Donaghcloney Old Graveyard
This old graveyard is situated on a mound above the River Lagan. It's clear to see that the site was once a reasonably large ring fort, well sited just above the river. The previously circular site was altered by the building of the road. The oldest known gravestone dated from 1707, but many of the oldest stones are sadly no longer obvious or legible. The following inscriptions are or were on headstones in the graveyard. Photos of headstones follow beneath.
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Finding Connections
About Us
ABC Family History Association is all about making connections! Our members usually have some connection with the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) council area or Northern Ireland itself, whether they live there or their family came from there, no matter how long ago. We run family history courses to teach people how to find the connections between us and know who our ancestors were, where they came from, what they did and how they lived. We offer regular talks workshops and visits. Members can also take part in projects to use those skills and share results. We love to welcome those from overseas to our area and help them get the most from their trip to their ancestral homeland!
Join Us
You can join ABC Family History Association as an Online Member who can enjoy our web page, online talks, family history courses and workshops and start or take part in projects, or you can take out one of our local Membership categories for individuals, couples and students who can also attend events we organise in Northern Ireland, which will be well publicised on this page. Organisations who support our purposes can take out a Corporate Membership. Come and join us!
Article Contributed by Member FM10
News!
Stay in the Know
Updated ABC Programme Sept 2021 - February 2022
Brackagh Photography Project - Book now published!
All orders have now been fulfilled but you can still order this 130 page plus book.
Details are here.
Below is a photograph of Donna Fletcher, one of our members, presenting Jackie McIlroy with a hardback copy of the book. Jackie gave us permission to use the glass plate negatives for our project and we know he is very pleased with the outcome.
New Family Research Section in Members Only Area
This new section is designed to enable members share their research within our member community, with the hope that it will assist others in their own research. We are therefore looking for contributions to this section from our members, however short or long. The first shared research comes all the way from Karen, a member in Australia, whom we thank for her contribution, ably assisted by her cousin in London!
The Taylor Family of Derrycory - available in our Members Only area
Karen has also sent us another great piece of research - the identification of over 50 members of the Taylor family who are buried in Grave 350 at Drumcree Church of Ireland
Grave 350 at Drumcree Church of Ireland - available in our Members Only area
Don't Overlook Books!
We have a new page in our Members Only area - one of our members has written a piece about what we can find in old books to help us in our family research. She has begun to transcribe the Appendices from Captain Richard Linn's 'History of Banbridge' - Appendix 1 lists the tenants from Ballyvally in the 1700s and there are 16 more Appendices to come. Maybe one of your ancestors is there? Members can access this new resource by clicking HERE. Many thanks to Evelyn for this great new and unique resource! Update: Appendix 2 now available!
Articles by Members
Here we print articles of interest contributed by our members:
Activities
ABC Family History Association is buzzing!
SHORT COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
Educational
ABC Family History Association organises short family history courses and workshops from 30 minute online courses to 1 day face-to-face courses, open to all but with lots of free courses for members. We also offer bespoke courses to other organisations for their members. There are courses for beginners and more advanced researchers and we love to help young people gain the skills to take the first steps in finding out about their family history.
REGULAR HYBRID TALKS
Using the Technology
ABC Family History Association
offers regular hybrid talks, where some members can be in Bleary Business and Community Centre and others can join them for the talk through Zoom. Our talks cover a wide range of topics in family and social history and are delivered by experts in Northern Ireland, across the UK and further afield and also by our own members. We generally have around 8 hybrid talks per year.
Our Programme is on the news page. Join us to find out more!
RESEARCH SUPPORT
One-to-One Support
With this initiative, ABC Family History Association's goal is to help you with your family research. This may be through advice regarding the next steps to take, suggesting taking a family history course, showing how to use various web sites, assisting with presentation of research - including topping up the necessary computer skills. Request an hour of personal support from one of our volunteers and in return please consider a small additional donation to our funds.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Building a Community
Local research projects in which ABC Family History Association members can participate are a great way of finding out how we connect and can lead to improved understanding and better community relations. A project may be building your own family tree, trying to break down a 'brick wall' in your family tree, doing a One Place Study, a DNA project, transcribing church records and lots more, and we love to work alongside other organisations in local projects.
VISITS AND
TOURS
Fun Trips!
ABC Family History Association organises visits to a variety of places within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Trips may be short local visits to a museum or heritage centre, for example, or a local guided walking tour. We may also venture further afield. In June each year we hope to offer a Saturday trip, culminating in a meal together, for which additional payment would be required. This enables members to spend quality time together, and enjoy a new place.
ENCOURAGING DNA TESTING
Using the Science
ABC Family History Association encourages you to consider the DNA testing which is now available from many different companies. DNA results can help to break down your 'brick walls' in research and find new family members, helping to connect us all. We explain the different DNA tests available, where to upload your DNA, help you to consider the implications of what you might find out and run courses to assist with the analysis of your DNA results. Join us to find out more!
Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon
Borough Council Area
This is our Gallery of Members' Images of the ABC area.
Click on an image to 'like' it!
Email us your own images if you'd like to have them featured here
We'd love to show members' photos of places in ABC in our Gallery - please make sure you own the copyright of the image and email it with details to abcfhasec@gmail.com
