taximen themselves are at a loss to understand the cause of this attack which caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
Alec McGreevy, Kathleen Morgan, Pat Shevlin and Kathleen McGreevy at the Saint Patrick's Day Parade Association function
Buy Peter Pan and save local jobs
“IF local people buy Peter Pan bread, five hundred jobs will be saved.”
This is the slogan of Peter Pan Bakery workers who have this week launched a campaign to gather public support for their effort to save jobs in this vital West Belfast industry; and to highlight their struggle they will have a float in Saturday’s St Patrick's Day Parade where they will begin a leaflet campaign to urge support among both consumers and shopkeepers.
The bakery workers are unanimous in their determination to resist efforts to make them redundant; and despite attempts by Government, Management and other baking concerns to undermine the morale of the workforce, shop stewards have, by unstinting effort and encouragement to maintain solidarity at the Springfield Road premises.
“We’re not going to be made redundant,” a shop steward told out reporter. “We’ll still be here next year and the year after that.”
Ina Mason, with Nuala and Joe McQuade at the Saint Patrick's Day Parade Association function
