‘Warrenpoint last Sunday was very lively – quite a number of holiday folk being present not only from the surrounding districts but from Belfast, Portadown, Armagh, Dublin, Dundalk and Cookstown, special trains having been run from all those places which were availed of by a great many sight-seers.
During the day a greatest quietness prevailed but before the departure of the 9.20 pm train from Warrenpoint a scuffle of a very rough nature took place on the platform between some intoxicated wayfarers.
Blows were exchanged with a hearty goodwill: the honourable badges of black eyes were freely bestowed, and the ‘claret’ was tapped in a way that would have delighted a patron of the ‘prize ring’ in its balmy days.
However by the strenuous exertions of the station staff, assisted by the police on duty, the impromptu battle was put an end to, and the combatants placed in their carriages, where their blood cooled down, and things wore an amicable appearance when the train reached Newry.’
This ‘news’ was from Warrenpoint’s hey-day, as read in the Commercial Telegraph of 1881!
Such a minor fracas today would hardly rate a sideways glance!
What is it that more appeals to me from this story? Is it the less violent behaviour of the times or the journalist’s obvious amusement ? I do not know.
Today the combatants might each earn a highly-prized ASBO (anti-social behaviour order).
According to the politicians, that’ll soon sort them out!