The house is now gone, lying in hardfill somewhere on the north coast of Ireland after being demolished in 2020 to make way for the new £35million shared education facility that is to be built in its former grounds. But for many of us here in Ballycastle it will be our memories. My own memory of it is the red roof tiles and a lot of glass that was included in the building. It is of course Derganagh House. Another house in Ballycastle that had many stories to tell. The grounds of the house bordered much of the town of

Almost a forgotten family now in Ballycastle, the Belford’s were prominent characters in the civic life of the town. Their home and adjoining property still stands along the Quay Road of Ballycastle. [kmg1]  The most prominent family member in Ballycastle was William Henry Belford, with the family hailing from Co Cavan and a background in the Royal Irish Constabulary. The Belford family had roots in Ballyhaise, Co Cavan. Ballyhaise was a plantation that had been handed out through the Ulster Plantations to John Taylor of Cambridge.  It would even be what could be described as an estate village, where the

Stephen Clarke was born in Torglass to Daniel Clarke and Anne Mc Neill. He was one of at least four children, Hugh, Daniel, Mary, and Stephen. In my opinion there are more than these four as there are 16 years between Hugh and Stephen. Hugh would join the RIC which would be a common practice for young catholic men. By 1913, 86% of recruits were from the Catholic faith. In many large Catholic families of the time, it would not be unusual for some of the sons to join the police force or indeed the priesthood. The fact that Hugh