Rolling Back the Years Christmas in Ballyshannon 100 Years Ago

Ideal Christmas gift:  A 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 anthonyrbegley@hotmail.com

Christmas Time  in Ballyshannon in 1918

Christmas goods were still in scarce supply in the Ballyshannon shops and there was not as much liquor consumed as in other years, partly because of the cost. Nevertheless the shops put up as good a display as possible in what were difficult circumstances coming just after the end of the World War in November 1918. The local newspaper “The Donegal Vindicator” described the mood in the town at Christmas 1918: 

“There was some little liquor consumed, but not as much as in other years. Perhaps it does not taste as well, or would the reason be that it is too dear? Anyhow the “Old Coleraine” was better in the bottle, as the election fever is not over yet, and a slight breeze would fan the flame, and neither a Sinn Féin nor Parliamentary “black eye” is very imposing. In the town the festive season was duller than ever, not even an Irish Ceilidh, with French dances, to relieve the monotony. No football, and shooting matches were taboo, as D.O.R.A. (Defence of the Realm Act) had put the kibosh on that kind of sport. A tame game of billiards was the only kind of recreation indulged in. A rural band of “mummers” visited the town. A good number of people came home to the town for the Christmas holidays, but in this respect the defenders of the Empire were in the majority, khaki everywhere you turned”. On Christmas morning the masses in St. Patrick’s and St. Joseph’s Churches were well attended, “and the large numbers who approached the altar rails was edifying. The Altar Committees in both parishes spared neither time nor energy, and the interiors of the Churches reflected credit on the willing workers.” The Christmas congregations in St. Anne’s and the Presbyterian Church were also impressive.

Former home on the Mall Ballyshannon  of Edward Kelly last M.P. from County Donegal to sit in Westminster one hundred years ago. Known locally as Condon's as they were the last family to live there.

Ballyshannon man last Donegal M.P. elected to sit in Westminster Parliament

The 1918 Election was held on Saturday 14^th of December and, locally, there were no polling booths in Bundoran and the Sinn Fein Party had difficulty getting their supporters to the polling booths in Ballyshannon. There were eight polling stations in Ballyshannon. There were four single seat constituencies in County Donegal- North, South, East and West. Sinn Fein won three of the seats with Joseph O’ Doherty topping the poll in North Donegal,  Joseph Sweeney topped the poll in West Donegal and P.J. Ward in South Donegal (this area). 

 In a pact agreed between Sinn Féin and the Irish Parliamentary Party in East Donegal, Edward J. Kelly, a native of the Mall, Ballyshannon, and a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party was elected in the 1918 Election. He sat in parliament from 1919 until Ireland gained independence in 1922. Most people know his former home as Condon's as they were the last family to live in the house up to 60 years ago. As you can see in the photo it is a ruin today.

Spanish Flu rampant in Ballyshannon Workhouse and in the wider area

The Spanish Flu

In the Ballyshannon area there were many topics of conversation and concern one hundred years ago. World War One ended in November 1918 but also in November, the local newspaper “The Donegal Vindicator” was reporting on The Spanish Flu which worldwide, and in the Ballyshannon area, caused more deaths than the war:  “That dread scourge influenza has been working havoc in Ballyshannon. It came in a mild form at first, and when people has just began to think it had abated, during the past week its ravages became more intense, and the Angel of Death has gathered into its fold three of the inhabitants of the place.”  Three other natives of the district also died from influenza in the same week. Speculation as to how the Spanish Flu spread worldwide centred on returning soldiers form the World War, and the Flu spread where ever there were large gatherings of people in confined spaces. Wakes were considered to be a source of spreading the disease and the 1918 General Election held in December 1918 with larger gatherings and movements of people, also assisted the spread.

A Peaceful Christmas

One hundred years ago the ending of the World War, in November 1918, brought much relief to people in Ballyshannon who had family fighting in the war. Christmas also brought much sadness as many people remembered the large number of young men from the area who had died in the War. The war years saw trade at the Mall Quay in major decline owing to the scarcity of shipping and the consequent high freight charges demanded. With little local prospects of work many men had joined the British Army. During World War 1 over 40 men from the Ballyshannon area lost their lives and after the war returning soldiers found it difficult to adjust and find work in peacetime. They also faced the rise of Sinn Féin and the outbreak of the War of Independence. 

Ideal Christmas gift:  A 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 anthonyrbegley@hotmail

Happy Christmas

from Ballyshannon