STORM TRACKER: Follow 'Storm Amy' as it bears down on Ireland amid brutal forecast
Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
William Allingham and Helen Allingham
Allingham Festival organisers have announced a ‘late late but very welcome addition to the Allingham programme.’
“We are delighted to announce that an Allingham Bicentenary Exhibition will be on display in the newly reopened Ballyshannon library from Wednesday, November 6 during normal library opening hours,” said a spokesperson for the festival committee.
“With the kind assistance of library staff there will be an extensive collection of books by and about William and Helen Allingham on display.
“Allied Irish Banks have kindly loaned their fine bronze bust of the poet which was commissioned by them in 1971 from the noted sculptor, Arthur Breen, to mark the centenary of County Donegal Historical Association.
“Also on view will be an image of a plaster bust of William Allingham created by his friend, the Scottish sculptor Alexander Munro in 1855.
“Following a successful display in the Royal Academy exhibition of that year, two copies of this piece were delivered to William Allingham’s home on The Mall, Ballyshannon. In 1908 Mrs Faucett donated this copy to the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.
“In the same year, Helen Allingham donated her watercolour portrait of William to the same institution.”
Another feature of the exhibition will be a set of reproductions of Helen Allingham’s breakthrough project when she provided 12 illustrations for the first edition of Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd.
“These drew the admiring attention of no less a figure than Vincent van Gogh,” said the spokesperson.
Free Internet access will be available to allow visitors to browse the extensive collection of letters by and to the Allinghams held in the University of Illinois.
Many snippets from contemporary newspapers concerning this remarkable couple and their contacts with some of the most noted writers and artists of the time will also be on view.
The exhibition will be formally opened by Anthony Begley, Ballyshannon’s greatest authority on the Allingham family at 11am on Friday, November 8. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome.
The exhibition is expected to continue for some time beyond this year’s festival during normal library opening hours:
Wednesday 9.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 5.30pm
Friday 9.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 5.30pm
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
