Our magazine “Before I forget…” was first published in 1987 and this year we launch the 12th edition (2013). The articles published are largely based on talks given to the society. All of the 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 and 12 available costing £5 and they 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
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
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 HarveyHandloom 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
Early Cars Poyntzpass By Poyntzpass C.P.S.
Sinton’s Mill Tandragee By Loma Quin
The Memoirs of a Hunting Man By George Bryson
Apple Growing in N. Armagh By Brian McGrane
The Night of the Big Wind, 1839 By Frank Watters
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.
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
ObituariesKnights 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
ObituariesThe Christmas Rhymers
The Role of Women and Children on the Farm in the 1920s
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
The gruesome murder in Liverpool, in 1929 of Loughbrickland-woman Alice McClory’, is recalled in the latest edition of The Poyntzpass and District Local History Society’s magazine ‘Before I forget…’ which was launched on Friday last. This is just one of a wealth of fascinating articles in this edition of the Society’s very successful journal which is sure to prove very popular with readers at home and abroad.
Owing to several prior engagements, Lord-Mayor of Armagh Councillor Robert Turner, was unable to be present at the official launch but met members of the Society earlier in the evening when he was presented with a copy of the journal by the Society’s Chairman Tim Ferriss. The Lord-Mayor said that he was sorry not to be able to attend the later function but was delighted to recommend the latest edition. He had read and thoroughly enjoyed the previous eleven editions and eagerly looked forward to reading this latest volume.
Later the magazine was launched by the Lord-Mayor’s predecessor in the office, Councillor Sharon Haughey-Grimley.
Society Chairman Tim Ferriss welcomed Councillor Haughey-Grimley and thanked her for coming. He said that the magazine, of which the Society could be very proud, was the result of a lot of work by the four members of the sub-committee. He thanked them for their efforts. He extended the Society’s gratitude to those who had researched and given talks to the Society and whose work appears now in written form. He thanked all who had helped in any way and especially the local businesses who had supported the magazine by placing adverts in it.
Councillor Haughey-Grimley thanked the society for inviting her to formally launch the magazine in the absence of the Lord Mayor. She congratulated the members on an excellent production which reflected great credit on all involved. She said that the study of local history was for many people a passion and source of great pleasure. She knew how popular previous editions had proved to be and had no doubt that Number Twelve would be equally successful.
Society member Ross Chapman said that it was difficult to express in words the ethos of the Poyntzpass Society. There rare mixture of excellent speakers, informality, humour, friendliness and interesting activities which actively involved the members. The Society was founded in 1971 and with well over 100 paid up members and an attendance at monthly lectures often exceeding 70 throughout the winter months. The production of 12 volumes was remarkable and illustrated what could be achieved when there was a mixture of camaraderie, enthusiasm and ability. The Society was lucky to have all three in abundance.
Speaking on behalf of the magazine sub-committee, Frank Watters stressed the importance of the talks given to members at the monthly meeting as a source of material for the magazine. The content of the current magazine consisted of two types of local history – that based on research of written records of one kind or another and that which was recording oral or spoken history – people’s memories of what they experienced themselves and what they had been told. The latter was the much more urgent and was an area where the Society should try to be more active.
‘Local aspects of the Plantation of Ulster’, ’Livestock Marts and Dealin’ Men’, the story of ‘The Acton and Tyrone’s Ditches Volunteers’ and ‘School-days remembered’ as well as many more varied and interesting articles. There is the text of a very interesting interview with Lissummon ladies, Sara and Minnie Savage recorded 30 years ago and the transcriptions of headstone inscriptions in St Joseph’s Poyntzpass and Poyntzpass Presbyterian churchyards, which are sure to provide hours of interesting browsing.
Over 100 pages long and costing just £5 ‘Before I forget..’ is a genuine bargain and is sure to be a best seller. Copies 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