NEWS

Ballymena Churchyard Trails Booklet - exploring the heritage of rural churchyards

01 October 2014

The two trails covered by this publication highlight the significant heritage of selected ecclesiastical sites; one trail focuses on sites of pre-Reformation origin and the second trail on Covenanter (Reformed Presbyterian Church) sites.  The aim of this project is to support rural communities by facilitating intra-village links across the Borough and promoting local heritage tourism. 

Graveyards covered in this pocket-sized booklet include (Old) Ahoghill, Dunaghy (Clough), Kirkinriola, Skerry, Racavan, St Saviour's (Connor) and Ballyclug.  The Covenanter Trail covers the Reformed Presbyterian Churches at Kellswater and Cullybackey, the Alexander Peden Memorial and the Laymore Conventicle site.  

These booklets are free.  Copies are currently available from the TIC, The Braid, Bridge Street and from the Mid-Antrim Museum (please email Noreen to obtain your copy (noreen.mullan@ballymena.gov.uk) and, from the end of October, from this website (www.thebraid.com/musuem).

To launch the publication of the trails, Mid-Antrim Museum has organised a public talk on local pre-Reformation sites, to be held in AHOGHILL COMMUNITY CENTRE on WEDNESDAY 8 OCTOBER at 7PM.  You are welcome to attend, please RSVP by Tuesday 7 October by emailing Noreen on noreen.mullan@ballymena.gov.uk.

The ‘Ballymena Churchyard Trails’ project is being delivered by Mid-Antrim Museum (Ballymena Borough Council) and is funded by the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme.