February 2006
DONEGAL COUNTY ARCHIVES
SERVICE
SUMMARY OF LISTED ARCHIVES
Cultural Services, Donegal County Council
CONTENTS
1.
Introduction to collection
3
2.
Grand Jury
4
3.
Poor Law Union
4
4.
Poor Law Commissioners
7
5.
Letters of Local Government Board
7
6.
Rural District Councils
8
7.
Donegal Board of Health
9
8.
Donegal County Council
10
9.
Ballyshannon Town Commissioners
11
10.
Ballyshannon Harbour Board
11
11.
Letterkenny Urban District Council
12
12.
Bundoran Urban District Council
12
13.
Buncrana Urban District Council
12
14.
Committee of Agriculture
12
15.
Petty Sessions
13
16.
Legal Deeds
14
17.
Ordnance Survey
14
18.
Valuation
14
19.
Schools
15
20.
Railways
18
21.
Fisheries
19
22.
Private records
19
23.
Donegal Annual
23
24.
Contacts
24
2
INTRODUCTION TO COUNTY ARCHIVES
COLLECTION
Donegal County Council holds one of the most extensive local
authority archive collections in the country, including extensive
archives of both public and private origin. Archives include plans,
drawings, maps, letters, minutes, agendas and reports of meetings,
photographs, registers, financial documentation, diaries, handwritten
manuscripts, posters, rentals, oral history interviews and other
material.
Among the most important records held by the County Archives are
the Poor Law Union (workhouse) archives. These include minutes of
the meetings of the eight Boards of Guardians who ran the
workhouses, and crucially admission and indoor and outdoor
registers that are scarce elsewhere in the country. The Grand Jury
archives, while not complete, date back to the mid-18th century and
are of great significance in demonstrating the development of the
county over a century and a half. Other now extinct public bodies well
represented in the County Archives collection include the Rural
District Councils and Board of Health & Public Assistance. The
County Council itself which was established in 1899 has a huge
collection of archival material, from Housing and Roads to Planning
and Environment (only some of which, to date, have been transferred
to the Archives Service).
Almost 40 Primary Schools have kindly donated their registers and
rollbooks. There are significant records relating to the railways.
Privately acquired archives include the papers of poet Cathal Ó
Searcaigh; Father Patrick Gallagher of the Donegal Historical Society;
estate records; photographs; oral history interviews; and papers of
various well known families, including the Groves of Castle Grove and
the Stewart Murrays of south Donegal.
The Archives Service is always happy to receive donations of archives
relating to the history and culture of the county. Anyone wishing to
donate items of interest should contact the Archivist (see page 24 for
details.)
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GRAND JURY
Grand Juries were in existence since Norman times. Landowners
made up the Grand Jury itself, selected by the Sheriff of the County.
Grand Juries had no corporate existence, they were discharged by the
Judge of Assize. Before the assizes, presentment sessions were called
in each of the six baronies of Donegal, where proposals for work to be
done were considered and submitted to the Grand Jury for
ratification. Services were provided and paid for by Grand Jury Cess,
a rate payable by occupiers. These services included making and
repair of roads and bridges and construction of courthouses, levying
for support of district hospitals, schools and prisons.
Grand Jury: ARCHIVES
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Forty volumes of Spring and Summer and Lent Assizes 1753 –
1899 (many gaps in years);
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Accounts and correspondence, including correspondence with
County Council, 1816 – 1901;
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Grand Jury Map, 1801
All the Grand Jury records are open to the public.
Extract from Grand Jury register, 1754
POOR LAW UNION/BOARDS OF GUARDIANS
Under the Poor Law Act of 1838 the country was divided into poor law
unions, each one run by an area Board of Guardians. The principal
responsibility of the boards was to supervise the running of the
workhouses.
Workhouses in Donegal were in Letterkenny, Ballyshannon,
Stranorlar, Dunfanaghy, Carndonagh (run by the Inishowen board),
Donegal, Glenties and Milford.
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There are over 550 surviving registers and minute books of the eight
Boards of Guardians in Donegal, dating from 1840 to 1923. These
records consist mainly of volumes of minutes recording the meetings
of each board, but there are also a number of admission and
discharge registers, statistics, dietary records, and volumes of
accounts relating to the management of the workhouses.
Poor Law Unions: ARCHIVES
Ballyshannon Union (all now on microfilm);
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88 volumes of minutes, including one rough minute book, 1840
-1922,
46 Abstracts of accounts and other financial records, including
a General Ledger; account books, financial statements and
receipt books for the Union, 1843 - 1921,
30 Abstracts showing the number and classification of paupers
relieved, dating from 1844 – 1873;
Medical records, including Diet registers, 1916 – 1921
Donegal Union (all now on microfilm);
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Only 14 minute books survive for Donegal Union, 1914 – 1923;
4 Indoor Admission and Discharge Registers, 1914 – 1921;
Indoor Relief Register, 1918 – 1924;
Special Diet and Stimulant Register, 1919 – 1920
Dunfanaghy Union (all now on microfilm);
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57 volumes of minutes, including one rough minute book, 1841
– 1922 (12 volumes are missing);
Medical Officers’ Report Book, 1870 – 1899;
Indoor Relief Register, 1891 – 1915;
Attendance Register of Guardians, 1902 – 1925;
Treasurers’ Receipt and Payment Book, 1910 – 1922
Glenties Union (all now on microfilm);
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72 volumes of minutes, including one rough minute book, 1841
– 1922;
3 Registers of persons admitted to and discharged from the
workhouse, 1851 – 1867; 1884 – 1896; and 1913 – 1922;
Indoor Relief Register, 1899 – 1907;
Treasurers’ Pass Book, 1912 - 1921
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Inishowen Union (all now on microfilm);
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61 volumes of minutes, including one rough minute book, 1844
– 1922;
Register of persons admitted to and discharged from the
workhouse, 1849 – 1858;
Indoor Relief Registers, 1844 – 1849; 1899 – 1907; 1907 – 1911;
Volume of Accounts, 1892 – 1900;
Day Book, 1907 – 1909;
Outdoor Relief Admission and Discharge Register, 1908 – 1911
Letterkenny Union
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82 volumes of minutes, including one rough minute book, 1841
– 1923;
Guardians’ Treasure Book, 1917 – 1925;
Register of persons admitted to and discharged from
Letterkenny workhouse, 1864 – 1878;
Outdoor Relief Register, 1855 – 1899;
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Indoor Relief register, 1910 – 1915;
Some correspondence;
Record of Deaths, 1910- 1921;
Dispensary attendance register, 1843 – 1858 (microfilm only).
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Milford Union
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89 volumes of minutes including one volume of rough minutes,
1840 – 1923;
Report of Visiting Committee, 1846 - 1912;
Registers of persons admitted to and discharged from
workhouse, 1855 –1874, 1882-1897;
Indoor Relief Register, 1919 - 1922;
Outdoor Relief Register, 1847 – 1899;
Record of Deaths, 1899 – 1917;
Register of Mortgages, 1880 – 1932.
Punishment Book, 1879 – 1893.
Stranorlar Union
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41 volumes of minutes, (8 missing);
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11 rough minutes 1861 – 1901;
Letter Book, 1886 – 1921;
Labourers’ (Cottages) Minute Book, 1895 – 1899;
Dispensary (Killygordan and Stranorlar) minute books, 1852 –
1899
Some Correspondence.
All the Poor Law Union records to 1923 are open to the public.
POOR LAW COMMISSIONERS & LOCAL
GOVERNMENT BOARD
The Poor Law Commissioners, replaced in 1873 by the Local
Government Board, administered the laws for relief of the poor in
Ireland. They maintained returns of persons relieved in the various
unions; statistics regarding the workhouse infirmaries; statistics
regarding orphans or deserted children; statistics of people in receipt
of indoor and outdoor relief; admissions to the workhouse during the
past year; and notifications of proceedings under the Medical
Charities Act, with reference to dispensary districts. Also included are
official orders and circulars relevant to the Poor Law Unions.
ARCHIVES
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Annual Reports of The Poor Law Commissioners: 1842 – 1872
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Annual Reports of the Local Government Board: 1873 - 1904
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1899 Letters from the Local Government Board to Donegal
County Council, on matters including: officers’ salaries; issues
regarding rate, including rate collectors, arrears of rate;
valuation; liaison with Rural District Councils on matters such
as roads; waterworks; infirmaries ran by Council.
All the Poor Law Commissioners and Local Government Board records
are open to the public.
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RURAL DISTRICT COUNCILS
The Rural District Councils were set up under the Local Government
(Ireland) Act 1898. They took over a number of functions from the
Boards of Guardians, including local housing and sanitary services.
They were abolished in 1925.
Rural District Councils: ARCHIVES
The minutes are generally indexed by function and names. The
volumes include minutes of the meetings held under the Public Health
Acts, as the RDCs acted as the Public Sanitary Authorities and dealt
with matters such as water supply, public dwellings, contagious
diseases and sewerage. There are also surviving minutes of meetings
held under the Labourers Acts relating to the building of rural
cottages; and Financial minutes, concerning accounts, salaries,
expenditure etc. Other issues covered in the RDC minutes were local
roads, bridges, rates, burial boards and liaison with the Congested
Districts Boards.
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Ballyshannon: 19 volumes of minutes, 1899 – 1925;
Donegal: 11 volumes of minutes, 1914 – 1925;
Dunfanaghy: volumes of minutes, 1899 – 1918; and 13 folders
of correspondence, 1909 – 1918;
Glenties: 14 volumes of minutes, 1899 – 1925;
Inishowen: 13 volumes of minutes, 1899 – 1925;
Letterkenny: 18 volumes of minutes, 1899 – 1925;
Londonderry No. 2: volumes of minutes, 1899 – 1925;
Milford: 26 volumes of minutes, 1899 – 1925;
Strabane No. 2: 15 volumes of minutes, 1899 – 1922;
Stranorlar: 8 volumes of minutes, 1899 – 1925;
General:
Financial
records,
some
rough
minutes,
correspondence, registers of mortgages and some maps and
plans.
All the Rural District Council records are open to the public.
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DONEGAL BOARD OF HEALTH & PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE
The Board was formed under the 1925 Act, to take over
administration of public assistance for the county, and to assume
some of the functions of the abolished RDC’s. Among its functions
were local hospitals and public health; the building of rural cottages,
water supply and sewerage schemes. The Boards were abolished in
1942.
It should be noted that most Board of Health records are subject
to restricted access due to the sensitivity of the material.
Extracts can be made available to members of the public for
personal, research or statistical reasons.
Donegal Board of Health: ARCHIVES
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19 Medical relief registers, 1915 – 1943 (restricted access)
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General Minutes of the Board of Health, 1924 – 1942 (restricted
access due to sensitivity of material), these include:
o Correspondence and reference to payments to medical
professionals for various duties, including maternity services
and dispensary attendance; applications for leave and other
staff matters; requisitions for medical and surgical appliances
from dispensaries; condition of dispensary premises;
o Boarding out of children: individual cases discussed, including
runaways; children reaching hiring out age;
o District hospitals: Carndonagh; Donegal; Glenties; Letterkenny;
County Hospital, Lifford;
o General Assistance Committee, concerning unemployment
assistance and other assistance to needy;
o County Home, Stranorlar.
o Admissions to 'extern institutions' including Dublin hospitals;
o Children's Acts, decisions under Acts.
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Minutes of Public Health and Kindred Subjects Committee of the
Board, held on same dates: subjects include:
o Water supply, e.g., Ardara; Carndonagh; Porthall etc., referring
to correspondence, decisions made etc.;
o Sewers, including difficulties acquiring land;
o Nuisances, including Notices of abatement;
o Milk & Dairies Act;
o Infectious Diseases, including Diphtheria immunisation;
o Derelict Sites (1940 Act);
o Donegal Markets;
o Recreation Grounds;
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School Medical Scheme;
Free Milk Scheme;
Free Meals (School Meals Gaeltacht Acts);
Fire fighting equipment;
Inspection of slaughterhouses;
Monthly Report of County Medical Officer of Health: refers to
fever hospitals; TB; school medical inspection and inspection of
conditions of schools in county;
o Monthly Financial statement
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Minutes of Fire Fighting Services Committee;
Minutes of Burial Board for Board of Health;
Minutes of Board under Tuberculosis Acts, including monthly
report of TB Officer (for each of 25 dispensaries);
Monthly Report of District Nurses, including patient visits at home
and in dispensaries;
Minutes of Board held under Labourers' Acts, including letting of
cottages and numbers of applicants; notices to quit, cottages'
repairs; nurses' cottages; sourcing of site; includes statistics on
rent collectors' accounts.
DONEGAL COUNTY COUNCIL
Modern local authorities, including County Councils, were established
under the 1898 Local Government (Ireland) Act. Soon they totally
replaced the Grand Juries. The first meeting of Donegal County
Council took place in April 1899.
Donegal County Council: ARCHIVES
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Minutes including Committee minutes, 1899 – 1975; [77
volumes, with some gaps);
County Manager’s Orders, 1942 – 1976;
Finance material including Abstracts of Accounts, secretary’s
statements and General Ledgers, 1914 - 1967;
Motor Tax Registers, 1903 - 1923, 1951 – 1992;
Housing records including housing of ‘working classes’ and
‘labourers’: plans, correspondence, reports etc, 1890 – 1940;
County Library archives, including reports and minutes of
meetings, 1928 – 1987;
 Electoral material, including Registers of Electors from the
county; and summaries of registers, 1920 – 1980’s
(incomplete);
 Notices of elections, correspondence, 1920's -1980's;
 Local and general elections campaigning material, generally
from the 1970’s;
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Planning: applications, registers and Development Plans,
1934 - 1972;
Environmental Services, plans and maps;
Roads: plans, drawings and maps;
Legal deeds.
The majority of the Donegal County Council records which have been
listed and transferred to the Archives are open to the public.
However many Housing records are closed, particularly files relating to
individual rented houses.
BALLYSHANNON TOWN COMMISSIONERS
Ballyshannon Town Commissioners was established in 1896.
ARCHIVES include:
 Minutes of meetings of the Commissioners, 1896 - 1963
All listed Ballyshannon Town Commissioners records are open to the
public.
BALLYSHANNON HARBOUR BOARD
Ballyshannon Harbour Board was constituted in 1887.
ARCHIVES include:
 Minutes of the meetings of the Board, 1887 – 1962
All listed Ballyshannon Harbour Board records are open to the public.
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URBAN DISTRICT COUNCILS
Urban District Councils (now called Town Councils) were formed
under the 1898 Local Government (Ireland) Act. ARCHIVES include:
LETTERKENNY URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
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Minutes of meetings of Council, 1899 – 1972
Manager’s Orders, 1942 – 1991
All listed Letterkenny Urban District Council records are open to the
public.
BUNDORAN URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
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Minutes of meetings, c.1914 – 1970
Managers’ Orders, 1942 – 1970
Accounts & Financial documents
All listed Bundoran Urban District Council records are open to the
public.
BUNCRANA URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
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Minutes of Meetings, c.1913 – 1993
Managers’ Orders, 1947 – 1994
Legal Deeds (incl. copies), 1812 - 1966
Files relating to Planning, Roads, Environment, Valuation and
Housing
All listed Buncrana Urban District Council records are open to the
public.
COUNTY DONEGAL COMMITTEE OF
AGRICULTURE & DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE &
TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION
ARCHIVES
The archives mainly related to the early years of the twentieth
century. There are twenty-three volumes of correspondence dating
from 1901 – 1930. In bound volume format, the letters are addressed
to Donegal County Committee of Agriculture, and are described as 're:
Live stock, agricultural and technical schemes'. The letters include
subjects such as:
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Instruction in and training of teachers in 'experimental science',
'sprigging', embroidery, cookery, laundry work, dressmaking,
etc., in schools and providing grants for same; and providing
instruction in veterinary hygiene;
County Donegal poultry scheme;
Flax shows and schemes; individual towns' home industries'
societies' shows; livestock and other agricultural annual
schemes, e.g., cattle breeding scheme, horse breeding scheme:
funds for and prizes for improvement; cottage garden and farm
prize schemes etc.
Volumes contain letters sanctioning payments for above schemes and
prizes; including schedules of payments and names of 'payee', for each
of above schemes. Some correspondence and memoranda from local
organisations are included in volumes, e.g., North West of Ireland
Agricultural Society; Ballyshannon Co-operative Home Industries
Society; merchants etc.
All listed County Donegal Committee of Agriculture and Department of
Agriculture & Technical Instruction records are open to the public.
COURT RECORDS: PETTY SESSIONS
The majority of court records are held in the National Archives,
Dublin. A small number of Petty Sessions records are held at the
County Archives.
ARCHIVES
Twenty volumes of Petty Sessions records, mainly Ballyshannon, 1828
– 1856:
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Registry of Criminal Proceedings at Ballyshannon Petty Sessions,
1828 –1848; 1849 – 1851; 1851 - 1853
Details include date; informant's name and address; name and
residence of person charged; offence (e.g., 'waylaying and
assault', 'entering his orchard and stealing apples', 'stealing
three bricks'); witnesses sworn; and determination (e.g., 'fined',
'committed to gaol').
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Registry of Criminal Proceedings at Manorcunningham Petty
Sessions,
1830's
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Registry of Civil Proceedings at Ballyshannon Petty Sessions
1828 – 1848; 1848 - 1850; 1851- 1856
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Details include date; complainant’s name and address;
defendant’s name; complaint (e.g., ‘non payment of county cess,’
'having a quantity of flax on the public road', 'wilfully driving
your mare into his grazing land’,) witnesses sworn; adjudication
(e.g., 'dismissed', 'no appearance', 'postponed', 'settled', 'fined').
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Registry of Summons issued from Ballyshannon Petty Sessions
1828 - 33; 1831 - 1839; 1833 - 1837; 1844 - 1848; 1848 - 1850
Details include name and address of complainant; name of
person summoned; date; offence
(e.g., 'assault and forcibly
carrying away turf’, 'house breaking'); and decision (e.g.,
'dismissed', 'no jurisdiction', 'conviction', 'fined').
All the above Petty Sessions records are open to the public.
LEGAL DEEDS
Many legal deeds pertain to Donegal County Council, but many
precede the Council’s existence and relate to family and local matters.
ARCHIVES
Approximately 100 items, including wills, leases, assignments and
agreements from c. 1752 – 1900.
The majority of legal deeds are open to the public, unless they relate
to private agreements with individuals and are less than 60 years old.
ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS
There are a number of first and second edition maps of Donegal:
approximately 200 six inch and one inch maps, 1840 – 1881.
All the above Ordnance Survey maps are open to the public.
VALUATION & RATES
Griffith Valuation Surveys
ARCHIVES
There are fifty-two handwritten booklets dating from 1833 – 1859;
these contain surveyor Richard Griffith’s topographical surveys of the
parishes of Donegal. Each parish is subdivided into townlands and
the townland is further subdivided into plots. The surveys give details
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of quantity of land; rate per statute acre; value of land; numbers of
houses (though only houses valued at over £5 are counted; otherwise
it is stated: 'There are no houses in this Townland worth £5 a year.')
and an overall description of the land including drainage, relief and
soil quality. Surveys generally date between 1833 and 1840.
The collection
accounts.
also
includes
correspondence,
summaries
and
General Valuation:
ARCHIVES
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200 volumes for most areas of Donegal, 1889 – 1969.
These General Valuation Records for the Electoral Divisions of
Donegal show how much each household had to pay in rates.
Volumes are subdivided into townlands and give the names of the
heads of each household. The General Valuation is based on Richard
Griffith's Valuation
or the Tenement Valuation and the value of the property was updated
on a yearly basis. As a result of this, corrections were made to the
valuation books. These revisions were normally done in a different
colour of ink with the year of the revision marked in.
All the above Valuation records are open to the public.
SCHOOLS
School records held at the County Archives mainly relate to primary
schools although there are some archives relating to post-primary
schools also.
Primary School records
ARCHIVES
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School roll books, giving the names and number of pupils; the
class; and date of birth of pupil.
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Attendance books, giving the number of classes, number of
pupils on roll, and number absent.
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Registers, giving the date of entrance of pupil to school, pupil's
name in full, pupil's date of birth and residence, occupation of
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parent or guardian, religion, and place where pupil last
attended school. Gives details of attendances during each
school year. There are some indexes to pupils' names.
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District Inspector Report books: inspections of schools carried
out, including of teachers’ competency and pupils’ progress as
well as condition of schools (some restricted access)
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General items, including correspondence, Departmental and
local circulars, photographs.
Primary Schools (mainly rolls and registers) collected to date:
c.1855 – 1990’s (dates vary):
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Scoil Mhuire (Creeslough)
Kildarrach
Mas-an-Eas
Dunfanaghy
Faugher
Glassan
Glendowan
Stramore
Creevy
Ellestrin
Gortnacart
Lifford Endowed Schools
Ray (Raphoe)
Creevy
Ellistrin
Gortnacart, Ardara
Thorr, Gweedore
Dore, Gweedore, NS
Dunlewy NS
Scoil Phadraig, Bunbeg
Scoil Naomh Fiachra, Kilmacrenan
Scoil Michael O'Cleirigh (Ballyshannon)
Coolmore NS (Ballyshannon)
Scoil Carraig Na hCorna (2) NS (Ballyshannon)
Scoil Bearaic (Ballyshannon)
Castlefinn (2) National School
Donaghmore NS (Liscooley)
Scoil Cholmcille (Fintown)
Shallogans / An tSealgain (Fintown)
Beal-an-Ath-Moir (Fintown)
Glenleigham / Gleann-Leitin (Fintown)
Ceann Garb (Fintown)
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Glenmaquin (Lurgybrack) NS
Dumhaigh / Dumhai (Lettermacaward)
Lettermacaward
Croagh / Cruac NS (Dunkineely)
Calhaim / Ceallseim NS (Dunkineely)
Dunkineely National School
Min Beannaid (Burtonport)
Acres / Na hAcrai / Ailt an Corrain (Burtonport)
Meenmore (Burtonport)
Ardbane NS (Mountcharles)
Glencoagh NS (Mountcharles)
Naomh Peadar NS (Mountcharles)
Muintir Naois (Mountcharles)
Lettermore NS (Inver)
Scoil Iosagain NS (Buncrana)
Naomh Colmcille NS (Buncrana)
An Croi Ro-Naofa/ Sacred Heart Convent School (Buncrana)
Cockhill Boys NS (Buncrana)
Tullydish / Naomh Baoithin (Buncrana) NS
Scoil Mhuire/ St. Mary's (Ramelton)
Killycreen/ Na Coilleadh Crine (Ramelton)
Cruachan N.S (Ramelton)
Tank / Ramelton No. 2 (Ramelton)
Castleshanaghan
Droimin (Ramelton)
Donegal NS, The Glebe
Cill na mBaird/Killymard (Donegal)
Clar Robertson (Donegal)
Tulaig Sneachta (Donegal)
Naomh Mura Fahan
Fahan Mura Iochtar and Uachtar
Carrowreagh (Fahan)
Dooey National School
Drumoghill National School
Caiseal Mhuire NS (Fanad)
Ballymichael NS (Fanad)
Scoil Bhrid (Fanad)
Ballymore C. of I. NS (Creeslough)
Newtowncunningham NS
Doochary NS
Dungloe NS
Kincasslagh NS
Ballyraine NS (Letterkenny)
Rutland Island
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Post-primary Schools:
Lifford Endowed Schools: collection includes rollbooks, registers,
financial records, correspondence.
St Eunan’s College: Three photographs from 1920’s.
The majority of School records acquired in the County Archives are
open to the public, once listed, and by agreement with the school.
However if there are any which are recent and of a sensitive nature,
restricted access rules will apply.
RAILWAYS
From 1882 to 1959 railways criss-crossed the county of Donegal, lines
built and ran by companies such as Londonderry & Lough Swilly and
the Donegal Railway Company. Railways were an important part of
the social and economic history of the county.
ARCHIVES
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Letterkenny and Lough Swilly railway records: accounts,
personnel documents (with restricted access)
West Donegal Railway Drawings (1880)
Finn Valley Railway plans (1860)
Prints of Great Northern Railway Company (1956 – 60)
Prints of Lough Swilly Railway trains (1951 – 59)
Prints of Letterkenny & Burtonport Extension Railway (1951–
59)
Prints of trains, stations and lines of Co. Donegal Railways Joint
Committee (1951 – 61)
Bye-laws, accounts, legal documents, timetables, leaflets and
tickets, 1880 – 1960;
Posters and flyers relating to railways, c. 1900 – 1950.
All listed railway records are available to the public. Some of the
Letterkenny & Lough Swilly railway records are not yet listed and
some of are a private nature and of recent origin, and are therefore not
open to the public.
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FISHERIES
Fisheries are an important part of the economic history of the county.
As yet the Archives has few records relating to fishing in Donegal.
ARCHIVES
Some posters, notices, bye-laws, c.1850- 1910. Approximately ten
items.
All fisheries records are open to the public.
PRIVATE RECORDS
Donegal County Archives Service holds a number of significant
collections from private sources and has a proactive acquisition policy.
The policy of the Archives Service is to seek to acquire archives which
reflect Donegal’s political, social, cultural and economic history and
development. The Archives endeavours to provide suitable secure and
safe accommodation and preservation facilities for all acquisitions,
lists the archives to archival standards and makes them accessible to
the public for research.
Private collections: ARCHIVES
Literary collections/papers
 Cathal Ó Searcaigh: Chief among the private papers held is the
collection of the renowned Irish speaking poet: correspondence,
draft poems and plays, photographs, etc., 1960 –1990.

Patrick MacGill: four letters and one draft poem, one drawing,
1917 – 1935.

Poems by other local authors.
Estate papers
 Horatio Granville Murray Stewart and family, estate papers: 15
items, mainly volumes of rentals with details of tenants and
amounts of rent paid and maps, Killybegs, Kilcar, Killaghatee,
and other areas of South Donegal,1749 – 1880.

Captain Ernest Cochrane and family, Redcastle, Inishowen,
estate papers: items include maps, letters and a journal, 1865 –
c.1950.

Edward H. Harvey, estate papers: 2 maps and 1 rental,
Ballyliffin, Clonmany; and Inch, Inishowen, c. 1900.
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
Sir Arthur Chichester: rental and particulars of Sale of estates
held from the Marquis of Donegal, in Moville, Inishowen, 20 Dec
1951.

Jane Doherty: Notice to Quit issued by [Richard] and Jane
Doherty giving tenants six months notice of eviction, Donagh,
Moville, 1866 – 68.

Hamiltons, rentals etc of the estate of John and Abraham
Hamilton and other members of the family, in Ballinamore and
Fintown, 1818 – 1849.

Groves of Castle Grove House, Letterkenny: included are
photograph albums, judicial rent cases; letters; family recipe
books from early 19th century; postcards; booklets; farm
account books and other material.

Montgomerys and Boytons of Convoy House, acquired in March
2005. Included are farm accounts (1920’s), rentals (1890’s);
bundle of files (1920’s); and notebooks.

Alexander Stewart of Ards: Trustee Account of the will of
Alexander Stewart (1873); and Agreement ledger comprising
agreements between Stewart and his tenants (1856- 1896).

Captain Humfrey: rental of estate and expenditure account for
repairs and work done to Cavanacor House and estate.

Lord Leitrim: small number of items dating from 1840 – 1870.
Individual collections
 Papers of Father Patrick Gallagher; documents, notes, essays,
correspondence, articles, newspaper cuttings and photographs
relating to a wide variety of themes, such as: the County
Donegal Historical Society; genealogy; the O’Donnell clan; other
families including the Shiels and Sweeneys of Ballyshannon and
the Dolan family of Rathglass, Bundoran; notes on the
Montgomery estate in Convoy; a rental of Earl of Leitrim; Finn
Valley railway; archives from Ballinamore estate belonging to
John Hamilton; and many other records; c. 1940 – 1980.

Dr Maureen Wall: Papers mainly relating to the Penal Laws,
handwritten and typescript notes.

Clarke family, Porthall, Lifford: papers include newspaper
cuttings relating to deaths of various members of family,
including James Clarke, Deputy Lieutenant of county Donegal,
member of Grand Jury and Chairman of Donegal County
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Council, Andrew Clarke and Charlotte Clarke, and of Captain
William Harnett Wagentreiber, Inchenagh, Lifford, principal of
firm of John Clarke and Co Ltd, wholesale wine and spirit
merchants, Strabane and Ballindrait, 1870 - early c. 20th.

Sylvia Boyd, Lifford: postcards, newspaper cuttings, songs and
poems, 10 items, c.1930 – 1960.

William and Hugh Allingham and Sarah Lipsetts, photographs
and diaries; notes relating to the poet and other friends and
relations.

Letters from emigrant James Keown of Michigan Bluff, USA.
Includes letter, c.1870, from Glencolumbkille Hotel, Carrick,
County Donegal.

Fr James McFadden, papers relating to a famous nineteenth
century Donegal murder case; 1889.

Daniel O’Doherty: 107 envelopes containing newspaper
clippings, 46 loose newspaper items and 92 letters and
telegrams, the majority related to matters of Irish interest or
Irish/American activities. The letters are also mainly to and
from politicians, including Robert and John F. Kennedy and
General Charles de Gaulle.
Private organisations/businesses

Gweedore and Lough Swilly Hotels, Visitors Books, 1842 – 1903.

Ballybofey & Stranorlar and Templecrone Co-operative and
agricultural Societies, 1917 – 1945.

District Nursing Associations: Newtowncunningham, Burt &
Killea; Fanad, 1931 – 1974.

Andrews Linen Mills: 30 items: Accounts with Flax Mills in
Donegal and elsewhere, 1895 – 1951.

Jim Watters Estate Agents, Milford, auction books from 1930 –
1957.

Irish Medical Association: (Donegal branch): minutes:1903 –
1977.

Photographs
O’Loughlin.
of
Ballyshannon
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and
area
donated
by
Joe

Parish of Clonmany manuscript.
Oral History

Interviews with Donegal people regarding 20th century Rural life
– farm, fisheries, hiring fairs, migration, leisure, church,
education etc. Interviewed by Anne McMenamin.

Oral History project commissioned by the Library Service and
conducted in 2003 by Mary Phelan. The aim of the project was
to gather as much of the oral history of Donegal’s depopulated
islands as possible. Interviews were conducted on Gola,
Inishcaoire, Owey, Rutland and Inishboffin.
Photographs

Photographs/prints: include of Tory Island, 1965.

Photographs of various towns in Donegal.

Various photographs contained in individual collections.
All the above privately acquired records, once fully listed, are
accessible to the public.
DONEGAL ANNUAL
The Archives holds a copy of the complete set of the Donegal Annual,
journal of the County Donegal Historical Society, and it is available for
consultation in the Archives.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT
Archivist,
Archives Service,
Donegal County Council,
Three Rivers Centre, Lifford,
County Donegal
Tel: +353 74 9172490
Fax: +353 74 9142290
E-Mail: archivist@donegalcoco.ie
Website: http://www.donegal.ie/
Access to the Archives is by appointment only, of at least two
days’ notice.
The Archives Service is part of Cultural Services division of
Donegal County Council
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