Latest News Items …

Issue 17 of Saintfield Development Association’s Saintfield News is available for download HERE.

Facilitated by the Events committee of the
Saintfield Development Association

The gateway display before the theft.

The stolen planter.

If you have any information as to the whereabouts of the planter,
please email us at:  info [at] DiscoverSaintfield [dot] com,
or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

Saintfield Heritage Society has announced its programme of talks for the 2018/19 season.  Once again the programme covers a wide range of interesting heritage subjects, beginning on 13th September with THE SUFFRAGETTE MOVEMENT IN ULSTER by Mrs. CAROL WALKER MBE, the Director of the Somme Association, who will examine the movement in support of votes for women and its impact on wider social issues in early 20th century Ulster.

All talks will be held in the Woodrow Room of Saintfield Parish Church Hall at 8:00 pm.

Members are invited to bring their family or friends.  Non-members are welcome to attend talks that interest them.

Membership of Saintfield Heritage Society for the year costs £10 (£4 for students).

The full list of talks can be found HERE.

With all of the necessary funding now in place construction work has started on Saintfield Community Centre.  A letter of offer of £500,000 has been received from the Mourne, Gullion and Lecale Local Action Group which is responsible for delivery of Priority 6 of the Rural Development Programme.  The formal announcement of the funding was made at a special event at the Belfast Road site of the community centre on Friday 10th August.  Newry, Mourne and Down District Council will provide £800,000 towards the cost of the conversion of the former B.J. Caraher site into Saintfield Community Centre.  The work is expected to be completed by early 2019.

Among those at the formal announcement were Cllr Roisin Mulgrew (Chairperson of
the Mourne, Gullion and Lecale Local Action Group), and Cllr Mark Murnin
(Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council).

Some of the members of Saintfield Development Association, Saintfield United Football Club,
St Mochai’s GAC and Saintfield Community Trust who attended the launch of Saintfield Community Centre.

Martyn Todd (second from left in photo above), Chair of Saintfield Development Association, said, “It is fantastic that everybody in the Saintfield area will have a new shared space for indoor sports and community activities.  We are delighted that funding from the Rural Development Programme and Peace IV were added to the money committed by Newry, Mourne and Down Council to make this happen.  Over the years of the project, many different people, council officials, councillors and organisations have contributed to the project.  Without their input and support we would not be where we are today, with the reality of a community centre just a few months away.  I hope this long-awaited amenity will bring new heart to our village where people of all ages, backgrounds and interests can interact and enjoy a variety of activities in a shared space.”

Work begins by removing the old office block which will
maximise the space available for the indoor 3G pitch.

Ganson UK has been selected by the Council to carry out the conversion. Site manager Cathal
McClelland (second from right) and colleagues enjoy a break during the photo shoot.

The background to the community centre project can be found HERE.

The Green Committee of Saintfield Development Association has been working with the Newry, Mourne and Down Council to arrange the replacement of the old planters at Fair Green. The Council have built six bespoke two-tiered wooden planters and have planted them out with flowers, which has resulted in a tremendous boost to the floral display there this year. Rowallane Councillor Robert Burgess (pictured above with Green Committee members Denis Conn, Dorothy Walker and Lawrence Murphy) supports the excellent work of the Green Committee for their entry in the NILGA Translink Ulster in Bloom competition and their ongoing co-operation with the Council.

A special mention must be given to Tom Price, Parks Supervisor, and his team from the Council’s Parks Department, for manufacturing the planters, and for their planting and watering round Saintfield throughout the season. (Tom is pictured above with SDA Green Committee members Vivien Lovell and Lily Henderson.)

The Green Committee of the Saintfield Development Association was also offered the area fronting the AYC building on Main Street and have produced a floral display on a tight budget. Seanie Murray, AYC caretaker, and Shaneen Davies, BDS Credit Union, kindly gave the Greens a free hand on the floral display, and provided watering facilities on the site.  All of this support was very much appreciated.  Seanie and Shaneen and pictured at the floral display with SDA Green Committee members Denis Conn, Vivien Lovell, Lawrence Murphy and Lily Henderson.

Most of the plants for the AYC were purchased from New Horizons in Downpatrick.  They are a charity who work with adults who have mental health issues and it was decided to support them in their valuable work. The remainder of the plants were purchased from Saintfield Nurseries, who have been a staunch supporter of the Green Committee’s efforts to beautify Saintfield.

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Saints

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Winemark

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The rain started just as this year’s Food and Wine Taster was due to begin on Saturday 11th August, but it didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits!  The event, organised by Saintfield Development Association, was held in Rowallane Community Hub. Entry was free to sample the delicious food provided by the following local food outlets:

Fish 2 Fry
The White Horse
Tribe Coffee House
Serendipity Bistro
Winemark
Saints
Temple Golf Club

Saintfield Development Association would like to thank the food outlets for setting up their stalls on such a wet day, Rowallane Hub for providing the venue, and all the people who braved the bad weather to sample the lovely food and wine.

Saintfield Heritage Society took members of Carryduff Historical Society on a walking tour
of Saintfield, including the 1798 Memorial Garden and notable buildings of interest.

After the walk refreshments were served in Rowallane Hub, 35 Main Street.

Helicopter G-NIHM of the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland service passing overhead Saintfield.
You can discover more about this charity HERE.

The 2018 Saintfield Show will be staged on Saturday 21st July at Glenbrook Farm on the Lough Road, Boardmills, by kind permission of the Lawson Family.

The show will have a wide range of attractions including:

• General Show Classes for: Poultry, Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Donkeys
• Horse Classes for: Agricultural Horses, Ponies, Horses, Mini Horses, Working hunter
• Outdoor Catering
• Home Industries Classes
• Craft & Food Fair
• Trade Stands
• Family Fun Day
• and much more!

There is free parking!  The entry fee is £10 per person, with children under 16 free.

General enquiries should be made to the Show Secretary:

Ms Alison Cleland,
1 Magheraknock Park,
Ballynahinch
BT24 8FG

Tel: 07821 588390
Email: secretary@saintfieldshow.co.uk

For more information visit the Saintfield Show website HERE.

Application forms for outside trade stands and indoor craft tables are now available to download HERE.