Memories of William Allingham the Ballyshannon Poet

Short Memories of Helen Allingham, YouTube and view her wonderful paintings

Best wishes to the Allingham Festival  which runs from 8th-11th November. For full programme click on Facebook link below. https://www.facebook.com/AllinghamArtsFestival/

Check out ten interesting things about Helen and see on the links below a large selection of her paintings.

1. Helen Allingham (nee Paterson) married Ballyshannon poet William Allingham on 22^nd August 1874 in London. He was 50 and she was 25 years of age.
2. Helen was an English born watercolour painter and illustrator who illustrated Thomas Hardy’s famous novel “Far from the Madding Crowd.” 
3. The Allingham’s had 3 children- Gerard (b.1875), Eva (b.1877) and Henry (b. 1882)

Gerard and Eva Allingham receiving lessons in a painting by their mother Helen Allingham 

4.      A year after William’s death in 1889 Helen became the first woman artist to become a full member of The Royal Watercolour Society in England.

5.      On his deathbed William spoke to his wife and said: “And so, to where I wait, come gently on”.

6.      In 1891 Helen brought her children to Ballyshannon to visit the grave of their father William at St. Anne’s Church in the town.

7.      On her visit Helen painted 13 paintings of local scenes including Catsby cave in the Abbey, cottages and the Fairy bridges in Bundoran.

The Fairy Bridges Bundoran by Helen Allingham

8.      To the best of my knowledge none of her paintings have been seen in Ballyshannon in living memory. A cousin of her husband, Maud Allingham, was a prolific painter of local scenes and her painting of Ballyshannon is on the cover of my book “Ballyshannon Genealogy and History” and on the cover of my earlier book (out of print) "Ballyshannon and Surrounding Areas. History, Heritage and Folklore.

9.      Helen kept alive her husband’s poetry and his memory, by ensuring that all his works were published after his death including his Diary. Helen died 92 years ago on 28th September 1926

10.  In the Abbey Centre Ballyshannon an exhibition area has been named the Helen Allingham Gallery and across from the Abbey Centre her husband and his poetry are remembered at Allingham Park. 

Check out Tom Schaeffer's wonderful site , The Helen Allingham Society, which shows many of Helen Allingham's paintings. I had the pleasure of meeting Tom and his wife who live in the U.S.A.,  on their visit to  Ballyshannon when we visited places associated with William Allingham over ten years ago.

https://www.helenallingham.com/

Also Check out  a beautiful short piece on YouTube  of an exhibition of Helen Allingham's paintings earlier this year. Click on link below to open.

Helen Allingham Exhibition.html

Next week read Memories of William Allingham.

Tonight First ever illustrated talk on the local fight for Irish Independence in the Ballyshannon Area

Local History Talk. The first ever talk  on the local fight for Irish independence will take place in Coláiste Cholmcille on Saturday 13^th October at 8 p.m. Anthony Begley, local historian, will give an illustrated talk on local events in the independence struggle in the Ballyshannon area including some events in  Bundoran, Kinlough and  Belleek areas. Hear about the people in the photographs above and lots lots more about the local area. Events will include local involvement in the 1916 Rising, a local man elected in the 1918 Election, the banning of a hurling game between Kinlough and Ballyshannon which went ahead, numerous local incidents in the guerrilla war and the role of women and local newspapers. All welcome to this free event in memory of Kathleen and Louis Emerson and organised by County Donegal Historical Society.