Our magazine “Before I forget…” was first published in 1987 and this year (2021) we launched the 16th edition. The articles published are largely based on talks given to the society. All of the previous magazine articles below can be viewed by clicking on the links. You must have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to view the magazine articles. There are still some copies of volumes 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 available costing £5. The are also copies of volume 15 available costing £10. All can be ordered by contacting us here.

Issue 1 1987 I Issue 2 1988 I Issue 3 1989 I Issue 4 1990 I Issue 5 1991 I Issue 6 1993 I Issue 7 1994 I Issue 8 2000 I Issue 9 2003 I Issue 10 2009 I Issue 11 2012 I Issue 12 2013 I Issue 13 2015 I Issue 14 2017 I Issue 15 2019 I Issue 16 2021

Before I forget…

1987 Issue 1

Archaeological Sites in Parish of Aghaderg By John Lennon

Local Gates and Gatemakers By Dympna Murphy

Tandragee…… Some Historical. Notes By K. Kilpatrick

Loughbrickland…. Famine Correspondence By John Joe Sand

Tourists and Evacuees By Mick Waddell

Dr. W. R. McDermott By Frank Watters

Lissummon By Mary Goss

“Wish you were here” Markethill c.1910

Before I forget…

Issue 2 1988

“Them Times” By Sarah Savage

Jerrettspass and District By Andrew Halliday

Landlords and Tenants in Co. Armagh (text) By Joe Canning

Animals -their ailments and cures in earlier days By Ross Chapman

Mavemacullen Townland (text) By Harry O’Hare

Fourtowns Presbyterian Church By Griffith Wylie

Fairs and Assemblies in Ireland By John Lennon

“The Hirin’ Fair” By Sarah Savage

The Newry and Armagh Railway and Lissummon Tunnel By John Campbell

Before I forget…

Issue 3 1989

Local Place Names By Sean McClorey

The O’Hanlon Dynasty By Neill Mc GIenno

Taniokey By Rev. C. Scott

Pre-famine Poverty in Aghaderg By John Joe Sands

Mullabrack Parish By Rev. F. Noel

Old Banbridge By David Griffin

A Country Practice through three generations By Dr. P. Marshall

Postcard Views of Tandragee 1900 1910

Ploughmans Song

Before I forget…

Issue 4 1990

The Great War By John Campbell

The Newry Canal By M. J. Waddell

Local Architecture By John Morton

Diamond Jubilee By Sara Savage

Wells By D. Murphy and M. Savage

Collecting and Listing Postcards By D. Quail

Dreaming By Sara Savage

Local Petty Sessions By Frank Watters

Before I forget…

Issue 5 1991

The Stranger in County Armagh By Joe Canning

The “English” Language in Ireland By Sean McClory

Growing Up In The 1920’s By Bill Hanna

Edward McCaffrey’s Diary etc.Emigrants’ Letters

Three Local Schools By Griffith Wylie

The Photographs of Robert Harvey Handloom Weaving By John McAtasney

Acton and the Poet John Quin By Terry Murray

Before I forget…

Issue 6 1993

The Music of the ‘Pass By Andrew Halliday

Our Day Out (1) The Argory By Poyntzpass C. P. S.

The Late John Joe Sands By John Lennon

The House that Martin Built By J. J. Sands

Our Day Out (2) The Ulster History Park By St. Joseph’s P. S.

Walking the Line By Joe Mackle

Road Works at Mullabrack By William Quinn

Local Commercial Architecture By John Morton

Walking with Yesterday By Sodilva Murphy

Memories of the “Pass Fair Day By Sara and Minnie Savage

Growing up in the “Pass in the 30’s” By Tommy Morrow

Before I forget…

Issue 7 1994

Fairs and Markets By David Wright

An Indenture

Early Cars Poyntzpass By Poyntzpass C.P.S.

Sinton’s Mill Tandragee By Loma Quin

The Memoirs of a Hunting Man By George Bryson

The Postcards of W. J. Napier

Apple Growing in N. Armagh By Brian McGrane

The Night of the Big Wind, 1839 By Frank Watters

Dances and Fairs of Long Ago

Vikings for a Day By St. Joseph’s P. S.

The Pruntys By Griff Wylie

Members of Poyntzpass and District Local History Society

Before I forget…

Issue 8 2000

There are still some copies of Volumes 8 available costing £5 and they can also be ordered by contacting us here.

Introduction

From the Beef Shop to the Boot Shop By JohnCampbell

Spence Bryson, Co Ltd Linen Weaving Factory Markethill By Dr. P Marshall

Wills By Jimmy Clulow

Jimmy Clulow – An Appreciation1914 – 1995

We will never forget Poyntzpass By Francois Brichot

Bad Day at Magill’s Ford the Battle of Gilford By Eric McElroy

Obituaries Knights of the Road By Dympna Hamilton

Sarah Savage – An Appreciation “There must have been something in it” By Frank Watters

Acton Parish Church By Barbara Best

Acton (Old) Graveyard Headstone inscriptions (Text)

Acton Parish Churchyard (Poyntzpass) Headstone inscriptions

Before I forget…

Issue 9 2003

Cures and Charms by Frank Watters

“Are ye fer hirin’? “ by John Campbell

Charles Davis Lucas VC by Griffith Wylie

The Clog Ban or Bell of Ballinabeck by Ross Chapman

‘About the crops upon the hill’ by John Quin

All the world’s a stage by Mickey Waddell

Dolly Monroe – the famous Irish beauty by Eric McElroy

Obituaries The Christmas Rhymers

The Role of Women and Children on the Farm in the 1920s

Correspondence

Martha Randall and Acton National School

Jesse James and Ned Kelly – a local connection

Cremore Presbyterian Church 1802 – 2002

Cremore Presbyterian Churchyard, Headstone Inscriptions

Before I forget…

Issue 10 2009

The Windmill Stump – by John Campbell
Six Local Heroes – by Griffith Wylie
In Stable Byre and Sty – by Ross Chapman
St Josephs Church – by Michael Anderson
A Memorable Funeral_John Alderdice – by Jessie Kidd
The Harshaw Diaries – by Tim Ferris
Eileen Ledlie – by Barbara Best
Drumbanagher House and Gardens – by Myles Reid
The Rev. William Frederick Johnston – by Canon Michael Barton
Acton and Poyntzpass Fairs – by Frank Watters

There are still some copies of Issue 8 and 10 available costing £5 and they can also be ordered by contacting us here.

Before I forget…

Issue 11 2012

Poyntzpass and District Local History Society has launched the 11th edition of its journal ‘Before I forget’. The 100-page journal offers a range of articles covering a wide span of activities in the area and beyond. These include local sporting heroes, famous citizens of Tandragee, a tale of fraght landlord-tentant relations in Jerretspass in the 1880s. the dramatic events to St. Patrick’s Day 1869, the diary of a voyage to Australia and the rise and fall of the Inness family of Dromantine. There is also a history of local pubs, an account of medical provision locally in the days before the NHS, a selection of local dialect words from the collection of Seamus Murphy and the days when many of the essentials were delivered to the door are recalled in the John Campbell’s article entitled ‘Any sign of the bread man?’
Costing only £5 ‘Before I forget..’ represents great value and will certainly prove very popular. Copies can be ordered by contacting us here.

Any Sign of the Breadman? by John Campbell
The Words We Use by Seamus Murphy
A Local Episode in the Land War by Joe Canning
The Diary of a Ship’s Drover by Kathleen Smart
Famous Trandragonians by Gabriel McDonnell
A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Helena Gamble
The Innes Family of Dromantine by Helen Delahunty
Local Medical Provision by Deidre Graham
St Patrick’s Day 1869 by Tim Ferriss
Local Sports Stars by Frank Watters

Before I forget…

Issue 12 2013

Did you get any slaps today? by Bridhe Heron
Francis Dobbs and the Acton Volunteers by Barbara Best
Ancient Stone Monuments in South Armagh by Brian McElherron
The Murder of Alice McClory by Tim Ferris
Local Aspects of the Plantation of Ulster by Ciara Murphy
Sponge Cakes and Butter Sandwiches by Margaret Lockhart
Thomas McCreash and his Sundials by Frank Watters
Sara and Minnie Savage Memoirs – from The Pass Times
Early Quaker Records in Co Armagh by Ross Chapman
Dealing Men and Livestock Marts by Thomas McVeigh

Headstone Inscriptions:
St Joseph’s Poyntzpass
Poyntzpass Presbyterian

There are still some copies of Volumes 12 available costing £5 and they can also be ordered by contacting us here.

Before I forget…

Issue 13 2015

This edition includes the following:

The Last Voyage of the Nora by Frank Watters
The Fourtowns by Helen Delahunty
The Wedding Field by Hugh Daly
The Moores of Drumbanagher by John Campbell
Growing up in Poyntzpass before the Great War by Gertie Gleeson
Poyntzpass Ball Alley by Deirdre Graham and Frank Watters
Women at War by Helena Gamble
Blues, Pinks and Golden Wonders! by Roy Copeland
Folklore of Birds by Joe Devlin
Life at Acton House during WW2 by Betty Best
Early Medieval Archaeology in the Parish of Aghaderg by Alexander Cupples

Headstone Inscriptions:
First Drumbanagher and Jerrettspass Presbyterian Church (Old Graveyard)
First Drumbanagher and Jerrettspass Presbyterian Church (New Graveyard)

Before I forget…

Issue 14 2017

This edition includes the following:

Introduction by Hugh Daly
Mountnorris by Pamela Marshal
Some Interesting Headstones in Local Churchyards by Frank Watters
The Tall Tales of Jemmy Kinney as recalled by Robert Turner, David Baker and others
The Poyntz Family by Sean McClory
A lifetime of Farming at Acton by John Best
What the papers say about us by John Campbell
An Interview with Tommy Morrow in 1983 from The Pass Times
Markethouses in County Armagh by Brian McElherron
A Genius Architect in Poyntzpass – William J. Barre by Barbara Best
Tales from the Fourtowns as told by Lewis Smart
The Rise and Fall of the Fivey Family of Union Lodge by Hugh Daly
Headstone Inscriptions from the Fourtowns Presbyterian Church

Copies of Volume 14 are still available costing £5 and can also be ordered by contacting us here.

Before I forget…

Issue 15 2019

This edition includes the following:

Introduction by Deirdre Graham
Porter’s Shop – At the Heart of a Rural Community, by Gillian Ferris.
The Alexander Family of Acton House, by Barbara Best.
The Village Pump, by Brian McElherron.
Local Beliefs and Superstitions about Animals, by Frank Watters.
The Greenore Boating Tragedy, by George Beattie.
Mrs. Elizabeth Fisher 1921-1991, by Memories of WWII.
Clare Castle, by Hugh Daly.
Taylorstown Point-to-Point, by Edwin Bryson.
A Country House through Two Centuries, by Roy Copeland.
John Hall of Ballygorman “The Presbyterian Bishop of New York” by Rachel Magowan
My Family and the American Civil War, by Robert Morrow.
The P&DLHS, by Ross Chapman
Headstone Inscriptions – St. Mary’s Cemetery, Barr.

An index to the headstones listed in our latest magazine is available here Link to Headstone Index.

Costing £10, copies can be ordered by contacting us here.

Before I forget…

Issue 16 2021

This very latest edition includes the following:

Introduction by Roy Copeland
WWII and its Impact on the Poyntzpass Area, and some Local Memories, by Helen Delahunty and Frank Watters
Donaghmore Parish Church, by Joanne Cummins.
George H. White – Stationmaster and Musician “From Inisheer to Poyntzpass”, by Michael Anderson.
Extracts from the Journals of Lady Muriel Close – Moving into Drumbanagher 1903, by Gillian Close.
Hazley’s Well.
Obitary.
The Memoirs of Peter Campbell – “Working on the Canal”, by Peter Campbell.
“A Melancholy Transaction” – The Story of a Ploughing Match in the Fourtowns in 1835, by Roy Copeland.
The Famine and the Whyte Estate, Loughbrickland, by David Griffin.
The Bicentenary of the Newry Hunt, by Edwin Bryson.
The Reilly Family of Scarvagh House, by Helena Gamble.
St. Bartholomew’s Donaghmore – Headstone Inscriptions.

Costing just £10 ‘Before I forget..’ is a genuine bargain and is sure to be a best seller. Copies can be ordered by contacting us here.