County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is situated in the northeast coast of Ireland. It is bordered by a 13 mile wide channel which separates the Torr Head from the Scottish coast. Major towns are Carrickfergus, Ballymena, Lisburn, Ballycastle, Larne and the city of Belfast. Lough Neagh, the largest of all the lakes in Ireland, is situated in County Antrim.

County Antrimn in Northern Ireland is steeped in the rich history of its Celtic origin. It was originally named Dalriada and was the territory of the O'Neills. Other Gaelic families included the McQuillans and O'Quinns. The thirteenth and fourteenth centuries saw the migration of Scottish settlers, including the McDonnells, Bissels, MacNeills and McAllisters.

Researching Your Ancestors

County Antrim is divided into parishes and these parishes incorporate a number of townlands. Knowing the parish or townland your ancestor came from will greatly assist you in your research.

Parishes and Townlands in County Antrim

PRONI provides a list Parishes in County Antrim with a map showing the location of each of these parishes. Each parish is linked to a list of townlands within that parish. A great resource!

A complete list of all the Townlands in County Antrim can also be found on the PRONI website.

Church Records

Church records are of particular value to anyone interested in tracing their family tree. They usually contain the registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, many of which pre-date civil registration. For more information please read PRONI's Family Tree Series: 3 Church Records.

Many church baptisms and marriages, as well as some civil registrations are available online at Emerald Ancestors and/or Irish Genealogy.

Civil Registration

Civil Registers for births and deaths (from 1864) and registers of marriages (from 1845) for Northern Ireland are held by the General Registry Office (GRO). For more information please read PRONI's Your Family Tree Series: 25 General Register Office.

An index of Ireland Civil Registration including births, 1864-1958, marriages, 1845-1958, and deaths, 1864-1958 - is now available online. Search the Ireland Civil Registration Index.

Many civil registrations (as well as church baptisms and marriages) are available online at Emerald Ancestors and/or Irish Genealogy.

Census Records

The 1901 and 1911 Census of Ireland is now available online.

For information about Census records prior to this time, please read PRONI's Your Family Tree Series: 5 Census Records: Nineteenth Century and Your Family Tree Series: 6 Census Substitutes: Eighteenth And Nineteenth Century.

Recommended Reading:

Tracing Your Northern Irish Ancestors by Ian Maxwell	Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors by William J Roulston
Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History by James G Ryan	PRONI Information Leaflets

Historical Societies in Co Antrim

• North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS)
• Ulster Historical Foundation
• East Belfast Historical Society
• Ballyclare & District Historial Society
• Larne and District Historical Society
• Ballymoney Ancestry
• Carrickfergus and District Historical Society
• The Glens of Antrim Historical Society
• Federation for Ulster Local Studies
• Presbyterian Historical Society