Articles on Local History
All at Sea
All at Sea (February 2025)
Meeting Report by Sandra Millsopp  The final meeting of 2024 featured a film presentation by Brian Meharg telling the story of the rowing boats at Bangor.
Discover Groomsport
Discover Groomsport (November 2024)
Meeting report by Sandra Millsopp  Peter Gibson has done much to promote knowledge of the history of Groomsport through the ‘Discover Groomsport’ group. Its website contains a digital archive of the village with photographs and articles about its history.
Sailing Ships and Sea Captains of Portaferry
Sailing Ships and Sea Captains of Portaferry (October 2024)
Meeting report by Sandra Millsopp  On 12 September Bangor Historical Society welcomed Allison Murphy to give the opening talk of the 2024-25 season.
A walk round Donaghadee
A walk round Donaghadee (September 2024)
Outing report by Sandra Millsopp  Robert Neill led a walk around the harbour area of the town, discussing the various owners of the town from Hugh Montgomery at the beginning of the seventeenth century to the Delacherois and Day families in the twentieth century.
The Shandon area of East Belfast
The Shandon area of East Belfast (September 2024)
Meeting report by Sandra Millsopp  Aidan Campbell based his talk around the Shandon area of East Belfast. Shandon Mound dates back to Norman times and John de Courcy. and Shandon means old fort.
Women in the First World War
Women in the First World War (March 2024)
Meeting report by Sandra Millsopp  Bangor Historical Society met on 14 March 2024 when Mrs Carol Walker from the Somme Museum spoke about the role of women in the First World War.
Richard Kane
Richard Kane (February 2024)
Meeting report by Sandra Millsopp  At the February 2024 meeting Ron Bishop was the guest speaker and his subject was Richard Kane, a soldier who came from south Antrim.
History of Donaghadee
History of Donaghadee (January 2024)
Meeting report by Sandra Millsopp  On 11 January 2024 Dr Robert Neill gave an illustrated talk about the history of Donaghadee from 1600.
Booklets record borough’s rich industrial past
Booklets record borough’s rich industrial past (November 2022)
Adrianne Brown  The impact of industry on the development of communities across Ards and North Down is explored in a series of new booklets launched recently at North Down Museum.
The Vennel
The Vennel (June 2022)
Sandra Millsopp  For centuries there has been a lane leading from the shore at Queen’s Parade south to King Street. Now as the area is about to be transformed, it will mostly disappear.
Crawfordsburn Country Club remembered
Crawfordsburn Country Club remembered (December 2021)
Peter Croft  The Life & Times of Crawfordsburn Country Club - Peter Croft's history of the little building which provided the local community with a venue for table tennis, badminton, fancy dress dances, formal dinners with interesting speakers and had no less than three ghosts!
Anti-Slavery Meetings in Bangor in 1846 & 1851
Anti-Slavery Meetings in Bangor in 1846 & 1851 (February 2021)
Patricia Norrington  The famous orator and former slave Frederick Douglass and the African-American abolitionist Reverend Henry Highland Garnet both gave lectures in First Bangor Presbyterian Church.
Miss Eliza Johnston (c1820-1906)
Miss Eliza Johnston (c1820-1906) (December 2020)
Patricia Norrington  Eliza Johnston ran various hospitality establishments in Belfast and Bangor from 1866 until her death on 11 August 1906.
A Tour of Newtownards, September 2020
A Tour of Newtownards, September 2020 (December 2020)
Patricia Norrington  Patricia went on a tour organised by Ards & North Down U3A and led by Brian McDonald, Chair of Newtownards Historical Society.
The Spanish influenza 1918-1919
The Spanish influenza 1918-1919 (December 2020)
Patricia Norrington  Patricia Norrington looks at the effect of the three waves of the Spanish Flu epidemic in North Down.
North Down Museum's Heritage Project: the work of Bangor Heritage Group
North Down Museum's Heritage Project: the work of Bangor Heritage Group (June 2020)
Adrianne Brown  North Down Museum has a fascinating exhibition of panels and a film illustrating some of the rich commercial and industrial heritage of the North Down and Ards Council area.
Bangor Harbour: alive with marine wildlife
Bangor Harbour: alive with marine wildlife (June 2020)
Betty Armstrong  Harbours by their nature attract a myriad of marine wildlife and Bangor is no exception.
HMT Lancastria (and other connections)
HMT Lancastria (and other connections) (May 2020)
Andrew Jaggers  The 80th anniversary of the sinking of the Cunard liner, HMT Lancastria , reckoned to be Britain's worst ever maritime disaster, falls on the 17th June 2020.
Bangor Memories in the Northern Ireland War Memorial
Bangor Memories in the Northern Ireland War Memorial (April 2020)
Michael Burns (Project Co-ordinator of Oral History Projects at NIWM)  The Northern Ireland War Memorial's oral history projects seek to capture the memories and stories of those local people who fought and lived through the Second World War in Northern Ireland and include a number of stories local to Bangor.
Shipbuilding at Ballyholme (courtesy Afloat magazine)
Shipbuilding at Ballyholme (courtesy Afloat magazine) (April 2020)
Betty Armstrong  Betty looks at the history of boatbuilding ventures in Ballyholme.
Captain STS Lecky, Master Mariner, Commander RNR, FRAS, FRGS
Captain STS Lecky, Master Mariner, Commander RNR, FRAS, FRGS (April 2020)
Andrew Jaggers  The life and times of an Ulsterman whose name became extremely well known among seafarers, both naval and merchant, around the world.
The unlikely event
The unlikely event (April 2020)
Ronnie McClements  A remarkable chain of coincidences.
Bangor Christian Heritage Trail and Mobile App
Bangor Christian Heritage Trail and Mobile App (September 2015)
Ards and North Down Borough Council  Ards and North Down Borough Council, with support and funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, are promoting the recently established “Bangor Christian Heritage Walking Trail and Mobile App”.
9th Century Bells Exhibition
9th Century Bells Exhibition (May 2015)
North Down Musueum  An exhibition in North Down Museum from 20 May to 28 June is bringing together three important early Christian bells - the Bangor Bell (above), the Lough Lene Bell and the Cashel Bell - for first time since they were cast over 1,200 years ago!
What can you tell us?
What can you tell us? (December 2014)
Don Patterson  Can you tell us more about this mystery photograph supplied by Nick Wolsey?