County Donegal Historical Society Museum
The origins of the County Donegal Historical SocietyMuseum dates back to 1946 when the Society’s President Andrew Lowry of Argery, Ballindrait, very kindly presented a selection of his wonderful collection of archaeological and historical artifacts for display in the Vocational School, Stranorlar, during civic week. The exhibition was organised by Lucius Emerson, a woodwork teacher in the school, and also a founding member of the historical society.
The exhibition was very well attended and its success prompted Andrew Lowry to donate a large selection of artifacts to form the nucleus of a permanent museum. Many local businesses in the twin towns donated funding towardsthe purchase of display cases and many individuals from the surrounding area donated artifacts. The collection was housed in the Vocational School in Stranorlar from 1946-49 until Mr Emerson was transferred to the Ballyshannon Vocational School in 1949 and the museum collection moved with him.
During its time in Ballyshannon further donations of artifacts were received both from local people and from individuals throughout Co. Donegal, one of whom was Harry Perceval Swan of Buncrana who donated a complete set of artifacts from the Penal times including a chalice, rosary beads, crosses, and a Lough Derg cross that formed the centrepiece of a display of items from that period. The collection had now grown to an extent that there was pressure on space to store the artifacts.
In 1954 the late Fr. Terence O’ Donnell O.F.M came to the rescue and very kindly offered a room in the Franciscan Friary, Rossnowlagh, to house the society’s collection. This was officially opened by Mr. Frank Aiken, Minister for External Affairs, on Easter Sunday 18th April 1954 in the presence of the Franciscan community, Count O’ Donnell of Austria, and members of the Historical Society. It would provide a home for the County Donegal Historical Society Museum for the next 70 years.
During its time in Rossnowlagh the museum received visits from two sitting Presidents of Ireland, Eamon De Valera and Dr. Erskine Childers, and by the year 2000 the museum had acquired a collection of over 550 artifacts and was attracting in excess of 15,000 visitors per year.
The collection now covered many of the important periods and aspects of life in County Donegal. Particularly well documented is the stone age and the bronze age periods, the era of the great ruling families in the genealogies of the O’ Donnell’s and their Wild Geese cousins in Spain and Austria. The Penal times is well represented amongst which is the oldest Penal Cross in Ireland. Various artefacts on display represent the 1798 period, the War of Independence, religious occasions, farming, and household artefacts, items made of Muckish glass and 17th and 18th century pottery, and an extensive numismatic collection.
In 2023 the Franciscan Friary at Rossnowlagh undertook a planned reorganisation of its facilities that would transform its buildings to meet future needs. This created a pressure on available space and the County Donegal Historical Society were required to seek an alternative location to house their museum collection.
The Society were offered an exhibition space within the Old Courthouse building, Lifford, in which to display their museum collection. This generous offer by the Lifford Association Tourism Commerce Heritage (LATCH) CLG group was viewed as a perfect fit in locating a collection that represents the history and heritage of County Donegal within one of the County’s most historic buildings. The collection has since been enlarged to represent various industries, social, and sporting events relating to this area of east Donegal. The County Donegal Historical Society’s Museum artefacts are now on display alongside artifacts from the Donegal Ancestry collection in Lifford’s Old Courthouse building.