THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Parliament discussed the Irish situation last night, on a motion by Mr Redmond. He said that the Convention was the only thing standing between Ireland and anarchy. Mr Duke, the Chief Secretary, stated that 200,000 men were being drilled for the purpose of another rebellion. The rebel organisation had for its aim the defeat of the Convention at all costs and the secession of Ireland from the Union. Mr Lloyd George pledged the Government to introduce legislation.

50 years ago

Three of Perthshire’s most picturesque lochs were sold for a total of £12,400 during the sale by auction of the 705-acre East Dunkeld Estate, formerly owned by the famous Aberdeen-Angus cattle breeder, the late Major Fred H. Read. The sale, which was conducted in the ballroom of the Station Hotel, Perth, attracted buyers from all parts of Britain. Proceedings opened with an unsuccessful attempt to sell the estate in its entirety. Bidding had opened around £35,000.

25 years ago

Methil’s RGC Offshore construction yard struck “black gold” yesterday, securing £30 million worth of work into 1994. The news means that around 450 jobs pipelined for the dole queues have been saved and provides a massive shot in the arm for the community. Tasked to supply oil firm Total with a new jacket for the Dunbar field, RGC’s contract victory marks a triumph for the Fife yard against stiff opposition from rival firms and an increasingly tough market-place.

One year ago

An old Forfar school gutted by fire in a ferocious Saturday night blaze has been a magnet for young vandals in recent months. Nearby residents described the former Wellbrae Primary as “an accident waiting to happen” in the wake of an inferno that took 50 firefighters around two hours to bring under control. Only the charred shell of the 135-year-old listed building remains after the blaze – which was visible for miles and watched by hundreds of locals – engulfed the roof structure.