We look at the stories that were making the headlines on this week in 1983
Editorial: Adams new SF leader
WE understand that you can get carried away with the importance of the annual conferences of political parties. but last weekend's Sinn Féin Ard Fheis could well have been the most important for 50 years.
Gerry Adams' election as President of the party could ursher in a new era in the Republican Movement which, despite its ups and downs, splits and splinters, has the oldest political philosophy in the country today. That this old movement has thrown up the youngest leader of any political party in Ireland, is an important factor largely disregarded by political commentators. In a country with over 50 per cent of its population under 25 years of age, the youthfulness of the party leader could be a telling factor in the development of the party over the next few years. The ousting (if that is not too strong a word) of the old guard of Ó Conaill and ÓBradaigh with so little rancour and with such ease, also heralds the departure of the last vestiges of the old republicanism which was content to carry the torch from one generation to the next without much thought to victory in their own time. However, laudable this philosophy may have been in the "lean years", it has no place in a party that seems to be on the ascendant. The second important thing is that the new President is from Belfast, and may well be able to say and do things that a ‘Southern’ colleague would have great difficulty in doing, hence his ability to "criticise" some actions of the military wing of the movement.
This is absolutely essential if the party is to gain ground politically and Adams seems to understand this more than most. If violence is to be seen not just as an end in itself, then it has to be rigidly controlled. Republican philosophy expounds the legitimacy of armed resistance to foreign interference, but this does not exclude other forms of resistance which would not be violent, or even that these other forms of resistance might become dominant. Only a young Northern activist could swing the Movement to this way of thinking.
The third, and possibly the most pertinent point is that Adams has arrived at a time of severe unemployment North and South, where falling living standards are causing "real" hardship as opposed to the "no video" hardship of a few years ago, and if anything, a radical political movement has more opportunity to exploit the economic situation in the 26 Counties than in the 6 Counties at the moment, and it could well be that it is there that the new Sinn Féin offensive has to be fought, and it is there that the new Adams' regime will succeed or fail.
NEW BUSINESS: Co-owner of Tee-Pee Sports, Pat Smyth, presents Co. Antrim chairman Hugh McPoland with a first aid kit attache case for the Antrim team. Hugh officially opened the shop in Martin's Yard, Kennedy Way last Saturday
New lease of life for Conway Street Mill
THE Falls Flax Spinning Mill at Conway Street Mill stopped work in 1974. It started work again in 1982 but this time it was in the hands of a local committee who have taken a lease on the buildings. They will be developing the Mill during the next ten years.
The aim is to help people to create jobs, to encourage cooperatives and to bring leisure and education along with work on to the same site.
At the moment the whole ground floor space is taken by a retail trader, an ironwork manufacturer, taxi repair works, car spraying and the offices of West Belfast Taxis. Other parts of the huge buildings are taken up by a cooperative, a glass engraving enterprise and an adult education project. In another month or so an extensive snooker hall will be opening. This means that the Committee running the Mill need good management and at present they are looking for a Manager to take charge of the day to day working of the Mill complex. Practically no help has been had from Government sources, in spite of the newspaper promises that money is available for such developments as this. Without proper government help the work will go on, but it will be slower than is needed.
Priests call meeting over anti-social behaviour
IN a highly unusual move, Divis priests called a meeting in St Peter’s Pro-Cathedral on Tuesday night to discuss ways of combating juvenile delinquency in the area.
The hour and a half long meeting was started by parish priest Fr McGurran and a microphone on a long lead was then passed to anyone who wanted to speak.
Elderly people, the middle-aged and young married couples, were all represented and heard from youth and community workers in the Flats.
Dympna McGlade, a community worker in the Flats, descried the meeting as “constructive”.
“No definite plans were agreed upon, but there was a lot of discussion. Ideas were thrown about and problems were thrashed out.
“Some people spoke of the need for vigilantes while others suggested blowing whistles and of actually educating youngsters by speaking to them. It was also pointed out that older people felt intimidated by big crowds of young people in the Flats.”
Those at the meeting decided to come together again at the Church on November 22 to discuss a definite approach to the juvenile delinquency problems in Divis.
This latest approach to the problem of anti-social behaviour in West Belfast comes at a time when increased reports are coming in of robberies and wanton vandalism in Lenadoon.
Recently one shop closed down in the area after a series of robberies, while a Suffolk Road Chip Shop has reported constant harassment and intimidation of customers by a gang of youths.
There are frequent reports of people using the shop having been beaten up by this gang.
