Yesteryears: Slot machines destroying Clonmel and causing more trouble than drugs or drink

This week for our YESTERYEARS feature we travel back all of forty years to our edition dated May 21, 1983 and a very busy front page. The lead story carried the headline “Addict tells court slot machines are destroying Clonmel.” It related to the granting of a gaming licence at Clonmel Circuit Court to Augusto Bonelli of 1 Mitchel Street, Clonmel, despite objections raised by gardaí and three local people who gave evidence. One of these described herself as a slot machine addict who said she had a petition signed by 3,420 people who wanted the machines out. “They are destroying the town,” she told District Justice William F. O’Connell “and people are in debt up to their necks because of them.” Another objector said “they had caused more trouble in Clonmel than drugs or drink or anything else.”

In another story we reported that a Cahir truck driver, Mr Joe McGee, was ordered from his lorry at 3 am on the previous Sunday morning in Strasbourg by angry French farmers who threatened to burn his £50,000 cargo of beef and vehicle owned by Olex Exports valued at £40,000. The lorry was hijacked by French farmers who were protesting over the delay in the fixing of the EEC farm prices. The daubed slogans on the side of the lorry, slashed tyres and broke open the refrigerated container. The 35 year-old driver was unharmed by the farmers who later treated him to a typical French meal of wine and cheese.

We also reported that Magherafelt District Council in County Derry had decided to accept an invitation from Carrick-on-Suir UDC to establish friendship links. The issue was discussed at three explosive meetings of Magherafelt DC, during which the outnumbered Loyalist members voiced fierce opposition and one of them warned that a visit of representatives from Carrick to the town would lead to friction. “If they came here I would feel duty bound to hassle them,” was the reaction of a Loyalist member.
Elsewhere that week an industrial dispute at Cahir Meat Packers Limited was resolved when the 100 employees returned to work after reaching an agreement in talks held under the chairmanship of an Industrial Officer in Cahir.

Also at a meeting of shop stewards in Clonmel that week five Tipperary firms agreed to hold two one-day stoppages in support of a PAYE/PRSI Protest campaign. The five were: Showerings and Barlo Heating (Clonmel), Suttons, Thurles; Atari, Ardfinnan; and Tipperary Products, Clogheen.