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Clones Fieldtrip

Clones

On the 26th February 2025, five members of the Letterkenny Community Heritage Group set off for Clones, Co Monaghan. We had completed an online course with the Heritage Keepers and had applied for funding to make five videos to include in a new interactive heritage trail we were hoping to develop. The Heritage Keepers suggested that we check out some other similar trails. We contacted Anne Corley, who works in the Cassandra Hand Folk and Famine Centre in Clones, and with the aid of a grant from Heritage Keepers, we scheduled a visit On arrival, we were met by Anne and had lovely tea and scones. We were also joined by Seamus and Walter from the Clones Town Team and they explained how they went about organising their heritage trail, and advised us on what to do and what to avoid. Despite the steady rain, we had a lovely tour of the town with Anne and we were very impressed by the information boards and the effectiveness of the QR codes, and how much that added to the trail experience. We really hadn’t realised how historic Clones is and the trail brought it all to life. We finished the day with lunch in the Canal Stores, which were built beside the Ulster Canal as a storage facility, but are now a tourist attraction in their own right as a lace museum, shop, café, and events venue.

St Eunan's College

Sentry Hill

St Eunan's College is an imposing castle-like building, which has been a feature of the educational landscape in Letterkenny since it was opened in 1906. The Cathedral of Saints Eunan and Columba had just been completed in 1901, and Bishop O'Donnell then turned his attention to the development of an educational institution for young men.He commisioned Thomas Francis McNamara, the architect who took over from William Hague during the construction of the cathedral, to design the new school. Fourteen months after the first sod was turned, St Eunan's College opened its doors on the 6th of July 1906.

Click on Learn more below to watch the video of former teacher Edward Harvey giving a tour of the college, explaining its history and recounting stories and anecdotes relating to this historic institution.

Letterkenny Museum, formerly Letterkenny Workhouse

High Road, Letterkenny

The Letterkenny Workhouse, which now houses the Letterkenny Museum, was originally built in 1845 to cater for the poorest of the poor, who had no other option but to go there.Before 1870, these buildings were officially known as Poorhouses. Letterkenny Workhouse was one of 8 such workhouses built in the county, following the Poor Law of Ireland in 1838. George Wilkinson was the architect who designed all the workhouses in Ireland, and as a result, all the buildings are similar apart from their size. Letterkenny workhouse was originally designed to cater for 500 inmates, but at the time of the Great Famine in 1847, there were 573 people housed there (527 in the workhouse + 46 in Fever Hospital). This is the largest number ever recorded there.

In 1923, the newly -formed Dáil of the Free State, passed an act that abolished all workhouses in Ireland, and any remaining inmates in Letterkenny at that time were sent to the County Home in Stranorlar.

Click on Learn more below to watch our video of the curator of the museum, Caroline, give a description of what life was like for those unfortunate to enough to end up in a workhouse in Ireland, and to hear about how the former workhouse has been used following its closure in 1923.

The Market Square

Market Square, Letterkenny

The Market Sqaure in Letterkenny, is an example of the type of town plan that was developed following the Plantation of Ulster, after the flight of Earls in 1607.Towns were built around a central location that would serve as the social and economic hub of the community, where markets, fairs, military parades or celebrations would be held. Sometimes these areas were square shaped, like Letterkenny, Lifford or Derry, while others such as Donegal Town, Raphoe, or Castlefinn, were actually tiangular shaped. Strangely, as in the case of Donegal Town, Derry, Raphoe and Castlefinn, these areas were called The Diamond! The fine red-bricked terrace of houses at the top of The Square is known as Mount Southwell Place, and there are other buildings and structures of note that are well worth visiting.

Click Learn more below to watch our video of the Market Square and to hear Hugh Devlin , a local historian, recount the history and stories of this area.

Gallery - LCGH events

On Letterkenny Main Street

Some photographs of past events held by Letterkenny Community Heritage Group

Gallery - Walking Tour of Letterkenny 18th Aug 2025

Station House Hotel

Photos of the Walking Tour Of Letterkenny and website launch during Heritage Week

Letterkenny Past and Present videos

Ard Colmcille, Rosemount, College Row

Check out these two videos produced by Johnny Joe McCollum and his son Stephen, recording interviews with some of Letterkenny's older residents, recalling times past in the different areas of the town, from Rosemount, to Colllege Road and Ard Colmcille.Hear stories of life in Letterkenny in the Forties, Fifties and Sixties from the people who lived through those eras. In the second video, listen as Charlie Meehan talks about the days when flax-growing and linen-weaving were important activities in this area. Kathleen Bonnar recalls days gone by and James and Annie Johnson from Gortlee discuss their lives in Letterkenny. Rebecca and Eunan McNamee tell us about relatives of theirs who were aboard the ill-fated Titanic ship in 1912.