35 Vintage Photographs of Northern Ireland From the Late 1950s

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom that is variously described as a country, province, territory or region. Located in the northeast of the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland was created in 1921, when Ireland was partitioned by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, creating a devolved government for the six northeastern counties. The majority of Northern Ireland’s population were unionists, who wanted to remain within the United Kingdom. They were generally the Protestant descendants of colonists from Great Britain. Meanwhile, the majority in Southern Ireland (which became the Irish Free State in 1922), and a significant minority in Northern Ireland, were Irish nationalists and Catholics who wanted a united independent Ireland.

Cultural links between Northern Ireland, the rest of Ireland, and the rest of the UK are complex, with Northern Ireland sharing both the culture of Ireland and the culture of the United Kingdom. In many sports, the island of Ireland fields a single team, with the Northern Ireland national football team being an exception to this. Northern Ireland competes separately at the Commonwealth Games, and people from Northern Ireland may compete for either Great Britain or Ireland at the Olympic Games.

These vintage black and white photos from Public Record Office of Northern Ireland captured street scenes of Northern Ireland in 1958 and 1959.

High Street, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

'Grannies' Corner', Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

Bowls and Tennis Courts, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

Harbor area, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

Lighthouse and harbor, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

Regatta Day, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

Seafront and harbor, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

The Bay, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

The Inner Harbor, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

View from backing wall, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

View of Moat and Copeland Islands, Donaghadee, Co. Down, 1958

Belfast Hills, Ravarnett, Co. Down, 1959

Belvoir Park Golfcourse, Belfast, Co. Down, 1959

Bridge over River Lagan, Dromara, Co. Down, 1959

Council houses at Ballycraigy, Muckamore, Co. Antrim, circa 1959

Donegore church, Donegore, Co. Antrim, circa 1959

Fishing on the Lagan, Broomhedge, Co. Down, 1959

Headquarters of Yacht Club, Cultra, Co. Down, 1959

High Street (looking east), Antrim town, Co. Antrim, circa 1959

Housing Development, Braniel, Castlereagh, 1959

Housing Trust Estate, Cregagh, Castlereagh, Co. Down, 1959

Main Street, Ballykelly, Co. Londonderry, circa 1959

Main Street, Feeny, Co. Londonderry, circa 1959

Main Street, Saintfield, Co. Down, 1959

Market Day, Castlewellan, Co. Down, 1959

Maynard Sinclair Memorial Pavilion and playing fields, Stormont, Belfast, 1959

New housing estate, Dungannon Road, Aughnacloy, Co. Tyrone, circa 1959

Parish Church, Hillsborough, Co. Down, 1959

Portadown Road, Gilford, Co. Down, 1959

Regatta and Sports Day, Dundrum, Co. Down, 1959

Retirement home and Banbridge Hospital, Co. Down, circa 1959

Roundtower, Drumbo, Co. Down, 1959

The 'Cut', Newry Street, Banbridge, Co. Down, circa 1959

Trade Exhibition Parade, Ballynahinch, Co. Down, 1959

Upper Main Street, Dungiven, Co. Londonderry, circa 1959