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WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE NAME "HANNAHSTOWN"? When the linen industry was established in Ulster in the early 18th century Lisburn and surrounding districts drew many families to reside in the countryside around Hannahstown. Hannahstown got its name from the fact that seven families with the name Hanna resided there. In those days this district was more densely populated than it is today. One could look up at the hills and see small cottages occupied by skilled craftsmen working in the linen trade. They would till their patches of ground around their dwellings. Before the construction of a church mass was said wherever possible. There are many mass rocks located in Colin's Glen and a family named Steele kept the sacred vessels and vestaments for the priests. In 1826 John McGance of Suffolk, a Presbyterian landowner gave the then Parish Priest of Hannahstown Fr Charles Hendron and acre of ground to enlarge the graveyard together with £20 towards a new church......... (THIS EXTRACT TAKEN FROM THE BOOK: "A HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF ST.JOSEPH'S, HANNAHSTOWN" PRINTED BY ULSTER JOURNALS LTD)
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THE ORIGINAL ST JOSEPH'S CHURCH AND PAROCHIAL HOUSE
The Hamill mausoleum at St Joseph's RC church, Hannahstown. Worship began in this area around land consecrated by a Fr Hugh O?Donnell in 1797. Land here was donated by a wealthy Catholic landowner called John Hamill - he originally donated one acre of land to be used as a cemetery; his wife Hannah later donated money for a small schoolhouse which was also used as the church (it is likely that the area became known as "Hannah's Town" as a result of this).
Footage never shown publicly of 11 coffins in a crypt. The wealthy Hamill family almost 200 years ago donated money to the Church. Their family grave was broken into and disturbed. Consequently a body is exposed to the open air. Also: gravestones with Celtic crosses and the new Columbarium plot.
The Hamill family have an impressive mausoleum in the churchyard. Some thirty years later St Joseph's was erected here on land donated gratuitously by John McCance, a liberal-minded Protestant landowner of the district. The stone nave on the left is part of the original building which was extensively renovated in 1998.
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