The Art Bible story originated as a Facebook post in early October 2020 by Lyn Forde on a popular group. Within hours, the post was acknowledged by 809 members with 206 comments being made. Lyn made contact with BBC Radio Ulster presenter Kerry McLean and the story was presented the following week in a 15-minute segment on her radio show. The segment ended with Kerry reading out an offer from History Hub Ulster to “Lyn and John to write an article”.
When Lyn Forde from Portadown one day spied a novel in a charity shop window which she cared to purchase, little did she know this notion set the wheels in motion leading to a voyage of discovery being aired on Radio Ulster and terminating at a cemetery in Warrenpoint on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
The Belfast Banking Company opened their branch in Warrenpoint in 1914. In 1970 the branch was rebranded as Northern Bank (Belfast Bank Branch). Danske Bank trading as Northern Bank closed the branch in 2013. Following a few years of redevelopment, the building is soon to go on the market as retail space and 2 apartments upstairs. This article presents the history of the building through historical maps, newspaper clippings, ledgers and photographs.