Winter fears for Dollingstown residents

Tenants of condemned houses own by Moira Rural Council at Dollingstown were faced with the prospect of remaining in their rapidly deteriorating homes for another winter in 1965.

Tenders for the re-development of the village were to be sent out , but new homes would not be ready for some time.

One of the oldest residents of the ‘white row’, 71-year-old Mrs Hanna Dowie, who had lived in her home for over 50 years, told the Mail she felt ‘let down’ by the Council who had taken far too long in getting the new houses built.

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She pointed out she had spent a lot of money having repairs done. “You could lie in bed and look at the sky,” said Mrs Hanna.

“I returned home one night to find many slates had been stripped off the roof.”

Another resident, Mrs Mary Hewitt, feared rough weather over the winter saying, “The roof will come off as there is nothing holding the slates down.”