We look at the stories that were making the headlines this week in 1984
False hopes over Shorts move to De Lorean
"IT would be wrong to raise false hopes about Shorts moving to the old De Lorean factory, and we would prefer that there was no speculation in the media at this stage."
This was a reply given by a Shorts' spokesperson to one of our reporters when asked about speculation on Shorts moving to the Dunmurry factory.
Hopes had been raised in the West Belfast area over the past week, that a couple of thousand jobs might be created if Shorts were to move to Dunmurry as part of the rapid expansion in production caused by an increase in demand for their small commuter aircraft. As everyone knows, West Belfast has the highest rate of unemployment in Europe and a major industry would give the area a much-needed boost in morale and economic buying power. Young people in particular would welcome more job opportunities in an area where apprenticeships of any kind are almost unknown.
Some local people were optimistic that Shorts might be pushed towards the Dunmurry plant to offset the adverse publicity it has received in the past because of the small number of Catholics employed in the company. These accusations had been particularly hard to combat in America, where most of the extra sales will be coming from, but this latest statement from Shorts will help to dampen some of the enthusiasm engendered over the past couple of weeks.
The Shorts' statement said: "Against a background of rapidly expanding production we are looking at several possible ways of increasing our capacity.
"It is too early to say which, if any, of these options will be proceeded with, and there are many steps to go through before we reach a decision as to the best solution. It would be wrong to raise false hopes in regard to any particular location and we would much prefer that there is no speculation in the media at this stage."
TOP TEAM: Paul Tabb, Charlie Docherty, Tom Grant and Mal Mulligan with Jim and Gerry Teeney at the Albion Star dinner and presentation night at the Hotel Greenan Lodge
Forum report will result in gains for Sinn Féin against SDLP – Irish Press Editor
IRISH Press editor Tim Pat Coogan has denounced the Forum Report as "too little, too late" and predicts considerable gains for Sinn Féin against the SDLP.
“If I were a bookie I think I’d offer long odds against the Forum producing even a British White paper,” said the prestigious author and journalist.
“There seemed to be a mood amongst the civil servants briefing journalists that the Forum was less a matter of solving the Northern Ireland problem than of shoring up the SDLP’s position and particularly that of John Hume. My own gut feeling is that the Forum advocates have between now and the local government elections in Northern Ireland in a year’s time, to make what they can of the Forum’s findings whether nationally or internationally. I don’t know what the cost of all the exercise will be but I do hazard a strong bet that unless something radical occurs to change the future, Gerry Adams and Sinn Féin will make such gains, at the expense of John Hume’s party, that not even ten times the money, time and effort which went into the Forum, is going to salvage the SDLP.”
Tim Pat Coogan added: “If the civil rights people had achieved reform, or better still, had not to seek it in the first place, there wouldn’t have been an SDLP. If the British listened to the SDLP there wouldn’t have been a Sinn Féin. Now after the hunger-strikes, I fear it may all be too little too late.”
Rally against anti-socials in Lenadoon
A PUBLIC rally against "anti-social behaviour" has been called for the Lenadoon Shops.
The Concerned Residents’ Association which is organising the demonstration, say sporadic instances of vandalism have continued during the week with a young man being viciously assaulted.
“We will not be intimidated off the streets,” said the Association spokesperson.
At Friday’s rally, speakers from Lenadoon will explain how the campaign of isolation against those who are refusing to stop anti-social activities will be carried out.
Meanwhile, 300 people attended a meeting in the Turf Lodge Community Centre on Tuesday night, to discuss the hooligan problem.
