New Bonds Glen and Kildoag local history night

The aim is to gather old photographs and accounts from local people of practices that are slowly but surely disappearing or which have sadly already disappeared.

Kildoag/Bonds Glen and the surrounding area was once renowned for its flax production though working lint dams and bleaching greens are now a thing of the past although their structures often remain.

Many people right across the North West will have fond and not so fond memories of the pivotal importance of Northern Ireland’s national plant and its contribution to the local linen industry.

Stanley says the former importance of flax production to the local economy - alongside agriculture - could not be overstated but that this is now lost on many people.

To counter this collective amnesia he hit upon the idea of a new informal local history evening saying: “It’s something I’ve been thinking about and have had an interest in. I’m coming up to 70 years of age now and like many people in the area can remember the lint dams, the threshing mills and the lime kilns. A lot of the younger generation wouldn’t have experienced that part of the life of the area. So the idea is to hold a very informal local history night, once a month, to allow people to come along and share their experiences and stories.”

So if any reader has a tale to tell about the reek of the lint dams, the brilliance of the bleaching greens, the threshing of corn or the old lime kilns or if they have a personal family or sporting history at all, they should come along to Kildoag Hall tomorrow at 8pm and bring old photos and clippings along. Goshaden native Mark Moore will provide the requisite IT expertise needed to scan and upload any archive material and the Sentinel looks forward to publishing items from the new history club in future editions.