A Ballyshannon Landmark. The Allingham Memorial on the Bridge

 The Allingham Memorial on the Bridge

125 years ago the Allingham Memorial was placed by townspeople on Allingham Bridge at Ballyshannon. 

Back in 1902 a tourist visiting the town asked the driver of the coach he was travelling in  what was the plaque about?

Tourist: Who was William Allingham?
Carman: He was an old residenther Sir.
Tourist: Well why was the tablet put up to him?
Carman: Just an ould residenther in the town sir. Nothing more

Memorial a Tribute to a Poet who Loved his Hometown

The memorial as we know was erected as a tribute to Ballyshannon born poet William Allingham (1824-1889). It was and still is frequently viewed by visitors to the town. 
William Allingham has also  been remembered with a plaque on his birthplace on the Mall. The bust of William Allingham which is now to be seen in the main public office of the Allied Irish Bank was originally located outside the bank in 1971. Allingham Park and the Helen Allingham Gallery in the Abbey Centre still recall his memory as does the Allingham Society which has been ongoing in a variety of forms since 1968.

Why was the Plaque placed on the Bridge?

William Allingham wished to be remembered on the bridge of 14 arches over the Erne and left the verse in his own handwriting which you can read on the plaque. The bridge of 14 arches was demolished when the Erne Hydro-Electric Scheme was constructed in the 1940s. The Allingham Memorial was then put on the single-arch bridge as it is today. 
William Allingham  also wished that the Memorial should have a view of the Assaroe Falls but sadly today the only faint trace of the Falls are at the footbridge downstream. 

William Allingham put Ballyshannon on the Map
The unveiling of the Allingham Memorial in 1895 was carried out by Mr. Sweeney, Chairman of the Town Commissioners, who praised the poet for putting his hometown on the map and said that they were delighted to remember his achievements. He also praised the inclusion of the harp and the  shamrock and other national symbols on the tablet made of Mountcharles stone and welcomed the poet’s brother Hugh Allingham as a representative of the family. 
Hugh Allingham symbolically handed over the memorial to the care of the inhabitants of the town. Hugh Allingham was manager of the Provincial Bank which is nearby and is The Allied Irish Bank today.

William Allingham’s love of his hometown is obvious in poems such as “Adieu to Ballyshannon”       and “Abbey Assaroe” and he has also written a ghostly poem “The Goblin Child” about an incident    at the Barracks still standing beside the bridge.  Many visitors to the town are familiar with his poem “The Fairies."

William Allingham-The Poet of Ballyshannon

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 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.