Family History

A PLOUGHING MATCH POEM BY HUGH McKlSICK A BALLINLEA POET

by

  Colm J. Donnelly:- Hugh McKisick (1872—1946), native of Ballinlea, lived with his brother William (1871—1935) on a small farm. Those who remember him describe him as a man of large stature, with a keen wit, who was always prepared to see the humorous side of any situation. Neither he nor his brother married, and … Read more

GLENARM FRIARY AND THE BISSETS by Hector Mc Donnell

by

    Documentary material for any of the Third Order Franciscan friaries in Ireland is scanty, and so we are fortunate in having a fair amount of information about the one at Glenarm. I think it would be helpful to say first a little about the development of this order. St. Francis of Assisi founded … Read more

ALTERATION OF FAMILY NAMES IN THE GLENS By BRIAN. S. TURNER

by

In the glens, as elsewhere in Ireland the principal driver in changing the spelling or pronunciation of names has been the loss of the Irish language by the people. This process began with people who spoke English attempting to spell the names of those who spoke Irish and whose names were part of that language. … Read more

Patrick Adair of Cairncastle

by

From the time of his arrival at Cairncastle in 1646 till his death in Belfast forty-eight years later, Patrick Adair played a major role, as pastor, negotiator, and chronicler, in the fluctuating fortunes of the Irish Presbyterian Church. Because of his deep and active concern for the welfare of that Church – still in his … Read more

The Family of Fleming

by

It is a “brave step” from the hill of Slane in County Meath to Anticur, near Dunloy in County Antrim, but those two places are linked in an interesting way in the history of the family of Fleming, Barons of Slane. As would seem obvious, the word “Fleming” denotes an inhabitant of Flanders and it … Read more

The Mc Neills of Cushendun and the Mc Neiles of Ballycastle

by

In this article, which is based largely on the family memoirs of the late Lord Cushendun, I am not offering any original research nor presenting information that is not known. My purpose is to introduce to you two closely inter-related families who were Glens people by birth, local gentry in their areas and persons of … Read more