History of Ballyalbany

Ballyalbany Congregation was formed around 1751, an offshoot from Cahans Church at Derryvally, Ballybay. The first minister was Rev. Dr. Thomas Clarke (1751-1764) who was ordained in the open air on 23 July 1751. However, in 1764 the Rev. Clark and 300 people, most of them members of his congregation at Cahans, set out for Narrow Water, outside Newry, boarded a ship and sailed to New York where they all landed safely to begin a new life as pioneer settlers. But thankfully it was not the end for the Ballyalbany congregation.

It was during the time of its second minister that the Ballyalbany Church meeting house was built on its current site on the edge of Monaghan town. The land where it was built had previously been owned by a Scotsman and one of the names that the estate had subsequently been known by was “Ballinalbany” which means “The mouth of the ford of the Scotsman”. Hence where the current name Ballyalbany stems from. Although now known as Ballyalbany Presbyterian Church it had been formerly known as Second Monaghan, Belanalbany and New Monaghan Secession Presbyterian Church.

If you are interested to find out more about its early history then get your hands on one of the history books that has been written, Ballyalbany Presbyterian Church,
Historical Sketch 1750-1940.