Park Parke Parkes Parks Gathering on 7 July 2024 in Northern Ireland

On 7 July 2024 in Northern Ireland , we are organising a get together of the people who are related to the descendants of the Park, Parke, Parkes and Parks (Park-e-s) families with known roots in the USA, England, Scotland and the North of Ireland. Some examples of these related families include the descendants of:

John Park born 1789 Glasgow, Scotland, died 1864 Lanarkshire, Scotland;

Joseph Parks born 1686 Manorcunningham, Donegall died 1724 Manorcunningham, Donegall, Ireland;

William Parks born 1792 in Ballybofey, Donegall, Ireland;

James Parks, born 1796 Ireland, died 1861 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA;

and

John Park died ca. 1733 in County Antrim. Descendants are thought to have originated in Ballynure Parish, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

If you are a descendant of a Park-e-s family, we would love to hear about your family history and your interest in coming to Northern Ireland in July 2024 to meet your potential relatives.

We are investigating organising day trips related to family research and day trips to visit places that are relevant to our families.

The cost of the social gathering and the day trips will be shared by the participants. Any money left over will be used to purchase DNA tests, such as from Family Tree DNA and Ancestry, to help further our understanding of how we are all related. Family Tree DNA is the lab which hosts the Park/e/s Surname DNA Project as well as our specific Park/e/s family Y-chromosome DNA study.

To express your interest to potentially come to the event, click on "Get tickets". Getting tickets is not a commitment to come; it give us, the planners, an indication of how many family members may attend. Firm numbers will be determined at a later date.

We will then contact you to ask you for some additional information to understand how your family fits into the Park-e-s family tree:

The names of the married couple who are related to Park-e-s family;

The place where your Park-e-s relation was born;

If your family has done a DNA test and on what platform(s); and

If your family has done a Y-chromosome test familytreedna.com.

If you are unsure if you are related, then please get tickets and we will try to find out.

After you have your tickets, we will use your email address to contact you to provide further information as the details of the event are developed.

We look forward to meeting you!

Deborah Parks, Carolyn Park, Belinda Park and John Park

top photo: Ballynure Old Cemetery, Ballynure Parish, County Antrim, Northern Ireland