Ballyshannon Turns Out for Allingham
Sunday 25 August 2024
A large crowd turned out for last Sunday’s national heritage event in Ballyshannon, to remember the 200th anniversary of the birth of local poet William Allingham. The event revealed the popularity of local history, drama, music and poetry in the area despite the unseasonal weather.
Hosted by local historian Anthony Begley of County Donegal Historical Society and actors Trish Keane, Richard Hurst and Terence McElvanney the event was conducted indoors in two iconic buildings, St. Anne’s Church and the Abbey Arts Centre. Irene and Fiona Pender provided the music and included the first public performance in over 100 years of The Green Buaile Bawns which was a favourite local song in Allingham’s time. The Buaile Bawns is a local beauty spot located close to the Mall Park.
Fradelle & Young
The event commenced in the Helen Allingham Gallery in the Abbey Arts Centre which is named after the renowned artist who married William Allingham 150 years ago this month.
The importance of the Fair Green located opposite the Abbey Centre, in recent times designed as Allingham Park, was highlighted as was the contribution of the Allingham family to Ballyshannon community life from their home in Park Lane (nowadays the Mall).
The last of the Allingham family who lived on Main Street, until 1948, and were talented artists employed to paint floral scenes on teaware for Belleek Pottery were remembered and a poem of Appreciation by local man Liam Lawne which won an Allingham Society award in 1979 was read.
The visit to Allingham’s grave and the beautiful St. Anne’s Church held a special surprise for the group as the death mask of William Allingham, sketched by his artist wife Helen, was displayed for the first time in living memory. This unique framed piece was donated to St. Anne’s by the Allingham family many years ago.
Significant songs, poems and memories of William Allingham including The Fairies which is known worldwide, the ghostly true story of The Goblin Child which happened in the Barracks down at the bridge over the Erne, Abbey Assaroe which local people recited for generations, Four Ducks on a Pond, Laurence Bloomfield in Ireland and many more were sung and recited by the actors and singers.
The event concluded with a rousing rendition of Adieu to Belashanny and the Winding Banks of Erne which was a final anthem to the life of a local poet who in his day put the town on the map.
Thanks
Thanks were returned to Ailis McIntyre and Shane Patterson of the Abbey Arts Centre; Jim Kerr, Maeve Fenton and the community at St. Anne’s who made the event possible in the comfort of their wonderful buildings. Thanks were also expressed to the actors, singers and local historian and most specially to the large crowd who turned out in strength and enjoyed the event.