Aghalee Parish Heritage Project

18/12/2025

Aghalee Parish is pleased to acknowledge receipt of a grant of £24.5k; being the final instalment of a total grant of £185,400 awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund for Aghalee Parish Heritage Project (2018 - 2025). Over the last 7 years, this grant-funding has made possible a Heritage Project of total value ~£280k - of which £227k ensured the restoration of Holy Trinity Church, Soldierstown; while the balance enabled us to share our heritage through a wide-ranging program of talks and concerts, a website, a heritage book & leaflets, information panels, and training of volunteers.
Aghalee Parish Heritage Project was made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund; thanks to National Lottery players.

03/12/2025

Aghalee Parish are coming to the end of our Heritage Project which has been running since 2018; made possible with Heritage Fund - thanks to National Lottery players.
To help us evaluate the whole Project, could we ask you to offer 'Two Stars and a Wish' … Please take a moment to complete our Google-Form (click link below - only 3 questions!) ...
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf8eSsQRlZk_9rx3voBeoS3zVnaYNsu2tEW8xJRWlcY5hLyMg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=111740673459169304295
Along the way, the project has included ... the restoration of Holy Trinity Church; a series of heritage talks, concerts & open days; a weekend heritage festival and other events; production of a website, leaflets, our heritage book and information display panels; also training volunteers to welcome visitors, share parish history and help with genealogical research ... and much more.
If you can't complete the form - even a short comment below is helpful. Thank you!

25/09/2025

During our Heritage Project, many items were collected in to be used as part of our various heritage displays - pictures & photos, books, magazines, reports and leaflets etc..
Thank you to everyone who donated such items as part of our ever-growing heritage archive. These items are now being stored away as a historical record of parish life.
However - if you handed over something which was intended as a loan (rather than donated to the parish), please speak to the rector asap so that the item(s) can be returned to you.

08/09/2025

Unfortunately, we are unable to open Holy Trinity Church for EHOD 2025 - due to on-going work in and around the church running a little behind schedule. However, there are lots of other Heritage sites to visit this weekend ...
https://www.facebook.com/LoveHeritageNI

The official Facebook channel of the Historic Environment Division (HED), part of Department for Communities (). Protecting and promoting NI’s historic monuments.

08/09/2025

07/06/2025

We're grateful to Lucinda Rea Lawson for sending this picture of a sampler made by one of her ancestors at Aghalee Parish School 1854.

11/12/2024

As part of our Heritage Project, our final information panel has now been erected at the Soldierstown car park, on the Lagan Navigation towpath. We're glad to share our Heritage with those walking the Broadwater. Thanks to Larry Donaghey for all his work seeing this project through to completion.

22/11/2024

GETTING STARTED WITH FAMILY HISTORY
Tuesday 26th November, 7:30pm in the Youth Hall at Soldierstown Church.
Gillian Hunt of the Ulster Historical Foundation will give a talk on the topic - ‘Getting started with family history’.
Gillian will share information and point us to resources that can help in genealogical research. If you have ever wondered about your family roots, or tried to trace your family tree, then this information evening may help you to shed light on the subject .
All welcome - invite a friend.

08/11/2024

Great concert this evening with Live Issue. Thanks to Colin, Ivan, Sam & Carl ... and everyone who attended ... and all our wonderful helpers.

08/11/2024

HERITAGE TALKS
Our most recent Heritage Talk in now available on our website - Simon Walker talks about the life and work of Bishop Jeremy Taylor.
Just click the following link to listen again to our Heritage Talks ...
https://aghalee.dromore.anglican.org/about-the-heritage-project/heritage-talks/

10/10/2024

Just another means by which we're sharing the heritage of Aghalee Parish with 1000 online visitors!