The decade was a time of great social and economic change across Northern Ireland, and Ballymena was no different.
Join us in our time machine as we leave 2025 and head back to Ballymena in the 1980s – let us know which photos surprised you the most.
5. Life in 1980s Ballymena
Built in the 1930s, the State Cinema was a fixture in the town for decades before it was replaced in 1998 by the IMC multiplex. The Ballymoney Road building was later demolished in 2006. Photo: Old Photos of Ballymena
6. Life in 1980s Ballymena
Along with Michelin tyre plant, Gallaher's tobacco factory was a key employer in the Ballymena area for decades before both closed down in the 2010s. Workers are pictured here leaving the factory in the 1980s. Photo: Old Photos of Ballymena
7. Life in 1980s Ballymena
A view of Bryan Street in the 1980s, with the sign for The Globe Bar visible and an older frontage on Wyse Byse. Photo: Old Photos of Ballymena
8. Life in 1980s Ballymena
A view towards Bridge Street, thought to have been taken some time in the early 80s. Photo: Old Photos of Ballymena