Christmas Memories and Christmas advertisements in Ballyshannon from 1934

Can you guess which surviving pub claimed to be the oldest in Ballyshannon owned at one time by the Breslins?

Advertisement in Christmas edition of The Donegal Vindicator 1934.  Stephens is the location of Saimer Court today

A copy of “The Donegal Vindicator” for Saturday 22^nd December 1934 which I was reading recently was a reminder of how much things have changed in Ballyshannon in just over 80 years.  Read some local news from 1934. Included below are advertisements for business premises and see if you remember any of them. John Stephens Cash House in their advert. above were offering vouchers to their customers- sounds familiar today. Aodh Ruadh G.A.A club were organising a novel event. Two steamers were delivering coal to the Mall Quay.

Ideal Christmas gift Local History book available in a quality limited hardback edition with dustcover as above in : 

   A Novel Idea Bookshop Ballyshannon and Four Master's Bookshop Donegal Town and for postal delivery contact the author anthony
rbegley@hotmail.com 

Local News at Christmas  in 1934

• A  huge story in Ballyshannon was the Demolition Order being served on houses which I have written extensively about in “Ballyshannon Genealogy and History” as The Ballyshannon Clearances.  Many houses in the town were condemned and to be demolished in areas like Bachelor’s Walk and the Back Street. The paper was expressing the concern of some of the occupiers of these dwellings that rents might increase from one shilling to three shillings a week for new houses. Modern new houses in Falgarragh Park and East Rock and Bachelor’s Walk were built in the following few years.  

·        The Mall factory was just getting in to full swing with workers going up and down the Mall to work. This was considered a good start for local industry. The factory was called “The Ballyshannon Hosiery Company Limited” and the proprietor was Thomas Swan. There were 30 staff working at sewing and knitting machines, and produce included underwear and hosiery. See photograph of workers at the hosiery factory in " Ballyshannon Genealogy and History" page 426. Some years later the factory was taken over by O’Donnell’s Bakery and today is a derelict site overlooking the Mall Quay. .

·        Further up the Mall was the progressive bakery of Hugh Caldwell where staff were working day and night baking fancy Christmas cakes and all types of bakery goods for special orders. Today the Mall bakery site is a derelict building which once buzzed with activity.

·        Last Sunday Sligo Rovers B team travelled to play Ballyshannon in the second round of the Connaught Cup but the match was abandoned before full time due to heavy rain.

·        Turkeys reached 9 pence per pound in the Market Yard and supply was good and demand brisk.

·        A steamer laden with coal arrived at the Mall Quay for Frank Morgan, Coal merchant, on Friday last and sailed light on Monday. The paper regretted that the steamer made the return journey empty.

·        Wireless fans were being specially catered for by Radio Eireann and by English and continental stations with many pantomimes being broadcast.  

·        A 25 card drive was to be held on St. Stephen’s Night under the auspices of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (A.O.H.) in the Fine Gael Clubrooms. Could this possibly have been the ’98 Hall?

Christmas Advertisements

Check out the advertisements below – a  good few families and relations are still living in the area.  John Myles was importing Whitehaven coal by steamer to the Mall Quay just like Frank Morgan above. E. Cassidy’s below were in the premises now occupied by Rossanos, Trish's Hairdressing salon is where Kathleen Meehan's shop below was.

Now the lower part of the Imperial Hotel

    Ideal Christmas gift a local History book available in a quality limited hardback with dustcover as above 
  in A Novel Idea and Four Master's Bookshop Donegal Town and by post contact the author anthony
rbegley@hotmail.com