Antrim and Newtownabbey

Welcome to the Antrim & Newtownabbey Branch of the North of Ireland Family History Society.

A&N Branch welcomes members from around the world as well as those who live locally.

Our monthly meetings are hybrid and if you can get there we love to see you in person. For those who live too far away, you can join the meetings via Zoom so you won’t miss out!

If you have any questions about joining our Branch or would like to join one of our monthly meetings, please email the Branch using the button on the right. If that doesn’t open your email account, it might be your computer settings. You can also message us via our Contact page.

Monthly Meetings

Antrim and Newtownabbey Branch meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at 7pm from September to June.

These meetings are an opportunity for Members to hear about what is going in the Branch and in the wider Society.

Many of the meetings feature an interesting presentation given by a guest speaker.

Members of the Branch will be notified by email. Non-members are welcome too – email us to register.

Publications

“The Hidden Graveyard” records gravestone inscriptions from Graveyard No. 1 at Carnmoney Parish Church, Newtownabbey. Visit our shop to find out more.

Branch Projects

Ballyeaston 1813 Church Census DNA Project – Update June 2025

Our DNA project, based on the 1813 Ballyeaston Church Census, is making exciting progress. So far, 15 funded DNA tests have been provided to individuals with confirmed or suspected links to the 388 families listed in the census—and a few tests are still available!

We’ve successfully identified DNA descendants for around 10% of these families, a higher-than-expected result considering many lines may no longer have living descendants.

Notable discoveries include three pre-1858 wills, one of which reveals connections between three separate census families. We’ve also traced one family’s later move to Islandmagee, linking this project with ongoing research in the Islandmagee DNA Project.

Our research is publicly documented and continues to grow on WikiTree:

• Census Members
• Census Descendants

To date, 301 individuals from the 1813 census and 282 of their descendants now have WikiTree profiles.

Learn more about the project and how you might get involved:
Visit the Ballyeaston DNA Project Page

The 7 Villages of Newtownabbey

Due to be published 2025-26 Season