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Decade of Centenaries Donegal

 

Decade of Centenaries County Donegal

 

2022 Culture Divison, Donegal County Council  

Commemorations Programme 

 

 

 

During 2022,  the Culture Division, Donegal County Council continues to commemorate the Decade of Centenaries.  The Culture Division has secured funding of €57,500 under the Decade of Centenaries Initiative 2012-2023 to deliver the Decade of Centenaries Programme for 2022.               

 

The following projects will be delivered:

 

Museum and Archives Programme

 

The Museum and Archives Services collaborated with the National Archives to bring the 'Treaty 1921: Records from the Archives' exhibition to Donegal County Museum during May to early June. 

 

 

Commemorating the Battle of Pettigo and Belleek - 100 Years

 

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The Battle of Pettigo/Belleek, took place along the Donegal /Fermanagh Border in late May, early June 1922 in the period between the War of Independence and the Civil War. It was the last time that Pro and Anti Treaty Forces fought side-by-side against British forces. It was part of Michael Collins's Northern Offensive, which was intended to destabilise the Unionist state, and was also a reaction to sectarian violence against nationalists in the North. This was the only location in Ireland where Irish forces engaged with British forces in a stand-up fight with a defined battle line and the first time since the Easter Rising whenartillery was used in Ireland.

 

 On Saturday 28^th May 2022,  working on a cross-border basis with Fermanagh County Museum, Donegal County Museum held  a commemorative event in Pettigo and Belleek, which included talks by both national and local speakers, the premiere of a specially commissioned animation, part of the Bordering Realities Project, funded by the Creative Ireland Programme, a History Ireland Hedge School and a walking tour of Pettigo and bus tour to and around Belleek.  Speakers included Dr Éamon Phoenix, Dr Edward Burke, Dr Margaret O’Callaghan and local historians, Jimmy Baird, John Cunningham, and Pauline Gilmartin.  

 

Commemorative  booklet https://www.donegalcoco.ie/media/donegalcountyc/museum/pdfs/Battle%20of%20Pettigo%20and%20Belleek%201922%20Booklet.pdf

 

 

Podcast of the Hedge School part of the day  https://www.historyireland.com/hedge-schools/

 

 

Here is the link to the Film  Northern Offensive – The Battle of Pettigo and Belleek – 100 Years film  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iOItlWB7VQ

 

 

Donegal County Museum in association with the Archives Service will organise an interesting and innovative programme of activity for the Decade of Centenaries 2022 focussing on the impact of the closure of the Workhouse system, which occurred with the foundation of the Irish State.  This programme includes:

 

Artist in Residence

 

Many of those who used the Workhouse system experienced poverty, homelessness and the effects of old age.  It is proposed that through an Artist in Residence programme in the County Archives, the stories of those who spent time in the Workhouse in the revolutionary period will be examined. It is proposed that this Artist in Residence will work with community groups and/or organisations to create artistic responses to the themes which will emerge from the research undertaken in the Archives.  

 

Life in the Workhouse -  Living History

 

The Museum will deliver a living history programme telling the stories of those who worked and stayed in the Workhouses in the Revolutionary Period, using the records preserved in the Archives Service. Visitors to the Museum will  meet people such as the Master and/or Matron of the Workhouse, as well as some of the many people who stayed in the workhouse in the final years of the system.  These stories may include those of a soldier returning from WWI like Frances Campbell, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers whose name appears in the workhouse records; the story of the former Master of Letterkenny Workhouse, who was intimidated into moving to Derry in 1922; or that of Mary Breslin, 20 who gave birth to her baby James in Donegal workhouse in 1920.

 

Workhouse Photographic Exhibition

 

The Museum plans to explore the role of the Workhouse in the early decades of the 20^th century, its impact on ordinary lives and how this changed following the introduction of new structures.  There were 8 Poor Law Unions each with a workhouse in Donegal. Some of these have continued in use eg, Letterkenny (Donegal County Museum); Ballyshannon (part used by the Council and the HSE); Donegal Town (part survived); Dunfanaghy (part used as a visitor centre); while others have long since disappeared, Inishowen (Carndonagh), Milford, Glenties, Stranorlar.  The Museum will develop a photographic exhibition consisting of large scale, professionally taken photographs of each workhouse as they are now, which will be displayed along with extracts from the related surviving archives preserved in the Archives Service.  Through this exhibition the Museum will also highlight the on-going preservation needs of the existing workhouse buildings.

 

 

Virtual Workhouse

 

The Workhouse is synonymous with the purported social care system that existed in Ireland prior to Independence, but its role in society has often been overlooked or misunderstood.  By using the plans for workhouses devised by George Wilkinson in the 19^th century and the conservation report undertaken for Ballyshannon Workhouse, Donegal County Museum and the Archives Service propose creating a virtual reconstruction of a workhouse as it would have appeared in the early twentieth century.   With this virtual workhouse we will capture a moment in time when the Workhouse system was still in use prior to the changes which resulted in the aftermath of the revolutionary period. 

 

 

 

The Museum is also working with An Garda Siochana to commemorate 100 years since their foundation.

 

 

Donegal County Archives Programme

 

The Archives Service will continue to digitise important collections  and make them accessible and available  free of charge  on the Donegal County Council Archives webpage  including the;

Buncrana and Bundoran Urban District Council Minute books, 1919 – 1923:Local authorities were critically important in the revolutionary years. Among the many issues they had to face were, the implementation of the  1920 Government of Ireland Act which created the Border; continuing local duties during the War of Independence, including organising the critical local elections of 1920, dealing with compensation claims, rates and the vagaries of the local economy; supporting or rejecting the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the Provisional Government and the abolition of the Poor Law system. The minutes of meetings of Buncrana and Bundoran Urban District Councils reflect all these challenges.

 

And the Daniel Doherty papers 

Daniel Doherty from Malin Head had immigrated to the USA in the early years of the Decade of Centenaries. He lobbied US politicians for many years on Irish issues and  campaigned for reunification. His papers which were donated to Donegal County Archives include letters from John F Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Charles de Gaulle, F D Roosevelt and other leading figures in 20th Century world politics. 

 

 

 

Donegal Library Programme

 

The Library Service will organise a varied, interesting and innovative programme of activity for the Decade of Centenaries 2022 as follows:

 

 

Library Summer Camp

A creative writing, film and/or art workshop will be developed around the character of Constable Albert Carter. The summer camp will also include a digital element of 3-D printing of replica artefacts/ characters from this period.

 

Podcast Series

A series of six podcasts will be delivered by historians on events which occurred in County Donegal during the Decade of Centenaries.

 

Author/Storyteller Commission.

The Library Service will commission an author/storyteller to create an original piece around RIC Constable Albert Carter, a 19-year-old from Kildare, who was killed in Letterkenny in May 1921.

 

Book Club Author Discussion

The Library Service will invite author Gretchen Friemann to give an online talk about her book 'The Treaty'

to members of Donegal County Library’s book clubs.  This is a narrative account of the period from the pre-Truce negotiations in early 1921,  to the death of Michael Collins in 1922.

 

Concert/ Music and poetry event

The Library Service will organise an evening of poetry, song and story in August featuring Mr Paul Muldoon who is one of Ireland’s foremost poets. His material ranges over the Revolutionary period, from the Great War to the Easter Rising and much more.

 

Wainfest Children’s Arts and Book Festival

 

Wainfest Children’s Arts and Book Festival runs between 8^th -16^th October 2022 and is a school and family-based programme, ensuring that all children can participate in free  quality cultural events. As part of this years Festival, several online and physical events relating to the Decade of Centenaries will be organised including digital workshops -  which will allow students to engage in digital & green screen technology to send them back in time to the events of the period; a talk by Dr Eoin Kinsella on Irish Lighthouses and their role in safeguarding Ireland’s Coasts during this pivotal decade of Irish history; workshops with authors Patricia Murphy (author of a series of books in the Hands of History series), Gerard Whelan (author of The Guns of Easter, A Winter of Spies, and War Children) and graphic novelist Gerry Hunt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Virtual Tour of 'From Conflict To Division- Donegal 1919-1925’ 

 

 

Enjoy a Virtual Tour of this major Decade of Centenaries exhibition by Donegal County Museum, Culture Division, Donegal County Council  which focuses on the years 1919-1925 in County Donegal.  The exhibition topics range from the War of Independence, the Civil War to Partition, the work of the Boundary Commission and the Border, all of which had a significant impact on life in County Donegal and the North West.

 

Donegal County Museum’s Decade of Centenaries programme recognises that the period from 1912 to 1923 is perhaps one of the most important in Irish history. The events that occurred during this decade transformed the island of Ireland and have had a lasting impact on Irish politics and society, right up to the present day.

 

This Virtual Tour was funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media under the Community Strand of the 2021 Decade of Centenaries programme as part of the Decade of Centenaries Initiative 2012-2023.

See the Virtual Tour here 

 https://www.virtuartem.com/dococo/index.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Culture Division, Donegal County Council

Decade of Centenaries Programme 2021

 

In 2021, the Culture Division delivered 8 engaging and informative projects exploring the history of the Decade of Centenaries in County Donegal.

 

The 8 projects were:

1. Artist in Residence

2. Audit of Memorials associated with the Decade of Centenaries

3. Historian in Residence

4. Lecture programme

5. Open Call to Artists 

6. Virtual tour of the exhibition “From Conflict to Division Donegal 1919-1925”

7. Wainfest Decade of Centenaries programme

8. WWI database

 

 

 

Project 1 – Artist in Residence

Margaret Hannon was commissioned to work with the Donegal County Archives Service and the Donegal County Museum as Artist in Residence to create a piece of new artistic work in response to their collections of material pertaining to the period 1919-1923. Maggie is an actor, writer and theatre maker who most recently wrote and performed her one woman show, Sister Black.  The result of her residency is a drama which tells the story of a grieving woman who has a series of encounters with ghosts from the Decade of Centenaries who challenge her preconceptions of the past. The drama will be performed in November - Covid -19 restrictions permitting.

 

Project 2 - Audit of memorials

MacConmara Heritage Consulting was appointed to undertake an audit of publically accessible memorials relating to the Decade of Centenaries 1919-1923. They undertook a public consultation process as well as in-depth research which has resulted in a comprehensive audit including a report and database. The project included memorials relating to the War of Independence, Civil War and WWI. Its completion provides us with a powerful resource to interpret how events of a century ago – sometimes contentious, sometimes unifying - have been remembered ever since.  Across Donegal, 81 different memorials were identified.

 

 

Project 3 – Historian in Residence

Dr Ben Rogers was commissioned to work with the Donegal County Archives as Historian in Residence. Dr Rogers is currently based in the School of History in University College Dublin.  He  carried out research on two of the County Archives Collections , The Joseph Murray Collection and selected Rural & Urban District Council minute books from 1918 – 1925. The outcome of the research is six published essays and a series of on-line talks.

 

Project 4 - Lecture programme

The Library Service organised a series of on-line lectures delivered by both local and national experts exploring a variety of themes connected to the revolutionary period.  The series ran from June to September. Speakers included: Liz Gillis, Myles Dungan and Sinead McCoole whose lectures were performed live on-line; Professor Edward Burke, Assistant Professor in International Relations at Nottingham University and Dr Niamh Hamill of the Institute of Study Abroad; and local historians Helen Meehan, Kieran Kelly and Seosamh O Ceallaigh; whose talks were premiered on the Donegal County Council YouTube channel and are available to view at any time.

 

 

Project 5 – Open call to Artists

Ann Quinn was commissioned to create two paintings reflecting on aspects of life in Donegal during the period 1919 to 1923. In 2020 Ann received an Artist Bursary Award from the Arts Council of Ireland and has previously exhibited in galleries throughout Ireland and at the RHA Annual Exhibition every year since 2004. She works from her own artist’s studio at Ballylennon, St Johnston, Co Donegal. The theme of both paintings is Donegal women and Donegal homes, during the period 1919-1923. The artist’s aim was to create a bridge between the present and the past by using a real life model in the present Donegal landscape.

'Legnathraw', oil on canvas, 80 x 100cm, 2021 is based on an old house in the small townland of Legnathraw, outside St. Johnston. The painting is set in Summer. 

'Meenagrauv', oil on canvas, 80 x 100cm, 2022 is based on an old cottage in the townland of Meenagrauv outside Stranorlar. The painting is set in Winter.  

 

Project 6 - Virtual tour of the exhibition “From Conflict to Division Donegal 1919-1925”

Donegal County Museum worked with Paul Marshall of Visual Arts Media to develop a virtual tour of its exhibition From Conflict to Division, Donegal 1919-1925. This virtual tour enables people to access the exhibition from anywhere in the world. It includes a 360 degree tour of the exhibition with the ability to zoom in on each exhibition panel as well as on a select number of artefacts in the exhibition.  The virtual tour will be made available through the Council website.

 

Project 7 – Wainfest Decade of Centenaries programme

In October, during Wainfest Children’s Festival, the Library Service organised a number of events on the theme of the Decade of Centenaries. These included talks by authors Ann Murtagh and Brian Gallagher and historians Liz Gillis and Ida Milne.  There were educational live online presentations by John D Ruddy, Creator of the YouTube history series Manny Man Does History and by Michael Moylan of Irish History Live.   

 

Project 8 - WWI database based on the County Donegal Book of Honour

The Museum developed an on-line database containing all the listings published in the County Donegal Book of Honour, The Great War 1914-1918 with additional information researched by the Museum. The searchable database contains information on each person from Donegal who died as a result of the War including, name, service number and place of birth.  The database can be updated as new information is uncovered and will be publically accessible through a link on the Museum webpage. 

 

 

 Donegal County Museum and the RCC are also collaborating on the 'Bordering Realities' project led by Monaghan County Council,  which will see the delivery of 5 animated films, exploring stories from the Decade of Centenaries in Donegal, Monaghan, Derry, Armagh and Fermanagh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUDIT OF MEMORIALS IN COUNTY DONEGAL

ASSOCIATED WITH THE

DECADE OF CENTENARIES (1912-1923)

 

Monuments and memorials to key aspects of  County Donegal’s history a century ago are to be comprehensively documented in an exciting new project. As part of the Culture Division, Donegal County Council Decade of Centenaries Commemorative Programme, the Culture Division , has appointed Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting, experts in the fields of memory, commemoration and history, to audit commemorative memorials across the county. This project will record County Donegal memorials relating to the Irish Revolutionary Period 1912-1923 -  War of Independence and Civil War, as well as World War I.  On completion, it will provide a powerful resource to interpret how events a century ago – sometimes contentious, sometimes unifying - have been remembered ever since.  The audit places a central focus on local knowledge and community memory within Donegal’s local communities.  

 

Memorials, statues and wall plaques, as well as church inscriptions will be included, where relevant.  Grave markers - where there is a clear reference to the individual’s connection to the period will also be documented. Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting has developed a project methodology based on rigorous academic and archival standards. Ultimately  a master database will be developed to include information on each memorial, including who and what it memorialises, who constructed it and why, detailed information about its condition and location and  geo mapping to allow the people of Donegal and beyond to engage with their history in an enjoyable and interactive way. 

This audit has been funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012 -2023 Initiative through the The Decade of Centenaries Commemorations Programme, Culture Division, Donegal County Council.

This Audit is an Action of the County Donegal Heritage Plan.

 

‌Decade of Centenaries Memorials Audit Press Release

 

Decade of Centenaries Audit of Memorials 2021

 

 Decade of Centenaries Audit of Memorials Statement

 

 

 

 

 

Decade of Centenaries Digital Lecture Series - Donegal County Library

Donegal County Council Library Service announced their first ever digital (online) lecture series exploring the themes of the Decade of Centenaries. This free lecture series ran from June to September and consisted of indepth and engaging lectures by highly regarded historians, focusing on the everyday experience of ordinary people living in extraordinary times and and encompassing the different cultural, political and religious traditions throughout the island of Ireland.

The Decade of Centenaries Commemorations Programme Culture Division, Donegal County Council is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012 -2023 Initiative.

Lectures dates:

 Thursday 24^th June at 7.00pm

Liz Gillis, author and historian -  ‘Children during the War of Independence’

Thursday 15^th July at 7.00pm

Myles Dungan, presenter of the History Show on RTE Radio  - ‘What did you do in the War of Independence, Grandad?’  

 

 Thursday 9^th September at 7.00pm

Sinead McCoole, author and historian, -  ‘How to Research and Write an Irish Family History’

 

 

 

 Please Note:

The following lectures are available  to view online on the Donegal County Council YouTube Channel i

July

Thursday 22^nd July at 7.00pm

Kieran Kelly, author and local historian- ‘From Nationalism to Republicanism - Letterkenny in the Decade of Change’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5yH7Jpt9pc&list=PLDfj6YPUFQtuzFgF8BVpJDdtIq-JjdyVX&index=2

 

Thursday 29^th July at 7.00pm

Professor Edward Burke, Assistant Professor in International Relations, Director of Conflict, Security and Terrorism, Faculty of Social Sciences at Nottingham University - “Closing the Gates: Loyalist Paramilitaries and Resistance in County Donegal, 1920-1923”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpshe-OdLP0&list=PLDfj6YPUFQtuzFgF8BVpJDdtIq-JjdyVX

 

 

September

Thursday 16^th September at 7.00pm

Helen Meehan ,author and local historian -  “The History and legacy of Cumann na mBan in Donegal”

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqlXzwgjjqg&list=PLDfj6YPUFQtuzFgF8BVpJDdtIq-JjdyVX&index=4

 

 Thursday 23^rd September at 7.00pm

Dr Niamh Hamill (author and historian) “Broken Promises – Nationalism, Gender and the New Republic’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld3yizZHxVI&list=PLDfj6YPUFQtuzFgF8BVpJDdtIq-JjdyVX&index=3

 

 Thursday 30^th September at 7.00pm

Seosamh O Ceallaigh. author and local historian -  ‘The War of Independence in Cloughaneely’

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYfWvgOv5g8&list=PLDfj6YPUFQtuzFgF8BVpJDdtIq-JjdyVX&index=5

For further information on all these Decade of Centenaries lectures contact the Central Library, Letterkenny on 074 9124950.

You can also follow Donegal County Library on Facebook and Twitter. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‌Donegal County Museum was delighted to announce funding has been secured by Donegal County Council’s Culture Division from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media under the Community Strand of the 2021 Decade of Centenaries programme as part of the Decade of Centenaries Initiative 2012-2023. This funding will enable the Culture Division to deliver 8 exciting and innovative projects across a wide range of themes.   

Please note that applications for these projects is now closed.

 

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 Open call for Artists 

Artists of all disciplines (resident and working in/or from County Donegal) are invited to submit proposals for a creative project exploring, responding to or reflecting

on aspects of life in County Donegal during the period 1919 to 1923.

One artist and one project will be selected through this Open Call.

 

 Deich mBliana na gCuimhneachán 2021 Treoir don Glao Oscailte d'Ealaíontóirí

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DOC 21 Open Call Artist and Artist in Residence Brief

 

Forim Iarratais

 

dDeich mBliana na gCuimhneachán 2021 Foirm Iarratais Glao Oscailte ar Ealaíontói‌

 

 ‌Application Form

DOC21 ARTISTS OPEN CALL APPLICATION

  

 

 

 

Artist in Residence

Donegal County Archives and the Donegal County Museum Services  are looking to engage an Artist in Residence to create new artistic work/s in response to their collections of material pertaining to the period 1919-1923

 

Cónaitheacht Ealaíontóra ag Seirbhís Cartlainne Chomhairle Contae Dhún na nGall

 

DOC 21 Open Call Artist and Artist in Residence Brief

 

Forim Iarratais

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Cónaitheacht Ealaíontóra ag Seirbhís Cartlainne Chomhairle Contae Dhún na nGall

  

Application Form

DOC21 ARTISTS RESIDENCY FORM

 

 

 

Historian in Residence

A historian in residence will carry out research on two of the Donegal County Archives Collections -  The Joseph Murray Collection (Vice Brigadier, 4 Brigade, 1^st  Northern Division, South East Donegal) and on selected Rural & Urban District Council minute books from 1918 – 1925.

The outcome of the research will be six published essays and a series of online talks.

 

DOC 21 Deich mBliana na gCuimhneachán 2021 Treoir don Ealaíontoir Chónaithe sa C‌

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DOC 21 HISTORIAN BRIEF

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 AUDIT OF MEMORIALS IN COUNTY DONEGAL ASSOCIATED WITH THE DECADE OF CENTENARIES (1912-1923)

 

As part of the County Donegal Decade of Centenaries Commemorations Programme, funding has been received to undertake an audit of memorials relating to the Decade of Centenaries (1912-1923).

This will be an audit of publicly-accessible memorials relating to the Decade of Centenaries including those in outdoor settings and those in publicly-accessible buildings such as Churches.

This audit has been funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012 -2023 Initiative through the The Decade of Centenaries Commemorations Programme, Culture Division.

This Audit is an Action of the County Donegal Heritage Plan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lectures, History, Art, a Virtual Tour, Memorials

and More to Form Part of 

Donegal’s Decade of Centenaries 2021 Programme

Donegal County Museum is delighted to announce funding has been secured by Donegal County Council’s Culture Division from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media under the Community Strand of the 2021 Decade of Centenaries programme as part of the Decade of Centenaries Initiative 2012-2023. This funding will enable the Culture Division to deliver 8 exciting and innovative projects across a wide range of themes.   The projects are:

 

Historian in Residence

A historian in residence will carry out research on two of the Donegal County Archives Collections -  The Joseph Murray Collection (Vice Brigadier, 4 Brigade, 1^st  Northern Division, South East Donegal) and on selected Rural & Urban District Council minute books from 1918 – 1925. The outcome of the research will be six published essays and a series of online talks.

 

Wainfest Children’s’ Activities

During Wainfest, the Donegal Library Service will organise a number of online talks by Irish authors aimed at primary aged children across Donegal. There will also be an educational live presentation in libraries by John D Ruddy, Creator of Manny Man and the YouTube history series Manny Man Does History.

 

Donegal Library Service Lecture programme

The Donegal Library Service will organise a series of online lectures exploring a variety of themes connected to the revolutionary period.  The talks will be delivered by both local and national experts.

 

Open call for Artists 

Artists of all disciplines (resident and working in/or from County Donegal ) will be invited to submit proposals for a creative project exploring, responding to or reflecting on aspects of life in Donegal during the period 1919 to 1923. One artist and one project will be selected through an Open Call.

 

Artist in Residence

Donegal County Archives and the Donegal County Museum Services will engage an Artist in Residence to create new artistic work/s in response to their collections of material pertaining to the period 1919-1923.

 

WWI database based on the County Donegal Book of Honour

Donegal County Museum will create an on-line database containing all the listings published in the 5th edition of the County Donegal Book of Honour, The Great War 1914-1918 along with additional information uncovered by the Museum in their research.

 

Virtual tour of the exhibition ‘From Conflict to Division, Donegal 1919-1925’

Donegal County Museum will develop a virtual tour of its exhibition ‘From Conflict to Division Donegal 1919-1925’ so visitors can access the exhibition despite the restrictions of the Covid 19 pandemic. 

 

Audit of Memorials

As part of the implementation of the County Donegal Heritage Plan, Donegal County Council will commission an audit of publicly-accessible memorials relating to the Decade of Centenaries (1912 – 1923). 

 

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media works with partner Departments and stakeholders to support and facilitate commemorative actions and events under this initiative, with local authorities including Donegal County Council  holding a key partner role in coordination, planning and delivery of the programme.

For information contact Donegal County Museum, High Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal T 074 9124613 E [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WOMEN’S VOICES FROM THE PAST

-         Revolutionary Times

 

 

Donegal County Museum, the Regional Cultural Centre and the Museum and Heritage Service of Derry City and Strabane District Council commissioned and produced a series of six short video pieces which highlight the experiences of women during the Revolutionary Period (1919-1923).  These videos provide snapshots of the period, exploring the stories of women during the struggle for Irish independence.

 

The Donegal video pieces highlight the varied experiences of local women.

The first video features Eithne Coyle, an active member of Cumann na mBan. During the War of Independence she carried out a one woman campaign holding up trains, seizing goods and burning British newspapers. In September 1922 she was arrested and remained in jail until the end of the Civil War. She was President of Cumann na mBan between 1926 and 1941.  

The second video features Mary Ballantine who was married to Head Constable Joseph Ballantine of the Royal Irish Constabulary. In May 1922, Joseph who had just retired from his position was shot and killed at his home in Raphoe.

The third video features Rose Ann Logue, an Instructress with the Congested Districts Board, who was held up by two armed and masked men who threatened her and cut off her hair.

 

 

The Derry films feature Lady Lillian Spender on a tour along the newly-established border in June 1923. Lady Spender describes in her diaries events along the Border in places such as Clady and Pettigo.

 

 

The videos were released as a weekly series beginning in February  23rd  with Eithne Coyle and Lillian Spender.

To view the Donegal films visit

https://www.youtube.com/user/wwwdonegalcocoie/videos

Or https://www.facebook.com/Donegalcomuseum

 

To view the Derry Films, beginning on Monday 23^rd February, visit www.facebook.com/towermuseum/

 

 

The video pieces were produced by Dark Daughter Productions with videography by Oath Film Studio. Use of the Diaries of Lillian Spender is by courtesy of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

 

These videos have been supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ó Choimhlint go Deighil -Dún na nGall 1919 -1925

 

From Conflict To Division – Donegal 1919 – 1925

 

 A new publication from Donegal County Museum

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

Donegal County Museum has written and produced a fascinating new booklet entitled “From Conflict to Division: Donegal 1919-1925” which explores the story of the War of Independence, Partition, and the Civil War in County Donegal.

The period 1912 to 1923 is perhaps one of the most important in Irish history. The events that occurred during this decade transformed the island of Ireland and have had a lasting legacy on Irish politics and society, right up to the present day. In the 100 years since, the lines between fact and myth have become blurred and the true story of the revolutionary years was buried but not forgotten. The booklet highlights some of the events from this period that impacted the people of Donegal.

This bilingual booklet was supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012 -2023 Initiative and by the Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022.

 

This free booklet is available online and can be downloaded from Donegal County Museum website see

 

https://www.donegalcoco.ie/culture/countymuseum/publications/

 

 

 A limited number of hard copies are available from Donegal County Museum.

Donegal County Museum High Road, Letterkenny,Co Donegal 

E [email protected]  T 074 91 24613

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ideas Sought For Culture Division’s

Decade of Centenaries Programme

 

The Culture Division of Donegal County Council is currently putting together a programme of events to commemorate the forthcoming Decade of Centenaries (2021-2023) including the Struggle for Independence, Partition, the Civil War and the Foundation of the State.  The objective is to promote an inclusive, respectful, authentic, measured and consultative approach to commemorations, which encourages a deeper understanding of the context of the time, recognising the differing perspectives on our shared history and seeking to strengthen peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland. 

 

One of the challenges of these centenaries is that every place and community has a story. However, these stories are largely hidden or almost forgotten.  We are seeking your ideas for themes and activities which could be included in this programme and which could increase our understanding of this complex period of our history.

 

 

Themes to be considered could include but are not limited to:

 

•          Local connections with the significant events

 

•          The partitioning of Ireland – its impact and legacy on Donegal communities living along the newly established border and farther afield. 

 

•          The impact of the revolutionary period on families and children.

 

•          The aftermath of World War I and the experiences of those who were part of the war effort and returned to their communities in a changing Ireland.

 

•          The Irish language during this period.

 

•          'Ireland and the Wider World' – local connections with the international dimension, including the role of the Diaspora in the events from 1921 – 1923.

 

 

 

We would particularly welcome suggestions for on-line and virtual activities that we could deliver during the COVID-19 pandemic. Themes or activities suggested will be considered for inclusion in the programme to be delivered by the Culture Division.

 

 

Please note that the following will not be included in the programme:

-           Memorials, plaques, busts, statues, commemorative medals or pins;

-           Commercial activities.

 

The Culture Division programme is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012 -2023 Initiative

 

 

 

If you wish to submit an idea or suggest a theme, please request a submission form by emailing 

[email protected]  

 

 Closing date for submissions: 5pm on Tuesday 26th January 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Culture Division, Donegal County Council

‌The Culture Division of Donegal County Council will deliver the following programme of activities in 2020 as part of the Decade of Centenaries Commemorations. These activities have been supported by the Department of  Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative.

 ‌

 

 

Donegal County Archives 

Digitisation of the Archives (minutes of meetings) of County Donegal’s Ten Rural District Councils during the Revolutionary period in County Donegal, 1918 – 1925

 

The Archives Service will digitise and make available on-line the bound volumes of the minutes of meetings which are currently stored in the Archives repository in Lifford. These archives are the minutes of meetings of County Donegal’s ten Rural District Councils, during the aftermath of the 1916 Rising, the 1918 General Election, War of Independence, partition, Civil War and early years of the Irish Free State, 1918 - 1925.

 

For further Information please contact

Donegal County Archives Office

Three Rivers Centre

Lifford

Co. Donegal

F93 PN3H

Tel: 074 9153900

Email: [email protected]

 

 

 

Donegal County Museum

Decade of Centenaries Booklet

 

Donegal County Museum will deliver a booklet on the theme of the Decade of Centenaries focussing on the current centenaries – War of Independence; Partition; and the Civil War, as they relate to County Donegal. The booklet will promote a wider understanding of these historical events and their impact in Donegal. It will explore the story from all perspectives and highlight the events of the period using both local and national resources.

 

For further information, please contact

Donegal County Museum

High Road

Letterkenny

Co. Donegal

F92 K123

Tel: 074 9124613

Email: [email protected]

  

 

Regional Cultural Centre

Video Pieces

 

The Regional Cultural Centre working with Dark Daughter productions will deliver a series of  Cross Border video pieces which explore the experiences of women during the Struggle for Independence and the changing role of women in society during the revolutionary period. The video pieces will highlight a previously unexplored aspect of our history and will be presented in a format accessible to a wide audience. 

 

For further information, please contact 

Regional Cultural Centre

Regional Cultural Centre

Cove Hill, Port Road

Letterkenny

Co. Donegal