We look at the stories that were making the headline this week in 1983
Save Celtic Park
THE Save Celtic Park Committee will launch a determined campaign to protect the historic grounds from the developers, at a public meeting in the Conway Street Mill on Monday, 31st October, at 8 p.m.
Two small meetings of people opposed to the building of a supermarket complex on the famous site have already been held within the last week in preparation for this campaign.
Greyhound enthusiasts, ex-Belfast Celtic fans, youth workers and city centre business people are among those objecting to the plan, apparently by Dunnes Stores, to develop a large store on the Celtic Park site.
Many local people believe the Dunnes proposal could bring much-needed employment to the West Belfast area. However, the recently formed committee say this must be offset against the inevitable job losses in small local shops.
Those in attendance at the two meetings on the 19th and 21st October in the Crescent and West Club respectively, included boxing referee Barney Wilson, youth leader and ex-Down and Connor league sportsman David P. Wilson, Councillor Alex Maskey, representative of city centre trader J C May, Belfast Celtic Supporters’ Club Representative Danny Delaney, Joe and Brian McCann and Queen’s lecturer Jackie Duffin.
Mr Paddy Brady of the Crescent Community Association, said that his group had circulated the St James' area with a leaflet asking for the views of locals on the new development.
"To date, 95 per cent had been in favour of converting Celtic Park," he said.
"The attitude of people who live in Rodney, St James' and Iveagh, is that they no longer wish to see it as a dog track and, in fact, welcome the new initiative.
"I was one of many people at the meetings to set up this Save Celtic Park campaign, who was in favour of scrapping Celtic Park as it is now. Some people suggested that instead of shops we should be building houses."
Mr Brady claimed locals view the Park as a "dilapidated hazard”.
Editorial: Lord Fitt of Bells Hill
IN 1958 when the Life Peerage system was introduced in the English House of Lords, Gerry Fitt was just another working class punter on the make, with a gift of the gab and a great dislike for making an honest, if modest living as an insurance man.
Like all people with an eye to the main chance, Gerry was a great observer. He quickly realised that the working class people around him were big-hearted and generous to a fault, and would support anyone unscrupulous enough to ingratiate himself with them in a "Hail Fellow, well met" way, and articulate their grievances, whether he believed in them or not.
Gerry, therefore, paraded to Milltown on Easter Sunday, hoisted the Tricolour on his election platforms, and cultivated a sectarian Republicanism usually associated with flag waving football supporters of the Celtic, Rangers ilk. Nor was he slow to call up the big names to help his "great leap forward". James Connolly became his God and the "Freedom of the Working Class" his gospel, and eventually to our everlasting shame, he made it to his ultimate goal, a seat in that most revered establishment of Westminster, the British House of Commons.
From then on things began to change and Gerry Fitt of West Belfast became both the man and the message. James Connolly was eased off his pedestal to be replaced by Harold Wilson and James Callaghan and as Gerry cultivated a new image and sought out new friends, he used the S.D.L.P. (or "that crowd of schoolteachers" as he often referred to them) to keep him in power at home.
During the 1981 hunger strike, when ten young men gave their lives for the same ideals as Gerry's one-time idol James Connolly, he decided on a complete defection in the sure knowledge that the contacts he had made in England would not let him down, and neither they did. He now sits with 1,182 other non-entities in the English House of Lords, a living testament to the folly and over generous nature of us working class people in West Belfast, and an ever-lasting monument to the treachery of self-seeking politicians.
JOIN THE QUEUE: The Red Barn Hot Food Bar is delighted to bring to Andersonstown, a new concept – called Southern Fried Chicken
Job loss fears grows
STAFF of the fire damaged Andersonstown Leisure Centre have been promised full support in fighting any attempt to make them redundant.
People using the Centre have reacted to rumours of redundancies by drawing up a petition to present to the City Council.
Following the fire four weeks ago which destroyed much of the indoor activities area, the staff have been working non-stop to get the swimming pool back into operation. By sheer hard work and dedication, they have achieved this in record time, and thankful patrons are now determined that there will be no lay-offs while the rest of the centre is rebuilt.
Officials of the I.T.G.W.U. have confirmed that talks are taking place with the City Hall about the dispersal of some members of staff to other leisure centres, but no redundancies have been mentioned so far. A member of the petition committee told an Andersonstown News reporter that their main objective was to retain the trained Leisure Centre personnel in Andersonstown to look after the thousands of young people who will be using the limited facilities of the Centre during the winter.
"It is more essential than ever that these people be kept on in Andersonstown to supervise the increase in outdoor activities brought about by the destruction of the halls.
"With a little bit of reorganisation and emphasis on outdoor sports, the full staff should be required until the Centre is in full swing again."
