So glad I discovered this short video. I retired last year and decided to undertake a big project to fill my time. I took a DNA test and began researching my family tree. I discovered that I'm 50% Scots, 40% Irish and 10% Scandinavian. Being born and bred in Ayrshire, South West Scotland and having lived here all of my 62 years I was surprised although not shocked by the Irish % but the Scandinavian element certainly was a bolt out of the blue. My subsequent research has uncovered links on both my paternal and maternal lines to Newtonards, Antrim and Down. They mostly left for Scotland around the mid 1860s taking the journey across the Sheugh and settling in Ayrshire and a few in Glasgow. They left their jobs as handloom weavers and took up jobs in the Iron Ore and later the coal mines that were opening at the time. The towns connection with the Vikings adds another link in the tree. The family names associated with Newtowards are Hawthorn and Steele.
so many people dont even realise that they are saying the name all wrong , it sound like i will spell it , Newtnards , thats wrong, try saying it like this spelling New town ards = Newtownards,
LOL. I'm from the Ards area, lived in Newtownards itself for part of my life.. and no-one local pronouces it as you say they should. Unless they're trying to mimic RP or something cringe like that. Most people just call it Ards.
