Belfast historians hear Ballycarry’s unique heritage

The extremely wet weather last Thursday meant that members of North Belfast Historical Society did not get to walk through the historical Templecorran cemetery, but spirits were definitely not dampened!

The 25-strong group was instead hosted in the village community centre and given a talk on the unique history of Ballycarry and some of the historical figures associated with it by Dr. David Hume, community association chairman, assisted by Janice King.

The group heard about the early Christian heritage of the area as well as the Scottish legacy handed down by men such as Rev Edward Brice, the first Presbyterian minister in Ireland.

The visitors were enthralled with the townland banners which hang in the community centre and also the exhibition on James Orr, the foremost of the Ulster Weaver Poets.

There was also an informed discussion on Ulster Scots language in the area, with some of those from the Historical Society reflecting on their own understanding of Ulster Scots words from Counties Antrim and Down.

The Talks n’ Tours programme was devised to highlight the unique heritage of the area to historical and community groups and literature and marketing for it have been funded through the Community Leadership Programme of the International Fund for Ireland.