Moses Paul 1755-1826 and his sons John I and Moses Paul

Did your Paul family live in Elgany or Knockanully? If so, I have come across them before. They were Presbyterian and attended Broughshane 1st church. There's still a Paul descendant living there, on the family farm. I saw her on local TV a few years back when someone from Canada tracked her down and asked her about the family, and for some reason it was filmed. (Her knowledge really only went back 3 or 4 generations. They might have got a DNA sample but I don't think they made much real progress).

You ask whether their ancestry would have been Irish or Scottish. Almost certainly Scottish, in my opinion. They lived in Co Antrim. Literally half the population of that county came from Scotland. Your family was Presbyterian. The Scots brought Presbyterianism to Ireland. It was unknown in Ireland before that. And your family had a name commonly found in Scotland, So you have 3 pointers indicating Scottish ancestry. Whilst Ireland as a whole is predominently Roman Catholic, Co. Antrim is an exception. Even today the majority are Presbyterian.  Some 200,000 Scots moved to Ireland during the 1600s, representing something like 20% of the entire Scottish population. Some came in the early 1600s as part of a Plantation and settlement arrangement. Others came in the 1690s because of famine in Scotland. So, statistically, your family are likely to have arrived in the 1600s. It's only about 25 or 30 miles from the Ayrshire coast to Skerry. They didn't have far to come.

You ask how to take the research back further. The answer is with great difficulty. There are no church records for that period and few other records of any use. You will probably find it difficult,

Dot,

Griffiths Valuation for 1862 lists a William Paul in Rathkenny. He had plot 8a which was a farm labourer’s cottage on James Thompson’s farm. The cottage was noted as “down” in 1882 indicating it had been demolished or collapsed.

You say that William died in 1866. There is a death that fits that on 26th Jan 1866, registered in Ballymena, aged 86. You can view the original certificate on-line on the GRONI website, using the “search registrations” option:

https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk

You will need to open an account and buy some credits. It costs £2.50 (sterling) to a view a certificate.

I don’t see a gravestone listed for William anywhere but I wouldn’t be surprise d if he’s buried in Broughshane 1st Presbyterian graveyard. There is this grave there which includes a Moses, one of the names you enquire about:

Erected, by, Moses Paul, Lisbreen, in memory of his beloved wife Nancy Paul who died 12th April 1899 aged 63 years Also their children Robert, died 22nd April 1888 David died 30th Jan 1897 aged 25 years and the above named Moses Paul who died 28th Nov 1900 aged 85 years And Margaret McClintock wife of Archibald Paul died 4th March 1935, aged 71 Also his son Archibald Paul died 12th June 1936 aged 73 Also his grandson Robert Paul died 5th April 1985 aged 78 years 'Death is swallowed up in Victory' 1st Cor XV.54

There is someone in Lanark, Ont, who has been researching these families. I’ll pass him a message and hopefully he’ll get in touch with you.