The Great Fire of Ballyshannon and More

The Great Fire of 1849 burned most properties up the hill in Market Street. The fire was eventually stopped at Stephen's Cloth Hall which survived. This is the location of Sean Óg premises today.

28th April 2020.  Today a look at the  fire which nearly destroyed much of the town and many other fires in more modern times.Looking back  in today's blog at some of the fires which devastated parts of the town, the presence of a local fire service has undoubtedly saved lives and property. 

29th April 2020. Cures from Bygone Days in the Ballyshannon Area.

Ballyshannon had a fire engine 170 years ago, and but for the presence of this engine, across the road from the present fire station, the northern side of the  town would probably have been burned to the ground, on this Sunday 5th August 169 years ago. People can remember some of the fires of days past and were always quick to acknowledge the presence of a local fire brigade, be it military, voluntary or supported by the state. It would be most regrettable if the fire station closed, because for many people its presence gives them peace of mind, a sense of security and continuity of a service which they had for many years.. Looking back at some of the fires which devastated parts of the town, the presence of a local fire service has undoubtedly saved lives and property. Towns like Ballyshannon, which have suffered much economic deprivation, need support from local authorities and the state, to halt the decline of services and to indicate that their communities are not forgotten.

The Worst Fire Ever in Ballyshannon in 1849

The fire of 1849 in Market Street was probably the worst fire ever seen in Ballyshannon and is a reminder that much of the housing stock in the town has been altered by fire and clearances. When we look at a streetscape in Ballyshannon today it is important to remember that, at one time, many of the houses were thatched and an outbreak of fire could cause widespread devastation. In 1849 Ballyshannon hadn’t got a fire brigade although there was a barrack engine at the military barracks beside the bridge which was used to stop the spread of fire. (This barracks built in 1700 still stands opposite the bus depot). People were just after leaving places of worship on Sunday 5^th August 1849 when the fire started. It must have been a shocking scene for those leaving mass in St. Patrick’s Church which was very close to the outbreak of the fire. In those days people met up with friends and neighbours and stood around after mass, talking about the week’s news. The military had just passed through the town on their way back from church and as they reached the barrack gates at the bridge, they saw a vast body of smoke further up the hill, above Castle Street. They put away their guns, got on their fatigue clothes and quickly got the barrack’s fire engine into working order.

    The fire of 1849 happened after mass on Sunday 5th August  just
        around the corner from the church and coincidentally
this Sunday is also a 5th of August.

Fire Spreads Rapidly in Market Street

The fire started around 2 o’clock in the afternoon at the premises of William Boner of Market Street who had a tannery at the back of his house. Local people rushed to help and carried water to dampen the fires; horses and carts were also used to bring water to the scene. Several adjoining houses which were thatched caught fire and in a matter of minutes were enveloped in flames. When the military arrived at the scene the fire was spreading like wildfire and 3 dwelling houses were in flames. Worse still sparks lit houses on the opposite side of the street and in less than half an hour three more houses were in flames. The barrack engine under the command of Captain Stanley and Lieutenant Hogan of the 57^th Regiment arrived promptly on the scene. Local police under Sub-Inspector Charles Haydon and Head Constable McCartney and the Revenue police under Captain Scott and Sub-Lieutenant Mc Fadden did their utmost to stop the fire spreading. They were assisted by artillery men, sappers and miners stationed in the town.

 The houses in the photo were on the Back Street  in Ballyshannon

and the houses which burned  in 1849 were mostly similarly thatched

 further down the same street.

Local Heroes

As well as the military and local people mentioned above who put their lives at risk to stop the spread of the fire, one man gets special mention for his role. P. Hoffman was a guest in Cockburn’s Hotel which was on the Main Street opposite the present Dorrian’s Imperial Hotel. He climbed onto the burning roofs and pulled off thatch and bravely went from house to house until all houses in danger were stripped of thatch. Fr. Coyle of St. Patrick’s Church (a relative of Francie Coyle, a well- known County Council official in Ballyshannon in recent times) and Rev. Tredennick of St. Anne’s Church were to the fore in carrying water to the fire engine. Rev. Tredennick was a member of the family who owned Camlin Castle. Fr. McMenamin, a curate in St. Patrick’s Church, was also courageously involved in stripping the burning roofs of the houses. Every person present young and old helped in a great community effort to save the town. It was feared that the entire town on the northern side of the Erne would be destroyed. However the fire was contained but the result was that at least nine houses were unroofed in the Market Street area and the rear sheds and office houses of ten or twelve more were destroyed. The smoke of the fire was visible from miles away and was even visible from the sand banks at Bundoran, a distance of three miles. 

Market Street a busy shopping street 170 years ago

The people who occupied the houses which were destroyed in the Market Street area included: Mr. Michael Gavigan, grocer, Mr. William Boner, tanner, Mr. Michael McGowan, auctioneer, Mr. William McVity, publican, Mr. Martin McGowan, baker, Mr. Thomas McGowan, baker, Mr. Hugh McManus, butcher, Mrs. Fitzsimon, lodgings house keeper and  Mr. P. McGrath, butcher. It is interesting to note that all of the premises destroyed on Market Street were commercial premises. The premises of William Stephens, woollen drapers, in Market Street had a fortunate escape as the house next door was burned to the ground. Luckily the police and military fire engines had just got the fire under control by this stage. Today Sean Óg’s bar occupies the premises where William Stephen’s had his Cloth Hall in 1849. None of the destroyed houses were insured. The fire of 1849 had serious consequences for the families involved but as it took place in daylight there were no fatalities.

Many of the houses in Market Street would have been damaged or destroyed. Quite a few would have been thatched. The fire affected both sides of the street. Residents today who check their deeds may find property built in the 1850s

A meeting of the Town Commissioners on the following Monday proposed a vote of thanks to the military, constabulary and volunteers for their efforts in extinguishing the fire of 1849. There have been occasional fires in recent years but, thanks to better fire prevention and the presence of  a local  fire service,  these fires have not caused devastation like the fire of 1849. 

Four Thatched Houses Destroyed by Fire at Slate Row 1951
On the 16^th of April 1951 four of the last thatched houses in Ballyshannon were destroyed by fire at Slate Row. The fire started about 4.30 at the chimneystack on the thatch of the end house. The flames were fanned by a strong diagonal wind which quickly spread across the roofs of the four houses. Workers engaged at the construction of Cluain Barron and employees of the County Donegal Railways, nearby, rushed to the scene and attempted to assist with buckets of water. The local volunteer fire-fighters under Mr. P. O’Doherty, town clerk, and Mr. T. Doherty, town surveyor, tried valiantly to quell the blaze. Fire-fighting units arrived from Sligo, Ballintra and Donegal Town but the blaze had done its worst. Local people such as the McMahon family of Station House and. Seamus Cleary and John Rooney did valiant work in assisting at the scene. The families who were sadly rendered homeless by the fire were John Parks and family, John Kerrigan, Bridget Gallagher and Margaret Mulharter. 

Local Business Premises burned in the 20th Century
In any study of the architecture of the town it should be recognised that there have been countless changes such as destruction by fire and demolition (or reconstruction) of older buildings. Since the 1930s, fires to commercial premises have included “The Donegal Democrat” buildings in Castle Street (now Fenton’s Electrical shop), John McGonigle’s drapery shop in Main Street (now the Ballyshannon Shoe Company), The Catholic Club in College Street ( beside Mary Daly’s home), the Mall Bakery, Maguire’s chemist shop on East Port ( Rory Gallagher Place), Kane’s knitting shop (now the lower part of Sean Ógs) and McIntyre’s restaurant on Castle Street (now The Filling Station). There were no doubt many other instances of commercial and private residences destroyed by fire. In all cases the local fire service gave invaluable assistance to the families who were affected and saved other buildings in the town from destruction. 

Ballyshannon Fire Station today

In the  fires mentioned above  whilst property was damaged the presence of a local fire engine/ brigade prevented the fires spreading to adjoining buildings and most important of all  prevented loss of life. Let’s hope that the present debate, about the future of the local fire station in Ballyshannon, will  convince those who make the decisions, of the immense benefits a local  fire station has been to the town.

Limited edition quality hardback with dust jacket as above available when things return to normal in A Novel Idea and Local Hands Ballyshannon and Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town. Also available for postage from anthonyrbegley@hotmail.com

Topics include: How to go about Tracing your Roots/The first settlers in the area/ Newly researched history of the town of Ballyshannon and the townlands in Kilbarron and Mágh Éne parishes/ Records of the first travellers and tourists to Ballyshannon, Bundoran, Belleek, Rossnowlagh and Ballintra/An aerial guide to place names along the Erne from Ballyshannon to the Bar/Flora and Fauna of the area/ A history of buildings and housing estates in the locality/Graveyard Inscriptions from the Abbey graveyard, St. Joseph’s and St. Anne’s /Rolling back the years with many memories of the Great Famine, Independence struggle, hydro-electric scheme, Gaelic games, boxing, handball, Boy Scouts, soccer, mummers, characters, organisations, folklore and lots more.