Placeways: An Online Heritage Exhibition

Aug 19

In Association with Creative Places Ballaghaderreen & Ballaghaderreen Arts Festival.

Welcome!

Stories, Memories, Vintage Photos & Memorabilia with Anna King, Eithne Gallagher & Community.

On August 10th, 2024, Anna and Eithne Gallagher hosted a reflective heritage exhibition at ‘The Shambles’ in Ballaghaderreen. This event marked the culmination of eight months of Anna’s involvement with PLACEWAYS, a series of projects exploring creative ways of connecting with place. The exhibition featured heartfelt contributions from community members, as well as stories and folklore collected during Anna’s artist residency.

Placeways

Monica Duff’s Store: Original Photographs from the ‘Michael Gallagher Collection’ - generously on loan from Malachy Gallagher.

We begin our online version of this event with an audio story about the old Ballaghaderreen Railway Station, followed by another audio piece by Michael Cawley, who shares some of his treasured memories of Monica Duff's store. Additionally, we have included a selection of original photographs from the ‘Michael Gallagher Collection’, accompanied by photographs and cherished memorabilia shared by our local community. This curated selection offers a quiet glimpse into the heart and soul of the town’s rich heritage.

Join Seamus and Imelda as they share their recollections of the Railway Station in Ballaghaderreen. Credit slide included.

Charles Strickland petitioned for a station to be built because Ballaghaderreen had become a significant trading centre for the whole region. After many years of delay, the Ballaghaderreen to Kilfree branch railway line opened November 2nd, 1874. There were two intermediate halts at Edmondstown and Island Rd.

Once a vital hub on the Midland Great Western line to Sligo, the station facilitated the transportation of goods, including agricultural produce and livestock, alongside three daily passenger trains.

It was an incredibly sad day for the local community when the train ceased operation on 2nd February 1963. More info here.

Ballaghaderreen Railway Station. 1957. Original Photographs from the ‘Michael Gallagher Collection’.

Rear Railway Lamp from the last train of 1963. Photo taken by Anna King at the Exhibition on August 10th. Lamp kindly on loan from Padraig Mulligan.

Original Painting by Seamus Coleman of the Railway Station. This painting was inspired by our PLACEWAYS storytelling project, and SOLD at the Ballahaderreen Art Festival Art Exhib.

Monica Duffs

Original Photograph from the ‘Michael Gallagher Collection’.

Thomas Dillon (ancestor of former Fine Gael leader James Dillon) opened a store in Ballaghaderreen around 1812. This store was later passed on to his sister, Monica Duff, and then to Anne Deane, Monica’s daughter. Under Anne’s management, Mon Duff’s became one of the largest employers in the region.

The store included a grocery, drapery department, ironmonger’s store, boot, shoe, and leather warehouse, bakery, and a spacious yard dealing in manure, farm seeds, animal feedstuffs, fuel, and builders' supplies. It also housed a bottling factory and operated a thriving farm at Kilcolman on the town’s edge. (Ref: 1.).

Listen to Michael Cawley's memories of living at Monica Duffs. Please scroll up to the beginning if you land here.

Original Photograph of Mon Duff's window display, from Pat Timon.

Jim Hiney and Henry Murray. Duff's Bar. August 1964 - Photo from Pat Timon.

The Michael Cawley Collection

All photos of original memorabilia taken by Anna, unless stated otherwise.

Original Printing Plates

The Tom & Brian Colleran Collection

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The Imelda Towey Collection

Bottle from Pat Timon who worked at Monica Duff’s bottling department from 1965 - 1967.

Pipes on loan from John Coleman

A sneak peek behind the scenes, unpacking the Michael Gallagher Collection:

Behind the scenes.

Additional photos will be released as soon as we gather more recorded stories about other sites in Ballaghaderreen. Photo: Michael Gallagher Collection.

Snapshots from the Heritage Walk & Exhibition that inspired this online version. Photos taken below by Eithne Gallagher.

Anna & Eithne would like to extend a heartfelt 'thank you' to everyone involved in our PLACEWAYS Heritage Walk & Exhibition.

Malachy Gallagher ‘The Michael Gallagher Photography Collection’.
Michael Cawley
Imelda Towey
John Quinn
Seamus Coleman
Tom & Brian Colleran
Conor O'Connell
Pat Timon
Margaret Garvey
Padraig Mulligan
Brian Mulligan
Neil Sheridan
Anne-Marie Burke & John Coleman.

Thank you Tommy Murray for Narration.

A BIG THANK YOU to Eithne Gallagher for your support throughout the curation of this event.

Thank you Ballaghaghderreen Arts Festival.

Thank you to Eithne McGarry and the Oakwood Nursing Home.

Credits for Exhibition:
Railway sounds by Billy Maher. Thank you Paul McCann from the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.

Fantastic Venue: The Shambles.

Ref.1: An Irishwoman’s Diary, by Mary Gallagher. Irish Times.

In addition to sharing treasured memories and images of the past, this multimedia exhibition highlights the importance of bringing heritage to ‘life’ through intergenerational storytelling.

Our online and offline event is an opportunity to reflect upon the importance of gathering and sharing memories. Anna will continue to share insights gained from the community, highlighting how creative storytelling can enrich our understanding of the past, foster connections between generations, and preserve Ballaghaderreen’s unique social history.

For further info on how to get involved - ring Anna: 086 3952831 / creativeplacesballagh@gmail.com