Malin Head Heritage Group
Small Beginnings – An Introduction
In July 2012 Teresa (Mullin) Doherty, Annie Kelly, Glengad & Killourt, Jim and Bernie Rudden, John O’Hagan, Tony McLaughlin, Ballyhillion and Andrea Redmond (first manager of the Malin Head Community Centre) formed a group to collect, share and record the oral history of the wider Malin Head area. John Grant joined us within a short time.
We started having Social Evenings in the Hall every second Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm – a short talk and discussion on some aspect of Malin Head life, then music provided by Marty and Courtney O’Connor and a cup of tea.
Over time others became members of our group. Everyone pays €2 towards tea, coffee etc and towards the room. We decided to print a Heritage book so that the information we gathered would be recorded and available to a wider number of people, both at home and abroad.
Our First Publications
Our first cover featured the Seaside Serenaders and each line and sentence of the content within was mulled over and debated. Even so, when it was published we still had people with differing opinions on parts of our content – especially our article on the local bands.
15th August in the 1940’s.
Everybody has their own versions of history and memories of the past! We try hard to ensure our information is correct but mistakes may occur and clarification is appreciated.
This first booklet was published for Christmas 2012 and printed on the Community Centre printer. Forward Emphasis in Bree then kindly stepped in and printed subsequent booklets until Booklet 13 was printed by Foyle Press in November 2016.
From the start the booklets provided topics of lively debate and discussion and many people bought copies to send to family and friends living away from home.
Guest Speakers
The speaker on our first ever Heritage Night on Thursday 23rd August 2012 was Monica Goodison (nee. Doherty), our postmistress from 1973 to 2006. It was an informal, interesting and thoroughly enjoyable evening attended by over 20 people.
From then on we have had many speakers and topics. Some were memorable for various reasons – a speaker came from West Donegal to show us Ordnance Survey mapping by computer – but our computer wouldn’t work!
Living History Competition
Not everyone was happy to tell their story at a Heritage meeting so we started our first Living History competition in early 2013. We had 30 entries from our two local national schools.
Enid Stewart’s story on her life growing up in Knockglass was our first winner, interviewed by Róisín and Sinead McGonagle, Knockameny .
Many more living history competitions have taken place since then. They have proved to be a rich source of information and an opportunity for different generations of a family to talk about the past.
Of all the topics that we have covered the Living History series has been the richest source of information and has chronicled a way of life and living in our area that is now past. Hopefully their stories will endure for many generations to come.
Community Events
In August 2013 we hosted a ‘Gathering’ for all those who were members of the Malin Head Youth Club in the 1970s and those who were involved in the Irish cottage at Bree. Fr. John Doherty attended.
It was a resounding success with over 200 people attending, some meeting up for the first time in years. John O’Hagan and Jim Rudden got an old crane and made an open fire (like the one in the Irish Cottage) and sourced and painted the kettle and pots to go with it. Former members of the Youth Club brought articles which had been produced for sale in the Cottage.
These displays attracted much attention and added to the enjoyment of the event. They created a bit of nostalgia and maybe, most importantly of all, gave us a blueprint for future events. This Gathering became the forerunner of our displays during Heritage Week in August each year.
Annual Exhibitions
Our annual displays during Heritage week in August each year continue to attract many people. Every year half of our exhibition is comprised of completely new research along with samples of much-loved displays from previous years. and more long term research such as our emigration series, which shows the other side of life in Malin Head long ago, some left to seek new opportunities, but many went because they had to and sadly this led to many families dying out.
If you are local or visiting at that time why not come in and see what we have on show.
Our Meetings & Members
The Heritage meetings evolved – tea is still a very important part of them but the fresh scones that used to be provided by Bernie Rudden and later Brigid Mooney are now a rare occurance.
As time went on we had our regulars – Alice Glackin and Rosemary Gallagher nee McGurk were there from the start and were an invaluable help during our open days. Other people came and went depending on the topic discussed and their time constraints.
We lost Annie to marriage in Letterkenny and work in Buncrana but she is always available at the end of the phone for help and advice. We still have outside speakers at least once or twice a year.
Pat McLaughlin (Tommy) and Denis Doherty (Owney) joined us in October 2013. Mary and Mickie McLaughlin (Sheosa), Maggie McLaughlin, Bree and Des Doherty (Jack) also became stalwarts from autumn 2014. Mary and Mickie had memories and stories providing us with a living history on relationships and events from a bygone era.
Heritage Projects
When Denis, Des and Nell Gallagher joined us things were able to evolve in different directions. Denis used his talents to source and restore (with the help of Mick Greene and others) old farm implements, all the fixtures and fittings from a traditional Irish cottage including a dresser, a settle bed and a cart and these enhanced our heritage displays.
Nell started with the townland of Ballyhillion and researched every house and sourced photographs for each family which formed our display in 2018? and is still working on Slievebawn, Ardmalin and Carnmalin.
Des, together with John Grant, has been instrumental in acquiring grants for the stabilization of Malin Well Old Church and the gathering of information on that area.
Malin Well Project
The biggest project that the Malin Head Heritage Group has undertaken so far is the conservation of Malin Well Old Church and the research of the site, history and folklore of the location.
Malin Well is a unique, beautiful and rugged seaside location in Malin Head. The Malin Well site includes the Old Church, the Wee House and the holy well itself.
In Autumn 2017 the Malin Well Old Church Conservation Group was formed with the support of the Malin Head Community Association. The ancient Church, long centuries in ruins, needed to be made safe and preserved so that it would not be in danger of collapse.
Under their ‘Adopt a Monument’ scheme, the Heritage Council agreed a Conservation Plan and most of the remedial work is now complete with benefit of grants from Community Monument Funds. The programme was supported by the landowner and by the Donegal County Heritage Officer. Ecological and geophysical studies were carried out which clearly indicate the Old Church was not an isolated feature within the landscape and was once part of a collection of buildings which stood on the site.
We are indebted to Des Doherty (Jack), Slieveban/Dublin, and John Grant, Ballygorman for their efforts in applying for and securing all the various grants that have enabled the project to progress. Sincere thanks are also due to Joe Doherty and family, Malin Well and USA, the Glackin family, the Doherty (Neilis) family, the Doherty (John Jackie) family and the Ballygorman people who have been looking after Malin Well for decades.
Since 2001 the Annual Turas to Malin Well takes place on the first Sunday in May, thanks to everyone who has carried on this tradition.
The story of Malin Well and the Old Church
A 64 page booklet, has been published and a Virtual Tour of Malin well produced so that the wider Malin Head community, diaspora and the many visitors to the site can access some of the history, folklore and magic of this legendary place – just like the pilgrims over the centuries and those on the May Turas each year.
Mapping Malin Head
From the very start of the Heritage Group we have tried to gather as much information as possible on those who have gone before us.
We are still working on mapping the household details from the census of 1901 and 1911 for all the townlands from Malin Head to Lagg to Glengad Mountain and gathering place names for the various fields, rocks, etc.
John Grant is the ‘Map’ man and we wish to thank all those who have helped John gather the information.
Support from the Community and Diaspora
Over the years many people, both at home and abroad, have helped us in our quest for information and photographs, bought our booklets and attended our displays. We are especially grateful to all of you who have given us old artifacts, documents and photographs (which might have otherwise been dumped) – it is only through donations like these that memories of the past can be preserved. Thank you very much.
Thanks also to all our speakers and to the teachers and parents of those who took part in our Living History and especially to those who consented to being interviewed.
THANK YOU ALL
A special thanks goes to all the spouses and family members who put up with us disappearing for hours on end, made sandwiches and tea, proofread, manned the doors on our open days, helped set up and take down displays and did the numerous other wee jobs that have to be done.
Membership
Through 2019-2021, the Covid 19 pandemic disrupted our Heritage Group schedule and the attendance at our meetings has never recovered to pre-covid levels.
To date we have produced 27 small booklets, plus a number of special editions including Christmas Memories, Our National Schools and an A4 book on Malin Well and the Old Church. We have gathered a lot of information and made many new friends.
Along the way we have lost Tony McLaughlin, Alice Glackin, Jim Rudden, Mickey and Mary McLaughlin (S), may they rest in peace.
Rosemary Gallagher has also left us to live in Derry. The work of the Heritage Group continues and some of it can be painstaking but it also important in recording the rich history and heritage of our area. We are planning to start a major project to record all our old local place names.
GET INVOLVED
For anyone with Malin Head connections whether you live near or far away, it would be great to add your family story to our growing collection.
We would be delighted to welcome new members, especially anyone with an interest in a particular area such as folklore, maritime, emigration etc.
You don’t have to be physically in Malin Head to join our group. New blood is vital for fresh ideas and the momentum of our voluntary organisation.
Contact us care of the Malin Head Community Centre or follow the Malin Head Community on FaceBook , X (Formerly Twitter) or Instagram to find out about upcoming meetings & events and come along and join us.
Catalogue of Publications
Below is a list of the contents of the Booklets published to date. Note: back issues are available in Mullin’s Shop, Bree.
