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Welcome to CoveBay.net

The Community Website for Groomsport, Northern Ireland.

4th July in Groomsport

Groomsport celebrates its links with America this Independence Day.

Fun starts at 7pm with live music from the Johnny Cash Tribute Show supported by Henry McCullough, Brendan Quinn and compere for the evening George Jones (UTV Radio).

The finale at 11pm is a fantastic themed fireworks display. Contact Bangor Tourist Information Centre on 028 9127 0069,

email tic@northdown.gov.uk or www.northdowntourism.com.

Brian McLaughlin

Ulster Rugby's New Coach

I would just like to take this opportunity to say my first personal hello to the Ulster supporters.

I am really looking forward to the challenge of working with the Ulster Rugby team, it is something I have always wanted to do, it's a dream come true, and I feel so proud.

It is very important to me, Neil Doak, and Jeremy Davidson, for Ulster to be successful. We're Ulster men through and through, and we want the best for our province, our supporters and our players. This matters to us, at a professional and at a personal level, so we'll be doing our utmost to ensure that when the team runs out, they will be playing at a consistency high standard.

I hope to see all you at Ravenhill cheering our team on to a successful season.

Ulster Rugby Tickets: Click Here

MP Pays Back £2,730 expenses

Lady Sylvia Hermon MP for North Down

Parliament has published the details of MPs' expenses. The documents cover financial years from 2004 to 2008 and have been released in response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

Lady Hermon decided to personally reveal details of her expenses as the Daily Telegraph revelations continued. The Ulster Unionist Party's only MP repaid £2,730. She said two months' worth of rental allowance for her office was overpaid during 2006. In 2007-08 her total expenses were £134,004 of which second home allowance £16,999

The addresses that claims relate to - and correspondence - have been removed on privacy and security grounds. More.......

House prices up by 1.2% in May

Annual rate of decline improves sharply from -15.0% to -11.3% - Nationwide

Commenting on the figures Martin Gahbauer, Nationwide's Chief Economist, said:
“The price of a typical house rose by 1.2% in May, providing further evidence of some improvement in housing market conditions over the last few months. At £154,016, the average house price is still 11.3% lower than a year ago, although this marks a significant improvement from the annual decline of 15.0% recorded in April. The 3 month on 3 month rate of change – a smoother indicator of
short-term price trends – rose from -3.0% in April to -0.5% in May and now stands at its highest level since January 2008.

“Although the short-term trend in house prices has clearly improved from where it was at the beginning of the year, it is still too early to say that the market is turning definitively. During the downturn of the
early 1990s, there were many months during which prices rose, only to fall back down again in subsequent periods. In the current downturn, the combination of rapidly rising unemployment and tight
access to credit implies that the last of the price declines has probably not been seen yet. Nonetheless, the improvement in house price trends is consistent with signs of stabilisation in several other economic indicators and suggests that any further price declines may occur at a less rapid pace than in 2008"

Groomsport Sunset

Click on Photo to Enlarge

. Picture by Michael McMullan

Groomsport Past and Present

Click for More Groomsport Photographs

Local Police Contacts

The Community Beat Officer for Groomsport is Constable Anne Hiles stationed at Bangor PSNI Tel Number 02891474983

"I may not always be on duty but someone will always pass a message on" - Ann Hiles

Cockle Row Cottages Groomsport

Click on photo for a 1950's view of Cockle Row

Cockle Row Cottages are open daily (June-August) 11.30am-5.30pm Information T: 0289127 0069 Email: tic@northdown.gov.uk During opening hours contact Cockle Row on 028 9145 888

Groomsport Harbour

Click on Photo for Groomsport Album

Titanic Journey

View BBC Newsline's exclusive footage of Titanic and learn about the science and history behind this extraordinary journey to the bottom of the Atlantic.

CLICK HERE

The Lagan Boat Company

The World's ONLY provider of authentic Titanic Boat Tours around the shipyards of Harland & Wolff in Belfast.

The SS Nomadic Survives

S.S. NOMADIC the last White Star Line vessel afloat

(courtesy Captain Wood collection)

The SS NOMADIC is one of the less well known survivors of the Titanic. The tender, SS NOMADIC, was built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast. Launched on April 25, 1911 and delivered to White Star Line on May 27. She attended the departure of the RMS OLYMPIC for Liverpool on May 31, 1911. That same day the RMS TITANIC was launched.

NOMADIC and her sister TRAFFIC were built to ferry passengers and freight to and from the White Star Liners calling at Cherbourg, France, which at that time, was too small a harbour to accommodate the massive ocean liners of the day. TRAFFIC would ferry the third class passengers and mail, while NOMADIC, with her plush interiors, brought first and second class to TITANIC and OLYMPIC. NOMADIC and TRAFFIC both arrived in Cherbourg on June 3, 1911 (the NOMADIC was commanded by Captain Boitard), the vessels served OLYMPIC on September 14, 1911 when she called at Cherbourg on her maiden voyage to New York.

On the April 10, 1912 NOMADIC sailed out from port with 142 first class and 30 second class passengers to meet TITANIC on her maiden voyage. Onboard her that evening were many of the most famous passengers. Among her compliment that night were Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff Gordon, Colonel John Jacob Astor and his wife Madeline, Benjamin Guggenheim and Molly Brown. This was the NOMADIC's last delivery to TITANIC before her maiden voyage sinking, five days later, which was to shock the world.

For Nomadic Picture Gallery - CLICK HERE

SS NOMADIC returns to Birthplace
26 June 2008

Hamilton Graving Dock, located at Abercorn Basin behind the Odyssey, hasn’t been used commercially in over 15 years. The work will focus on providing a temporary new dock gate which will hold back up to 12ft of sea water. It’s expected that the Nomadic will return ’home’ before the end of the year.

At present the Nomadic is currently berthed at Barnett Dock within an operational area of the Port. While it will not be possible to open her to the public this year, it is believed that the move to Hamilton Graving Dock will significantly boost the programme of work on the ship and facilitate her re-opening at some stage next year.