NEW CIVIL DEFENCE UNIT
July 1998
A new Civil Defence training unit at Carlingford pier is officially opened. Séamus Brennan, Minister for State at the Department of Defence, does the honours after arriving in a search and recovery boat.
Located in a former fire station, the facility is completely refurbished by Civil Defence members who display their expertise in carpentry, bricklaying, plastering, electrics and painting.
The minister is welcomed by Louth county council chairman Martin Bellew at his last official function as leader of the local authority before the AGM.
Minister Brennan congratulates everyone involved in the project. He makes a presentation to Mount Everest adventurer, Josie Kierans, a former Louth Civil Defence member.
The building will store a search and recovery boat, mountain rescue equipment and includes changing rooms, a communications facility, kitchen/lecture room and storage area.
The training unit will boost Civil Defence’s role as a secondary service to the front-line emergency services, explains Louth CD officer, Paddy Donnelly. A huge crowd enjoys the first Sunday meeting at Dundalk racecourse in the track’s centenary year.
The attendance of around 5,000 watches the action in fine weather and there is a real carnival atmosphere at the Dowdallshill venue, with a best-dressed lady competition and an attendance prize among the side attractions.
Special buses are laid on to bring punters from Cavan and Monaghan and marquees are in place to cater for the excellent turn-out.
Feature races are the Robert O’Hare Hurdle, Pat O’Hare Hand- icap and Damian O’Hare Bumper, sponsored by the well-known Newry bookmaking family who have offices in Dundalk in Thomas Street and Bridge Street. Results are good with four favourites obliging, among them the Paddy Mullins-trained Grabel in a flat handicap, partnered by MG Cleary. Other market leaders to click are Winterville (Pat Martin/Mr John Queally), General Havelock (Con Collins/Martin Lynch) and Atlantic Disco (Pat Hughes/ Philip Dempsey).
The layers get some respite when Clones Duke takes a chase at 10/1 for Homer Scott and the Michael O’Brien-conditioned Be My Idle goes in at 8s. The racecourse undergoes significant improvements over the last three years and a new method of watering the circuit is introduced.