The First Donegore Story

The history of the village of Parkgate in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, stretches over four centuries. Beginning with the Scottish Settlement of the of the Six Mile Water valley, it has continued through the momentous events of the 1641 Rebellion, the rising of 1798 and the upheavals of the 20th Century. From the Ulster Covenant against Home Rule to the emergence of Northern Ireland, it is the history of a people and their community. For many generations that community has centered on the historic Presbyterian congregation known as First Donegore, and the story of the Parkgate Presbyterians is a microcosm of Ulster history from the 1600s to 2000. Many ministers have tended First Donegore over the years, and several of them are significant figures in Irish Presbyterian history. This book tells their stories, and the stories of many members of their flocks: their travels, their battles and the impact they had on the wider world.