Ballyshannon's Greatest Pioneer and the First Motor Car in Town

 

The first car registered in Ballyshannon in 1905 was a De Dion 6 h.p. car like this one 

The first man to register a car in Ballyshannon was probably the greatest pioneer that Ballyshannon has produced and you can read in today's blog  about his many achievements and his wonderful cars. The number plate of his 1905 car was IH 19. In 1922 and 1923 he registered two other  cars with the same number plate which must have been a real talking point in Ballyshannon a hundred years ago. Check out  stylish photographs of his 3 early cars, his pioneering story and a beautiful view of his home in Ballyshannon which is still occupied today.

A Local book for Christmas 2020 See details at
the end of this blog

The first car  registered in 1905 in Ballyshannon was by James Sproule Myles West Port Ballyshannon.  This  was a 6 h.p. De Dion motor car painted white and with the wheels painted red similar to  the one pictured above. This certainly cut quite a dash in Ballyshannon over 100 years ago. Major Myles as he became is probably Ballyshannon's greatest pioneer

• Major James Sproule Myles is remembered as he introduced electricity to Ballyshannon and Bundoran from 1908. and he worked at erecting the poles. 
• His military title dated to the First World War when he was awarded a bravery medal at the Battle of the Somme. 
• He was elected an independent T.D. in  Dail Éireann from 1922-1943. 
•  He also served on the Town Commissioners, Fishery Board and was on Donegal County Council for over 30 years.
•  Sproule Myles  played international rugby for Ireland and was a member of the first Irish team to play in Canada in 1899. 
•  He was also a swimming champion in the North-West region.
•  J.S. Myles played an active role in the retention of the Rock Hospital and in the establishment of the first Technical School in County Donegal in Ballyshannon in 1914.

A 17.4 Overland 4 seater Touring Car  like this was registered by Major Myles in October 1922. He kept the same number plate as before IH 19.

• Major Myles was in every way a community leader and when Donegal County Council introduced the first steam roller into Ballyshannon it was Major Myles who taught the men how to drive it.
• He also played a major role in establishing the first fire brigade in Ballyshannon during the Emergency 1939-1945. 
• He was also active with the Red Cross and the ambulance. 
• His family had their own ships importing coal, timber etc. into Ballyshannon and he was an expert pilot in guiding the ships safely into the Mall Quay. 

In  May 1923 Major Myles registered a Crossley Blue motor car like the one in the image.

Major Myles died on 13th February 1956 and is buried at St. Anne's in Ballyshannon. (See "Ballyshannon Genealogy and History" book  for all inscriptions on gravestones in this cemetery. All inscriptions for St. Joseph's and Abbey Assaroe are also in the book). 

The shell of the Myles commercial buildings can be seen at  Milltown on the Bundoran road and can also be viewed from the Mall Quay  today. This property was sold 50 years ago by John Myles the last of the family in business in the town. Major Myles' home called "Inis Saimer" overlooks the island of the same name and is the family home of Aiden and Sharon McGuinness today.

Inis Saimer island  (left) and "Inis Saimer" house, former home of Major Myles, in the centre of photo overlooking the island. Photograph taken from the Mall Park in the Autumn of 2020.

Ballyshannon at Christmas 2020 courtesy of Ballyshannon Business Chamber

For more on Major Myles' life check out "Ballyshannon Genealogy and History" below. 

Ideal Local gift for Christmas home and away. Limited edition quality hardback with dust jacket as above available in A Novel Idea and Local Hands Ballyshannon and Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town. 

Also available signed copies, and inscriptions, for postage or collection 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/  5  Members of Parliament from Ballyshannon/ 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.

The Life and Times of a Civilian Shot in Ballyshannon during The War of Independence on this Day

The scene of the shooting of Tommy Rooney at East Port Ballyshannon on December 5th  1920. The badly wounded man reached the Kane home, down the street, on the left of where the cyclist is, where he died from his wounds. 

On this day 5th December 2020 remembering the life and times of Tommy Rooney the first civilian shot in Ballyshannon during the War of Independence 100 years ago today. The article, with new research, which I have written in this blog below was also printed in The Donegal Democrat on Thursday 3rd December 2020 where it gave great coverage to Tommy Rooney, one of its former employees. If you know anyone who is interested and is not on the internet they can pick up a copy of the paper. More material on this and The War of Independence can be found in the book Ballyshannon Genealogy and History a local book for Christmas.

A local book for Christmas for those at  home or  away.
See details at end of blog.

One hundred years ago on the 5th December 1920, Thomas (Tommy) Rooney, a compositor with “The Donegal Democrat,” was shot by a British soldier at East Port Ballyshannon. Tommy was born in Govan, Lanarkshire, Scotland on 31st May 1896, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Eliza, Lizzie) Rooney who had married in Ballyshannon in 1893. By 1899 the family were back living at West Rock in Ballyshannon and they had 5 sons, Patrick, Thomas, James, Michael, John and one daughter, Mary Josephine, who died in her early childhood. Tommy’s 4 brothers were all born in Ballyshannon. After Tommy Rooney left school he worked as a compositor with “The Donegal Independent” a Ballyshannon newspaper which pre-dated “The Donegal Democrat.” 

He enlisted in the 5th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, as private 22432 on 15th April 1918 but he did not have active service in World War One due to ill-health. He was discharged from the army on 9th August 1919 and was awarded the Silver War Badge which was granted to army personnel who had been honourably discharged due to sickness or wounds. His commanding officer wrote of him; “A very good man who answered his Country’s call, is discharged in consequence of ill health”. 

On his return to Ballyshannon Tommy found employment as a compositor in “The Donegal Democrat” which began publication on 16th June 1919. 

Ballyshannon for the most part had been relatively quiet in the War of Independence with attacks on the Customs Office, the RIC Barracks and a curfew at the Harvest Fair in 1920. Tensions in the community were increased by British military from Finner Camp raiding numerous family homes in the town, where nothing incriminating was found. On Friday 3rd December three men from the East Port area of the town were arrested and were interned in Ballykinlair Camp in County Down, with men from different parts of the country, including men lifted after Bloody Sunday in Dublin a few weeks previously. Those arrested and interned without trial were Seamus Ward of The Bridge End Bar (now McGraths), a County Councillor, and a member of Ballyshannon Town Commissioners, John Kane also a Town Commissioner and F.H. Morgan, a prominent business man in East Port. The following night Saturday 4th December there were a lot of men on the streets at East and West Port and the Bridge End but, according to the military, local people and the local newspapers there was no civil unrest.

  Margaret Kane East Port who tended to the dying Tommy Rooney
     in her home. her husband John was one of 3 local men interned 
in Ballykinlair internment camp. (Photo courtesy of Phyllis Kane)

The Shooting of Tommy Rooney 

Very early on Sunday 5th of December 1920 Tommy Rooney, who had no background in politics,was shot dead by a British military patrol in East Port. A Military Court of Inquiry was held very quickly the following day, Monday 6th December, in the Boardroom of the Ballyshannon Workhouse to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death. The Court consisted of three military officers who had viewed the body in the Workhouse morgue beforehand. The family had no legal representation at the Inquiry. People who attended the tribunal included Tommy Rooney’s father, Dr. Gordon and evidence was given by Mrs. Margaret Kane, a local man who was at the scene, also a Lieutenant in charge of the military patrol, a police sergeant, the private army soldier who fired the fatal shot and another private soldier. 

Thomas Rooney (senior) of West Rock Ballyshannon had the sad duty of identifying his son’s body and later informed the inquiry that his son was twenty five years of age and had been a soldier in the Irish Rifles in World War 1. His record showed that he had served honourably and his discharge sheet showed that he was trustworthy and could be recommended to any employer. His son worked for Cecil Stephens and John Downey (founders) in printing works which were the premises of “The Donegal Democrat” in the centre of town. He informed the tribunal that his son had taken no part in any political disturbances in Ballyshannon and never was involved with any civil unrest. Dr. Gordon advised the tribunal that Tommy Rooney had been shot once and that death was most probably due to haemmoraging. 

Mrs. Kane said that she had been sitting by the fire in her home in East Port when she heard two shots ringing out. As she went to lock the front door, Tommy Rooney pushed it in. It was about 12.10-12.15 a.m. on Sunday 5th December. Deceased said, “Mrs. Kane, I’m shot. ” He fell in her hallway and asked her to get a priest. She wasn’t able to do this because of the dangerous situation on the street but she did get word by the back way to his aunt, Mrs. Fannon, who lived nearby. Tommy Rooney was in a weakened state and was not fit to tell her how the incident had happened. Like all other accounts she told the tribunal that the street had been quiet before she heard the shooting.

A local man gave evidence that he saw Tommy Rooney on the street but that he was not speaking to him. He was challenged by a patrol and put his hands up. Tommy Rooney went in the direction of John Kane’s house. Witness said that he heard three shots ring out but that prior to the shooting the area had been quiet. A Military Lieutenant told the Inquiry that he was on patrol with four soldiers in the East Port area, early on Sunday morning, and challenged and searched a group of 20 civilians who were coming from the direction of the bridge. He found no weapons and allowed them to proceed, however he stated that he saw two men in a doorway, one tall and one smaller men. He challenged them and the taller man at once put his hands up. He was in the process of searching the taller man when he heard a noise and saw the smaller man twisting away from the patrol. A soldier told the inquiry that he called on the man to halt, but when he did not stop, he opened fire but couldn’t indicate to the tribunal if he had hit him and could not identify the body. Another private soldier told the tribunal that he was part of the patrol and that a soldier raised his bayonet to challenge the smaller man but the man ran down East Port. He stated that the soldier fired a shot which hit the civilian who doubled up after the shot was fired. That was how he knew that he was hit but the civilian kept on running and disappeared into the darkness. Although Tommy Rooney had been accepted into the army, he was, surprisingly only over 5 foot and was the smaller man who was shot and who left a trail of blood on East Port down as far as Kane’s house. 

A police sergeant gave evidence that he was in charge of a patrol from 12.00 to 3.00 a.m and that he heard a report of firearms about 12.15. About 12.45 he saw a number of civilians and there was more activity than normal considering the late hour. His police patrol met a lieutenant and a military patrol on the bridge at Ballyshannon. The military told him that that they had occasion to fire a shot or two in East Port. The police officer stated that he asked were there any casualties and he was informed that only a soldier had grazed his finger. He stated that that there were two shots fired within ten or 15 seconds of each other and that he heard a third shot about 3 a.m. The police officer had not heard that Tommy Rooney had been shot at this period. 

The tribunal concluded as follows: “That court having carefully considered the evidence are of the opinion that the deceased, Tommy Rooney:

 a) Met his death from a bullet wound on December 5th 1920, in Ballyshannon.

 b) That the bullet which caused the death of Thomas Rooney, junior, was fired by the military in the execution of their duty.

 c) That no blame attaches to any person other than the deceased for his death”. 

An early newspaper account gave a conflicting account of what had happened. “From the meagre details to hand, it is not clearly known how the tragedy occurred, but some people state that the deceased failed to answer the challenge of “Hands up” while others say there was no challenge issued. The remains were removed to the Workhouse Morgue on Sunday pending an inquiry. Deceased was not a Sinn Feiner and was not in any way identified with politics.”

The military court of inquiry into Tommy Rooney's death was held  
upstairs in this workhouse building which still stands today.

The remains of Tommy Rooney were removed to St. Joseph’s Church on Monday evening 6th December and Requiem Mass was celebrated the following morning by Rev. J. Trainor. The funeral was attended by a large crowd of people and on Tuesday afternoon at 2.30 p.m. Fr. Trainor officiated at the graveside. Chief mourners were; Thomas Rooney (father), Paddy, James and John Rooney (brothers) and Richard Bromley (stepbrother). Funeral arrangements were by Edward Stephens, undertaker, and two wreaths were sent by the Comrades of the Great War in recognition of his army service. The list of mourners above included Richard Bromley whose father Herbert Bromley had died and whose mother Eliza subsequently married Thomas Rooney (senior).

 A grandson of Richard Bromley is John Bromley who coincidentally had a long association with “The Donegal Democrat” and was editor of the paper from 1988-2002. John Rooney followed in the newspaper business and worked as a printer with “ The Irish Press” and successive generations of the Rooney family have worked in the printing business. The Rooney grave is in the graveyard adjoining St. Joseph’s Church where Tommy Rooney and members of the family from Ballyshannon and Bundoran are buried. Michael (Mickey) Rooney St. Brigid’s Terrace Bundoran, died on 28th January 2017 and is interred in this family grave.

The grave can be identified and located as grave number 201 in Ballyshannon Genealogy and History which lists all the inscriptions in this graveyard.

Concerns over the Inquiry 

Edward Kelly M.P. a native of Ballyshannon, expressed concern in the Westminster Parliament that in the case of military inquiries, a solicitor for the next of kin should be allowed to appear as at normal inquests. His appeal in parliament on 25th November 1920, before the shooting of Tommy Rooney, was turned down but it highlighted the anxiety felt by families, at the verdicts of military inquests where they had no representation. The impartiality of the military carrying out the investigation into the shooting of Tommy Rooney, which involved one of their own soldiers, was to say the least open to question. The speed with which the inquiry was concluded, a day after the shooting, while people were still coming to terms with the shock of what had happened, left little room for reflection at the time. Edward Kelly M.P. who felt that families should have legal representation at military inquiries, was the last Donegal elected member of parliament to sit in Westminster and represented East Donegal. He was born and grew up on the Mall in Ballyshannon, in the impressive house that is now a shell and is known locally as Condons as they were the last family to live there.  

      The former home of Edward Kelly M.P. last member of parliament
for Donegal to sit in  Westminster.

“The Donegal Democrat” for which Tommy Rooney worked, reported that Mrs. Margtaret Kane had made an Act of Contrition and that the dying Tommy Rooney had repeated the words after her. Mrs. Kane had a most difficult few days, as her husband John was one of the 3 men arrested, on Friday 3rd December, and sent to Ballykinlair internment camp and she also witnessed the death of Tommy Rooney in her home, early on Sunday 5th December. 

John Downey, editor of “The Donegal Democrat,” knew the deceased well as a work colleague and he recorded that Tommy Rooney was “as harmless as a baby and a born humourist. He saw a joke in everything and laughed and his laughter was infectious. The question was asked at the Military Tribunal was he concerned in politics? No he wasn’t. He treated politics as he did many other things as a huge joke.” John Downey’s opinions about Tommy Rooney’s character, was echoed by Ballyshannon’s other newspaper “The Donegal Vindicator” which was located in East Port, beside where Tommy Rooney was shot.

 This shooting was the subject of debate and speculation in the town and it is worth noting that none of the civilians present at the time of the shooting had weapons or were engaged in disturbances. With the passage of time this event faded in memory but as the centenary approaches on the 5th December 2020, it is fitting to remember what was the first tragic shooting of a civilian in the town of Ballyshannon during the War of Independence . Further local events in The War of Independence can be found in “Ballyshannon Genealogy and History”

Ideal Local gift for Christmas home and away. Limited edition quality hardback with dust jacket as above available in A Novel Idea and Local Hands Ballyshannon and Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town. 

Also available signed copies, and inscriptions, for postage or collection 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/  5  Members of Parliament from Ballyshannon/ 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.

Christmas Shopping in Ballyshannon in Bygone Days

As we look forward to more businesses re-opening in Ballyshannon take a nostalgic trip through the town and its shops at Christmas in a bygone era. Have a look at what Ballyshannon shops had to offer over 100 years ago in a wonderful tour of the town by a journalist of the time. Also check out what Ballyshannon as a town had to offer. Then as now, best to shop local and support those who support us. Thanks to all the businesses, the Business Chamber and all who generously provide the community with a beautiful Christmas tree and street lighting which is appreciated by us all. Looking forward to the switching on of the lights on Monday 30th of November at 6 p.m.

 

 What was Ballyshannon like  130   Years Ago?

• The town had a distinctive clock on the newly built Belfast Bank which was built in 1878 at a cost of £4,000.  This building later became the Royal Bank. In the 1960s the Royal Bank amalgamated with the Provincial Bank which was next door and the two banks merged into Allied Irish Bank. (A.I.B.) which still operates as a bank today. The building with the clock then became a jewellers. The clock was restored to its former glory in November 2019 thanks to the work of Ballyshannon Regeneration Group, the new owner of the premises Eamon McNulty  and the local community.
• There was a Market House close to O'Reilly's Fish Shop. Courts were conducted in the         Market House and there was also a dispensary and social activities in the building. The Market House was tossed  in living memory. This is an open recreation area today used for craft fairs and music events.
• The Workhouse was still operating on the Rock beside the Church. The building still survives today but is in a dangerous condition. Sad.  The Famine Orphan Girls memorial the only one of its type in Ireland, is open at all times to the public, beside the workhouse and just opposite the main entry to Fr. Tierney Park. It names and remembers 19 orphan girls shipped to Australia from Ballyshannon workhouse at the height of the Famine. The girls were from the areas around Ballyshannon including Kinlough, Belleek, Mulleek and the Ballyshannon area. Why not pay a visit to keep the memory alive?
• The Great Northern Railway was thriving on Station Road and there were two trains to Dublin daily. The railway arrived in Ballyshannon 150 years ago in 1867. One hundred and fifty years ago the Sisters of Mercy  also arrived in Ballyshannon and are still here today. The G.N.R. railway closed in Ballyshannon 62 years ago in 1957. Two years later in December 1959 the County Donegal Railway in Ballyshannon closed. A great railway town.
• 
  

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  The GNR station in Ballyshannon
  

  
  
  
  
• There were 6 churches open in town- 2 Catholic, 1 Protestant, 1 Presbyterian and 2 Methodist. The second Methodist Church was at the top of the Main Street. Today there are three churches in town. 
• The town had another iconic clock thanks to the St. Anne's community and the peal of the bells is part of Ballyshannon's heritage. Still has been a regular, welcome and much appreciated sound in 2020. The church which is lit up at night is a welcome beacon for people coming home or passing through town. St. Patrick's Church and St. Joseph's Church also have welcoming bells. which all form part of the town's heritage.
• There were 2 Markets every week in the Market Yard on Thursdays and Saturdays where farmers could sell their produce. The car boot sale takes place in the general area today.
• Fairs were held on the second day of each month. The Harvest Fair was held on the 16th September and was the biggest social gathering of the year. The cattle, horse and pig fairs were held in and  around the Fair Green which today is Allingham Park. Cattle are now sold in the Mart on Station road.
• The Donegal Independent  on the Mall and The Donegal Vindicator on the Port were two newspapers carrying on the tradition of the oldest newspaper town in County Donegal begun in 1831. The Donegal Democrat (still in existence) was  founded in Ballyshannon in 1919 and was the last paper to be printed in Ballyshannon. 
• There was a Coastguard Station, a Brewery  and an Excise Office which all harked back to the days of shipping from the Mall Quay in the town. In modern times a micro-brewery has been opened at Dicey Reillys and who can say what other revivals there will be? The Coastguard houses are still visible at West Rock as are warehouse at Mulligans on the Mall and the Distillery buildings visible from the new footbridge.
• Like most  towns in Ireland, craft trades have disappeared since 1889 including; tanners, boot and shoemakers, weigh-masters in the Market Yard, saddlers, cart makers, hide and butter merchants and Rogan's world famous fly-tying . In modern times good to see a number of craft shops and other new business premises  opening in the town.

Christmas in 1889 saw lots of optimism with many business premises and private residences decorated for the festive season. As you journey through the streets of Ballyshannon in 1889 you can’t help but notice the large number of shops in the main thoroughfares.  There were a lot more shops in 1889 than in 2020 but some shops were smaller, in some cases a front room in a house. For a more complete list of business premises check out The Ulster Directory of 1880 contained in “Ballyshannon Genealogy and History” noted at the end of this blog.

Shopping in the Port

In 1889 the Port area in Ballyshannon was a thriving hub of business but alas the street surface left a lot to be desired. The post office and the Vindicator newspaper were on East Port and a host of local business premises were decorated for Christmas. A local correspondent for “The Donegal Vindicator” has left an excellent account of Christmas shopping  in the busy town of Ballyshannon in 1889, although space prohibited the reporter listing all businesses:

The two Ports, East and West, though somewhat narrow, did their best to enliven the dullness caused by the thick layer of mud always there. At the extreme West Mr. P. Kelly’s premises were tastefully decorated with the orthodox evergreen, Mr. Peter Campbell’s leather warehouse being also tastefully done up.  Mr. J. Gillespie’s grocery establishment was also prettily adorned with evergreen.  At the Bridge end Mr. James Moohan had his extensive premises fancifully festooned, the decorations from lack of window space being principally inside the shop. Down the East Port Mr. Rapmund has expended great taste in ornamentation, as had also Mrs. Breslin, even the Post Office contriving to throw some brightness on its stern official aspect.  Mr. J. Ward’s two establishments were nicely done up, and across the way Mrs. Cunion’s drapery establishment was a glow of everygreen and holly.  Next door the “Vindicator” looked dull, gloomy and forbidding, as befits a Nationalist newspaper office in these days of prison dungeons and removeable law.  Right over the way, however, Mr. William Maguire’s premises made up for the dark spot by a glow of light and colour, set off with holly and evergreens.Mr. James Brown’s shop was very prettily decorated wiith the usual green.  The other shops along the Bridge were all decorated more or less and some of them looked really charming. 

It becomes evident as you follow the reporter through the main thoroughfares of Ballyshannon, how few of the families who ran businesses in 1889 are still in business today. This indicates, as much as anything does, the massive changes which have taken place in the past 130 years. Can you spot any surviving family business listed in 2020?

The Far Side

One of the great mysteries of life in Ballyshannon is, that no matter what side of the river Erne you were living on, you were said by the locals to be from ‘the far side.’ So crossing the bridge we come to the barracks on ‘the far side’ and the shops on the Main Street. The first building on your left is still called the old barracks, although it had not been used by the military since way before the Great Famine of the 1840s. There was another barracks directly opposite where the C.I.E. and Tourist offices are today but it was in ruins when William Allingham was a boy in the 1830s.

So that you can get your bearings in 2020  the old barracks is occupied by Diarmaid Keon (DKP) auctioneers, a computer shop and Mr. G's today. The premises of Robert Sweeney listed below were located where the Bank of Ireland is today. P.B. Stephens' ‘emporium’ is where Mary McGuinness has the town’s excellent bookshop called ‘A Novel Idea’. Read on to see the businesses up the town. 

The newspaper correspondent having crossed the 14 -arch bridge  resumed his descriptions of shops commencing at the bottom of the Main Street. The old barracks on the left of the photograph (with 4 windows visible on the side) is the oldest building in Ballyshannon, built in 1700. It is also home to the  two most famous ghost stories in the area. The ghostly Green Lady and the Goblin Child also known as 'the radiant child' both had connections to this barracks. The full story of the Green Lady is contained in "Ballyshannon Genealogy and History".

                                       Ideal local history book for Christmas home or away.

                                        Check details at the end of the blog

From the Barracks to the Butchers

Crossing the Erne swollen by recent rains, the first place to catch the eye is Mr. John Cassidy’s licensed premises, and here quite an unusual array of floral decorations were to be seen and next door Mr. Potter had made a pretty show. The premises of Mr. M. Flanagan command attention. They make some thing like a pantomimic transformation scene, and especially after nightfall proved very attractive. Some of the choicest goods in the haberdashery line are here displayed amid a judicious arrangement of evergreens and large featherly plumes of foreign grasses.  When lighted up at night the effect is very pleasing and attractive.  The interior is also redolent of the festive season. The premises of  Mr. Michael  Cassidy, butcher, were also adorned in a most artistic manner. In the “barrack” decorations were necessarily confined to the interior, and Mr. Patterson, the courteous manager, must be complimented on the dazzling appearance presented on entering. Mr. John Stephens’ establishment was also handsomely ‘got up’ with evergreens and holly, not to speak of the tempting array of Christmas goods set off to such advantage.

Up the Main Street

Mr. Robert Sweeney’s large premises were decorated in every corner, and the windows displayed great taste in arrangement and style. Every Christmas novelty in the drapery line was procurable here.  Mr. McClelland also had his place very beautifully decorated. Only a passing notice can be given to the premises up this fashionable thoroughfare. Mr. Renison’s premises sported a profusion of holly and evergreens, and Mr. Lipsett’s recent battles did not prevent him from flourishing the season’s emblems. Mrs. Mulhern’s premises were tastefully arranged.  Returning down the opposite side the nice arrangement of Messrs. Forde companies premises was noted. Mr. John Daly had an abundant show of evergreen interspersed with his Christmas stock of fancy drapery goods, nor was the boot and shoe department neglected.  Mr. Hegarty’s jewellery establishment also bore  witness to the festive season in the shape of holly and evergreen.

Castle Street/The Mall and West Port

Crossing over, Mr. P.B. Stephens’ fancy emporium is reached, and a truly dazzling sight meets the gaze.  The variety here ranges from the tiny toy to the choicest article in usefulness.  Noticeable amongst them being the rarest specimens of parian ware from the world renowned Belleek Pottery.  Farther up, the premises of Mr. Edward Stephens are choicely decorated. Floral ornamentations are also seen in the shops of Mr. McNulty, Mr. Mulrine, Mr. C. Campbell, Mr. J. Kelly and Mrs. Gallagher.  It would be impossible to chronicle and comment upon all. Down the Mall the attractive premises of Mr. Trimble are tastefully and elaborately decorated with moustached monkeys, mirth provoking clowns and other appropriate emblems, suitable for the establishment. Though somewhat out of the beaten track the premises of Mr. Myles must not be forgotten.  The decorations were on a fine scale and thoroughly artistic, obtaining no aid, however, from the nature of his goods, ironmongery and such like, being perhaps the most difficult of all to show off with any effect.

Mr. Lipsett’s ‘recent battles’ above refers to a disagreement which he had over the Inspector Martin plaque which can be seen today in St. Anne’s Church. Inspector Martin was killed in Gweedore in 1889 and is buried beside the entrance porch to St. Anne's Church. Trimble’s on the Mall, named above, were a newspaper family who still print “The Impartial Reporter” in Enniskillen. Ballyshannon had 2 newspaper at the time with McAdam’s Donegal Vindicator on the Port and Trimble’s Donegal Independent its rival on the Mall. In 1889 local poet William Allingham died in England and his remains were brought back to his native Ballyshannon in 1889 where he is buried beside St. Anne's Church.

In 1889 few people were seen to be under the influence of alcohol during the festive season and there were no disturbances of any kind. Business premises in the town closed for Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s Day unlike in modern times where the holiday is generally much longer . 

Ideal Local gift for Christmas home and away. Limited edition quality hardback with dust jacket as above available in A Novel Idea and Local Hands Ballyshannon and Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town. 

Also available signed copies, and inscriptions, for postage or collection 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/  5  Members of Parliament from Ballyshannon/ 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.

Christmas in Ballyshannon at the time of the Spanish Flu

 

 

Christmas time in Ballyshannon 100 years ago and the Spanish Flu. Advice on social distancing is not new and has a long history in Ballyshannon and surrounding areas. 

The Spanish Flu and "The Angel of Death"

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, a 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.

Social Distancing has a long history in Ballyshannon

As far back as the cholera epidemic which hit Ireland in 1832 there was local advice by the doctors in Ballyshannon not to congregate at wakes. The disease thrived in confined spaces and while many people followed the advice, others didn't, cholera spread and over 100 people died in the Ballyshannon area alone.

 In 1918 speculation, as to how the Spanish Flu spread worldwide  centred on returning soldiers from World War  One and in the Ballyshannon area, as Christmas approached, there were a lot of men returning from the Western Front. 

The Spanish  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. Even though election rallies were held in the open air people packed into areas like The Diamond in front of The Medical Hall, in the photograph below, and congregated  for long periods which helped to spread the flu.

A Local Gift for Christmas

In Ballyshannon Workhouse the number of inmates rose from 123 in September 1918 to 159 in December of the same year. In November 1918 due to the large number of patients with influenza extra women were hired to do the washing. Between September 1918 and June 1919 a total of 35 deaths were recorded in Ballyshannon Workhouse. During the war years 940 soldiers were treated for illnesses in Ballyshannon Workhouse and possibly the large concentration of patients in confined spaces increased the death rate. It has been estimated that over 1,000 people died of the Spanish Flu in County Donegal in 1918-1919. Nationally around 23,000 people died with upwards of 800,000 catching this flu. The number of deaths from the Spanish Flu nationally were estimated at 23,000 much greater than the combined deaths in the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War.

Spanish Flu rampant in Ballyshannon Workhouse and in the wider area

Primary School closed in Bundoran because of Spanish Flu

Joseph Murray, local Director of Intelligence for the Irish Volunteers, was a teacher in Bundoran and recalled how the Spanish Flu allowed him to canvass in the 1918 Election. “In December 1918, my school was closed for a long period, due to a serious outbreak of influenza. I was asked to accept the job of organiser for Sinn Féin in the Killybegs, Teelin, Carrick and Glencolmcille areas during the General Election Campaign. I agreed to do the work and took up residence in Killybegs with a sister of P. J. Ward. Ward, who was elected T.D. and who had a long association with Sinn Fein and later the Volunteer movement, was appointed O/C of our 4^th Brigade. Patrick Byrne, a merchant in Killybegs-an uncle of P. J. Ward and a very good speaker-gave me great assistance while I was in the area”. 

The Spanish Flu continued into 1919 and by March numbers in the workhouse were 140 with 20 patients in the infirmary. In March 1919 the local newspaper reported on the deaths of two young people from influenza. 

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.

Ideal Local gift for Christmas home and away. Limited edition quality hardback with dust jacket as above available in A Novel Idea and Local Hands Ballyshannon and Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town. 

Also available signed copies, and inscriptions, for postage or collection 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/  5  Members of Parliament from Ballyshannon/ 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.

Ballyshannon's Most Famous Ghost Story for Halloween

 

The scene of the ghostly appearance was the Barracks on the left of this photo.

At Halloween it is good to remember the most famous Ballyshannon ghost story of all time and how there were eyewitnesses to the strange events which happened.. The barrack’s building at the bridge in Ballyshannon County Donegal is considered to be the oldest and most interesting building in the town and it was there that a most strange apparition occurred.

Keystone still visible today at the front of the barracks with the date 1700

The Barracks is a detached six-bay building of two-storeys over a basement and was built in 1700. The building was planned as a T-shaped building and this outline can still be seen today. It is considered it to have been the work of Colonel Thomas Burgh   an ancestor of well -known singer Chris De Burgh. 

The interior of the building has been renovated and reconstructed and today the most authentic features are to be seen on the facade. The barracks was constructed for the British military to protect a very strategic crossing point into Ulster. What follows here is the unusual ghost story of the Goblin Child which has been handed down for generations and which was popularised by local poet William Allingham. It deserves to be remembered at Halloween as it has all the hallmarks of a true story.

The Goblin Child seen in Ballyshannon by Lord Castlereagh

Lord Castlereagh saw the ghost in Ballyshannon

 The story of the Goblin Child concerns the supernatural appearance of a boy in the barracks at Ballyshannon, and is one of the most authenticated ghost stories in the area. The tale centres on Robert Stewart, Lord Castlereagh, who arrived in Ballyshannon barracks following military manoeuvres. Having retired upstairs to his bedroom, in which a fire was still glowing in the fireplace, he went into a fitful sleep. During the night he was awakened from his sleep and claimed that he saw the image of a naked child emerging from the fireplace and coming across to the foot of his bed. The child did not speak and the apparition receded back into the fireplace. 

Robert Stewart later recounted the tale to Sir Walter Scott, the famous Scottish novelist in 1815- “It is certain he related several strange circumstances many years after, at a dinner party in Paris, one of those present being Sir Walter Scott who afterwards referred to it in his writing.”  Scott said only two men had ever told him that they had seen a ghost, and that both had ended their own lives. One of these men was Lord Castlereagh. 

Francis Joseph Bigger M.R.I.A placed the ghostly appearance of the boy in the barracks at Ballyshannon in 1796, whilst referring to the apparition as ‘the radiant boy’ and recounted how Lord Castlereagh had told the story to Sir Walter Scott and to the Duke of Wellington. There is also strong anecdotal evidence to locate the strange happening at the barracks beside the river Erne in Ballyshannon. 

The Curse of the Goblin Child

Who was Lord Castlereagh? He was born Robert Stewart in Dublin in 1769, the son of a Presbyterian landowner and Member of Parliament, who built Mount Stewart near Newtownards in Co. Down. By a strange coincidence he had a Ballyshannon connection, as he was married to Lady Emily Hobart, who was a relative of William Conolly, the Speaker of the Irish Parliament, who was born in Ballyshannon in 1662. By a strange quirk of location the Speaker’s birthplace was just across the street from the barracks where Robert Stewart saw the apparition. Stewart later rose to prominence as Chief Secretary, War Minister, Foreign Secretary and Leader of the Commons during the Napoleonic Wars. He is remembered in Ireland for his suppression of the 1798 Rebellion and for forcing through The Act of Union. In 1822 he cut his throat at his residence in Kent. An added piece of information about the Goblin Child was that when the boy/child appeared to anyone, that person would rise to high prominence but would have a violent death.  Castlereagh’s violent death leaves one to wonder about the curse of the Goblin Child, as Castlereagh rose to high office but then met a violent death.,

William Allingham heard the story of the Goblin Child in his Youth

The account of the story in William Allingham’s narrative poem, "The Goblin Child of Ballyshannon", graphically describes the appearance of the child to Lord Castlereagh and locates this unusual tale at the barracks in Ballyshannon.  The room in which the event occurred in the barracks was, for many years, referred to as Lord Castlereagh’s Chamber. 

William Allingham wrote a poem about Ballyshannon's most famous ghost story

It is significant that the Allingham family lived close to the barracks at Ballyshannon, when the apparition occurred in the late 1700’s, and that the poet William Allingham who was born in 1824, published his poem on the occurrence in 1850.

William Allingham would have been familiar with the story, growing up, and in the extract from his poem quoted below describes the apparition and names of  Lord Castlereagh as the person who saw the Goblin Child in Ballyshannon barracks.

When   suddenly – Oh Heaven! – the fire

Leaped up into a dazzling pyre,

And boldly from the brightened hearth

A Naked Child stepped forth.

  

                                                                       With a total, frozen start,

A bound – a pausing of the heart,

He saw.  It came across the floor,

Its size increasing more and more

At every step, until a dread

Gigantic form stood by his bed.

Glaring for some seconds’space

Down into his rigid face –

Back it drew, with steadfast look.

Dwindling every step it took,

Till the Naked Child returned

To the fire, which brightly burned

To greet it: then black sudden gloom

Sunk upon the silent room,

Silent, save the monotone

Of the river flowing down

Through the arches of the bridge,

And beneath his casement ledge.

This happened when our island still

Had nests of goblins left, to fill

Each mouldy nook and corner close,

Like spiders in an ancient house,

And this one read within the face

Intruding on its dwelling-place,

Lines of woe, despair, and blood,

By spirits only understood;

As mortals now can read the same

In the letters of his name,

Who in that haunted chamber lay,

When  we call him – Castlereagh.

From the 19^th century to the present day the barracks building at the bridge in Ballyshannon has been used as commercial premises and currently houses an auctioneer’s premises, a computer shop, a cafe and Mr. G's shop. This barracks still stands, beside the bridge over the Erne at Ballyshannon, and has a rich ghostly history.

The Green Lady

Local people for generations have identified the Barracks building as the ghostly home of both The Green Lady and The Goblin Child. The story of The Green Lady centres on an officer’s wife who defied her husband by attending a ball in the town. On her return to the barracks an altercation developed with her husband and he threw her to her death down the stairs. The lady had been wearing a green dress and right up to present times local people believe that she haunted the barracks, particularly around the Harvest Fair day in September. The story of the Green Lady was carried to Canada by emigrants from Ballyshannon and made its way back to Ballyshannon before it was lost forever. A few years ago Patricia Keane played the role of the Green Lady to a packed audience in the Abbey Centre. The occasion was a talk I was giving at the Allingham Festival on Ghostly Ballyshannon. Soinbhe Lally kindly scripted the short play.

The full and amazing story of the Green Lady can be found in the local history book  "Ballyshannon Genealogy and History" see below for details. 

Limited edition quality hardback with dust jacket as above available in A Novel Idea and Local Hands Ballyshannon and 

Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town. Also available signed copies, and inscriptions, for postage or collection 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.