RETRO REPORTER: 17 pictures from 1985

In that week in history…

- A Northern Ireland Office Minister, speaking at a dinner in the Town Hall, said: “Despite all the difficulties in Newry I detect an air of confidence”.

The Rt. Hon. Lord Lyell, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, the chief guest at the annual dinner of Newry Chamber of Commerce, was speaking just hours after a bomb attack on premises in Hill Street.

- An IRA planted device, containing five pounds of explosives, was left on a stairway leading to the Hill Street offices of the Pearl Assurance Company.

The bomb causes extensive damage to the offices of the Assurance Company and to the adjoining Good News shop which sold bibles and religious books.

- The smoke-laden Newry and Mourne council chamber was a topic of discussion.

Cllr Pat McElroy referred to the high rate of lung cancer at the time and to the state of the Chamber filled with smoke from cigarettes and pipes. He asked that the Council’s Chief Public Health Inspector, Mr Hugh O’Neill, should carry out tests to determine the level of the smoke – but the motion was defeated.

The Reporter said at the time: “Voters in May may well wonder how Councillors can call for the continuance of smoking with the result of contaminating the atmosphere on one hand and on the other call for an investigation into contamination of the Irish Sea by the Sellafield nuclear plant. Cancer is the end product no matter how they try to wriggle out of it.

"Many people experience breathing difficulties in the Council Chamber so there must be some danger for the occupants, reluctant as they might be to accept that fact.”

Here’s some pictures from that week’s edition of the Reporter – see if you can spot anyone you know!