The burial grounds in Antrim and Carrickfergus include the graves of people from all walks of life. Some of these places of interment date back to the medieval period, e.g. St Nicholas’s Church in Carrickfergus, Kilroot and Muckamore, but others were established in more recent times. Burial grounds adjoining Catholic and Presbyterian places of worship rarely date from before the early nineteenth century. However, one of the earliest graveyards associated with a Presbyterian meeting house in Ireland is that adjoining the former Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church in Antrim; several memorials in this burial ground date from the second half of the 1700s.
While most of the memorials are fairly plain in appearance, the headstone to Henry Canning in Milltown graveyard, featuring a carving of a winged cherub, is interesting for its use of folk art. A number of headstones feature coats-of-arms, while a badly weathered stone in St Nicholas’s churchyard in Carrickfergus has a carving of a hand holding scales. The graves of people involved in the 1798 Rebellion can be found, alongside those who were involved in farming, business and industry. The inscriptions on some stones take us across the globe as they record the deaths of family members who died overseas.
The research formed the basis of the second stage of the project, which involved the production of two booklets and the creation of an exhibition to inform local people and visitors of the importance of burial grounds as heritage assets. On 1 May 2019 the Foundation’s Research Director, Dr William Roulston, spoke in Carrickfergus Museum at the launch of the exhibition, which included artefacts from a number of churches in Carrickfergus. On 1 October William spoke at the equivalent launch in Clotworthy House, Antrim.