In Pictures: Allingham family celebrated with 200th anniversary exhibition

The Allingham Exhibition in Ballyshannon Library was launched by Anthony Begley, local historian, who congratulated the Allingham Society and Ballyshannon Library on a unique display of artefacts about the Allingham family. Click on the arrows to see Siobhán McNamara's photos from the launch:

The Exhibition was launched to mark the 200th Anniversary of the Ballyshannon poet’s birth and coincidentally it opened on November 8 which was the birthday of their eldest son Gerard Allingham.

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Anthony welcomed two of the finest researchers on the Allingham family to the exhibition who had given him great assistance in his own work. Eva Hov had travelled from Norway for this year’s festival and she had uncovered amazing connections between the seaport of Trondheim in Norway and the port of Ballyshannon in the 19th century.

Eva had also uncovered Allingham family connections with Trondheim which had never been revealed before. Anthony acknowledged that their joint research in Trondheim and in Ballyshannon since 2006 had been beneficial to his own work and to the local community.

He also welcomed Judith Sweeny who had recently returned to live in Ballyshannon and who had worked in London for many years. She had meticulously researched material on the Allingham family in England for many years and both Judith and Eva have added much to our knowledge of William and Helen and their extended family.

Anthony congratulated the people of Ballyshannon and surrounding areas who had a great regard for William Allingham and his poetry which revealed his love of his home place.

When the poet died in 1889 the people of the area were quick to recognise that he should be remembered and in 1895 a plaque was erected on the bridge over the river Erne.

William Allingham wished to be remembered close to the river which he loved and the plaque carries his own verse: “Here once he roved a happy boy along the winding of Erne and now please God with finer joy a fairer world his eyes discern.”

His half-brother Hugh Allingham and his family were present when the plaque was unveiled by Mr Sweeney Chairperson of Ballyshannon Town Commissioners.

The Exhibition contains the bust of William Allingham which was sponsored by AIB in 1971 and formed part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of County Donegal Historical Society and was promoted by Kathleen and Louis Emerson, Cecil King and Fr Paddy Gallagher and Peter Kenny Manager of the AIB at the time.

Originally the bust was displayed on a pedestal outside the AIB but was moved inside after a few years, leaving the way open for the Rory Gallagher memorial on the Diamond in modern times.

The bust is usually displayed in the Bank but was kindly loaned to the exhibition by Mark Crawford, Manager AIB.

Also on display is a pane of glass on which William Allingham wrote the following prophetic words: “This name’s duration shall surpass the hand that wrote it on the glass.”

Ballyshannon in modern times has remembered the Allinghams with the Abbey Arts Centre containing a Helen Allingham Gallery in memory of the poet’s wife who was an outstanding artist.

Across the street was the Fair Green where William Allingham attended the fairs and today it is Allingham Park and the Fairy Garden developed by Ballyshannon Town Commissioners and Foroige.

William Allingham rests beside St. Anne’s Church where the memory of generations of the Allingham family is preserved.

The Death Mask of William Allingham sketched by his wife Helen is displayed in the church since it was presented by the Allingham family in 1961.

In conclusion Anthony Begley paid tribute to the Allingham Society and Ballyshannon Library for mounting a wide range of books, paintings, newspaper clippings and rare memorabilia in the Allingham Exhibition.

Also on display is an ehibition by Angela Byrne, author of the Town Atlas of Ballyshannon. Originally prepared for Heritage Week, Angela centred the exhibition around the history of The Mall, Ballyshannon.

“The Mall is such an interesting street and it really gave a taste of the town,” she said.

“It was possibly the most important street not only in Ballyshannon but in south Donegal the Mall Quay was a very important trading port for centuries.”

She thanked Barry Sweeny for his help in sourcing early photographs of the town.

The exhibition continues in Ballyshannon Library and is free to the public during library opening hours on Wednesdays and Fridays.

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