‘If the walls could only talk, the stories they would have to tell’

Hector Mac Lennan spent three years writing a historical account of Leck View Terrace in Letterkenny, where he called home growing up as a child.

Hector, now 70 years old, was one of 10 siblings who grew up in his family home on the terrace.

Attending St. Eunan’s College and, after joining the Irish Prison Service in 1980, he raised a family of five in Leixlip and returned to Letterkenny following his retirement in 2012.

As Leck View Terrace celebrates 120 years this year, Hector's book, titled ‘History of Leck View Terrace, Letterkenny’, on what he once called home is being released to libraries across Donegal and local heritage groups.

The book, based on facts and experience, tells the story of the many generations who have passed through the terrace, dating back to long before the six houses were built.

Recounting his childhood growing up in the terrace, Hector says: “Every time I go up there, there is a sense of nostalgia and lots of memories.

“It’s a bit quieter now than it was when I was growing up. When I was young, there were loads of children around. Those were my memories, running around playing; there’s not much of that now.

“The terrace is there like a monument to the past and memories. Many of the old characters have come and gone unfortunately, but there’s one thing that is always there: the terraces.”

“If the walls could only talk, the stories they would have to tell. So I try to tell those stories of all the residents that occupied the houses.”

The stories told in the book reflect the experiences of those who lived in the terraces, primarily through Property Valuation Records, newspaper articles, and the Censuses of Ireland 1901, 1911, and 1926.

Hector also consulted Irish Genealogy, Ancestry, and local library resources, making the account detailed and extremely accurate.

“It’s a way to respect the people and keep their memory alive,” he said. “These people were my parents, my grandfather, and people I would’ve known on the terrace who were great. It's paying homage in a way to their memories nd bringing them back to life.

“I was born and raised there, and most of the long-term descendants are still in connection with the terrace, and that is great to see. We all have an affinity to where we were brought up and reared.”

The book discusses the inhabitants of Leck View’s experiences of many events in Irish history, such as the 1916 Easter Rising, the War of Independence, the Partition of Ireland, nd even the five residents of Leck View who signed up to fight during the First World War.

The book is now available for members of the public to read in libraries across the county.