Ards Historical Society 20th Century Archive Project

Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland

Conway Square, c. 1955

Photo from the Ards Historical Society website

The Society is currently engaged in a major project which involves researching and recording all aspects of life (social, recreational, religious, commercial and industrial activities) in Newtownards during the twentieth century.

Before "first hand" memories fade or are lost the Society wants to record both the important and commonplace for the benefit of current and future generations.  For example, an elderly lady has described hand-loom weaving in her home in Greenwell Street.

The Society is particularly interested in material (photographs, programmes, newspaper cuttings etc.) relating to:-
·        community life
·        schools and education
·        sport and recreation
·        shops and local business
·        manufacturing and industry
·        horticulture and agriculture
·        churches and religion.

The Ards Historical Society has teamed up with the Newtownards Library for the Twentieth Century Project.  When the Society feels that it has collected enough material, all data will then be copied on to compact discs to create an impressive archive collection that will be held in the Newtownards Library, or even better, in a dedicated Ards Archive and Local History Centre housed at a new library.

This archive will be a valuable source of information for schools, researchers, societies and anyone else who is interested in the Ards area.

The Society's website has an online photographic archive and brief history of the area, together with details of publications produced by the Society.