200 ATTEND IWA DINNER
December 1987
THE Dundalk branch of the Irish Wheelchair Association hosts almost 200 people at its annual Christmas dinner in Clan Na Gael hall.
A full traditional meal is served, after which members are entertained by a cabaret.
People travel from Dublin, Navan, Ardee and Drogheda, and special guest, Meath footballer, Martin O’Connell, brings the Sam Maguire Cup.
He is presented with an inscribed ornamental clock by John Conlon, Channonrock.
Prizes are presented to members who participate in various sporting activities run by the Dundalk branch during the year, and prolonged applause greets the announcement that Noel McEnteggart, from Kilkerley, is selected sportsperson for 1987.
Cllr. Jimmy Callan, chairman of Dundalk urban district council, indicates that wheelchair members will be chosen to visit France on an exchange holiday scheme in 1988.
He also outlines council plans on accessibility in the town. IN the middle of the Christmas shopping rush, Dundalk town centre is brought to a standstill.
A bomb warning is received leading to the area being sealed off for approximately three hours.
At 10.20am, from a source within Northern Ireland, gardaí in Letterkenny are contacted and informed that a bomb is due to go off in the centre of Dundalk at 1pm.
The message is relayed to local gardaí, who immediately seal off the area.
Shops and offices are forced to close, and people have to remain off the streets which are cleared while a search is undertaken.
Once the 1pm deadline passes, the alert remains in place for another half hour as guards maintain their presence before people are allowed to return to work, and Christmas shoppers can once again go about their business.
The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) claims responsibility for the call, which is made with a recognised code word.