Foreword to Bulletin No. 1 of Craigavon Local History Society

by Rev B J Dean Mooney

Review

Journal of Craigavon Historical Society

Bulletin No. 1 - Apr 1968

The Craigavon History Society was launched at a meeting held in the College of Technology, Lurgan, in April 1967.

In the course of the meeting it transpired that the people present were interested not only in History, in the strict sense, but also in a wide variety of kindred subjects e.g. Archaeology, Folk Life, Place-names, to mention only three. It was agreed that the Society should cast its net wide enough to embrace all these interests. Before it was long in being, the Committee of the Society had a priority thrust upon it.

We realised that the development of the New City would involve the destruction of many features that enshrine some phases of our local history and that give the local landscape its present character; and it was felt that something should be done, immediately, to preserve for posterity, at least by record, as many as possible of the characteristic features of the landscape as it now is.

To this end, a number of groups were formed among our members and to each group was given the task of making a detailed survey of one or more of those townlands that are "threatened" by development in the immediate or near future. These groups have done and are still doing an excellent job.

Some of the fruits of their labours will be seen in this Bulletin. By all accounts it is a labour they delight in. A great deal of work along these lines still remains to be done and we should be glad to enlist other members that are prepared to take an active part in it.

We wish to thank the principal of the Lurgan College of Technology for having provided us with a convenient meeting-place during the year and also the staff of the Craigavon Development Commission for their interest and active help in the work we have undertaken.

Chairman.