A special exhibition has been running throughout the past few weeks at the Carnegie Museum and Arts Centre which recognises the valuable work the society's members have carried out to help preserve memories of the disappearing years.

The exhibition will be coming to a close soon, but with both visitors from around the world and local residents coming through the doors, it has proved a valuable way of letting more people know about the society's achievements and perhaps temping them to find out more about Larne.

A special commemorative booklet has been produced in conjunction with the Mid-Antrim Museums Service to mark the anniversary, paying credit to how the society was established to ensure the community would remember a world that was about to disappear forever.

The Memories of Changing Times exhibition also gives personal accounts of Larne's changing times by members of community groups throughout the Larne area.

Larne in the 1960s were years of change, including the modernisation of the port and the redevelopment of much of the historic town centre - heralding the arrival of the town we know today.

It was with this backdrop that John Clifford and Sam Cross formed the society in 1968 to remember the past and keep the unique traditions, language and heritage of the Larne area alive.

President Sam Cross remembers that he and the late John Clifford found they had a similar interest in keeping old times alive. They had got to know each other through John's poem Larne Hirin' Fair.

He said: "In the early 50s it became very evident that many of the old customs and practices were rapidly changing and John became anxious that some attempt should be made to have a permanent record of these times before they disappeared forever. When he finally retired and settled in the Larne area he felt that there might be a dozen or so mature folk who might be iterested in this project."

Sam recalls that the idea that if any interest was shown they could meet occasionally in each other's houses. However, he said that after "a few lines in the Larne Times" inviting anyone interested to meet in the Carnegie Library on a particular evening, the response was "astounding".

"There were no houses in Larne large enough to accommodate our projected dozen. The driving force was, of course, John Clifford, a man of enormous talent and great organising ability. Thus, the Folklore Society was born and rapidly became nothing less than his life's work."

Society stalwart Liam Kelly said the group grew to a membership of around 120 people who enjoyed a full programme of monthly meetings, coach trips to places of interest in Ireland and Scotland and other events such as country teas.