County Antrim, Ireland Genealogy

Guide to County Antrim ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

History
As a coastal region facing Scotland, the county has some of the earliest and most continuous interaction with that country within Northern Ireland. Carrickfergus means Rock of the rock of Fergus Mór mac Eirc, one of the legendary founders of Dalriada in Argyll, which grew to become the Kingdom of Scotland. In more recent times, that migration came in the other direction, and the area became the home of a number of Ulster Scots Planters.

In ancient times, Antrim was inhabited by a Celtic people called the Darini. In the early Middle Ages, southern County Antrim was part of the Kingdom of Ulidia. who were pre-Gaelic Celts and probably related to the Picts of Britain. Between the 8th and 11th centuries Antrim was exposed to the inroads of the Norse.

In the late 12th century Antrim became part of the Earldom of Ulster, conquered by Anglo-Norman invaders. A revival of Gaelic power followed the campaign of Edward Bruce in 1315, leaving Carrickfergus as the only significant English stronghold.

During the Tudor era in the 16th century numerous adventurers from Britain attempted to colonise the region; many Scots settled in Antrim around this time. In 1588 the Antrim coast was the scene of one of the 24 wrecks of the Spanish Armada in Ireland. The Spanish vessel La Girona was wrecked off Lacana Point, in 1588 with the loss of nearly 1,300 lives. Antrim is divided into sixteen baronies.

Islandmagee had, besides antiquarian remains, a notoriety as a home of witchcraft, and during the Irish Rebellion of 1641 was the scene of an act of reprisal, for the massacre of Protestants, against the Catholic population by the Scottish Covenanter soldiers of Carrickfergus. In 1689 during the Williamite War in Ireland, County Antrim was a center of Protestant resistance against the rule of the Catholic James II. After the advance of the Irish Army under Richard Hamilton, all of County Antrim was brought under Jacobite control. Later in the year a major expedition from England landed in Belfast Lough and successfully laid siege to Carrickfergus. Having captured most of the largest towns of the area, they then marched south towards Dundalk.

The population of Antrim is roughly 618,108 people.

General County Research Information
Further information about County Antrim is available at the Genuki site.

Archives and Libraries
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) 66 Balmoral Avenue Belfast BT9 6NY Ireland E-mail Proni

General Register Office Oxford House 49/55 Chichester St Belfast BT1 4HL Ireland E-mail Proni Register of births and deaths in Northern Ireland since 1864. Marriage records from 1922 onward.

Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Colby House Stranmillis Court Malone Lower Belfast, BT9 5BJ Ireland E-mail

Civil Jurisdictions and Parish Research Information

 * List of County Antrim Civil Parishes
 * List of County Antrim Catholic Parishes

Census Records

 * 1901 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1911 - at FamilySearch — index

Church Records
Presbyterian Historical Society Church House Fisherwick Place Belfast BT1 6DW Ireland

Moravian Church 25 Church Road Gracehill Ballymena County Antrim Ireland E-mail

Religious Society of Friends 4 Magheralave Road Lisburn BT28 3BD County Antrim E-mail

Online Records
 * 1623-1866 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1701-1845 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil Registration

 * 1845-1913 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1845-1958 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Directories

 * 1880 - at FamilySearch — index, images available on FindMyPast
 * 1884 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Land and Property

 * 1831 - 1856 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Maps
1885 County Map: Courtesy of London Ancestor

Military

 * 1914-1918 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate Records

 * 1595-1858 - at FamilySearch — index

School Records

 * 1849-1858 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Societies
Family history societies often publish helpful journals, transcripts, compiled genealogies and host helpful websites. They may have ongoing projects to transcribe records and create indexes. Most societies publish queries in their journals and maintain lists of members’ research interests that may be helpful to you. You may want to join one of these societies, reap the benefits of their expertise and resources or support its efforts.

Websites

 * RootsChat Antrim Resources and Help pages. (Free).


 * FHL Favorites


 * Irish Genealogy


 * Ancestry Ireland