Places of Interest in Ireland
“Each person’s intimate homeland is where the tomb of his ancestor’s lie." - Benjamin Vicuna McKenna
The purpose of this page is to provide information about historic sites that may be of interest to McKenna family members while in Ireland.
McKenna Country, County Monaghan - Emyvale Area
These are some of the most significant sites tied to our McKenna Clan history,
Old Donagh Graveyard - McKenna Cross 12th Century
3-Ringed Fort and Crannog - Tully
Belfast
These are some of the places in Belfast that were significant to Hugh and Mary McKenna and their family.
Walking Tours
These walking tours will introduce you to some of the most significant locations related to our family history in Belfast.
The Black Taxi Tours take you to locations of interest related to the "Troubles". You will visit many of the same locations where our ancestors lived - See Walking tours #3 and #4.
Explore the beautiful gardens around the castle. A beautiful 4.5 mile hike to the top of Cave Hill gives you a birds-eye view of Belfast.
This beautiful garden may be of historical interest as it was the site of large open air revival meetings during the Spiritual Revival of 1859.
This museum may be of interest as John McKenna (1840-1911) was a master painter and was hired to paint the gold gilding in the state rooms of the Titantic.
(Public Records of Northern Ireland)
This is the best location for historical records in Belfast.
C.S. Lewis was was born and raised in east Belfast. This trail will take you to C.S. Lewis Square and places that inspired the young C.S. Lewis.
This mill is where Ellen Singleton and her family may have worked. They lived at 12 North Howard Street, 1/2 block away.
The Museum is a collection of artifacts relating to the Republican struggle from 1798 to the Troubles.
This Victorian Era prison was built between 1853 and 1845. The first recorded escape was in 1866.
Troubles Tour (see map)
This is the neighborhood where Thomas and Sarah McKenna lived in 1869.
This is the oldest library in Belfast and the leading centre for "Irish and Local Studies" in Northern Ireland, including collections devoted to genealogy.
Opened in 1774 by Belfast Charitable Society, the building was used until the late 1880s as Belfast’s Poor House.
Across the street to the South, was the location of the Lying-In Hospital where Thomas and Sarah McKenna's twins were born in 1866.
Origins - Before Belfast
Here are the maps of specific locations our family lived prior to moving to Belfast.
McKenna's in Clogher, County Tyrone
This is where Hugh and Mary McKenna lived prior to moving to Belfast near the end of the Potato Famine.
Singleton's in Mullaghbrack, County Armagh
This is where Robert and Ellen Singleton lived prior to moving to Belfast.