Local History

Contributors

John Bredin is the Chairman of the Carrick-on-Shannon Historical Society and runs St George’s Heritage Centre in the town. The latter is the former place of worship for the town’s Church of Ireland congregation; now, it celebrates the contribution of the town’s Catholic and Protestant communities, or ‘twin traditions,’ who have lived alongside each other since the town’s inception. John gives us a history of the town through its shared heritage.

Margaret Connolly is a member of the Manorhamilton and District Historical Society. She has studied the establishment and activities of the town’s workhouse, and offers a fascinating understanding of its governance. It gives her a unique insight into the human cost of the event most associated with Manorhamilton’s workhouse: the Great Hunger.

Noel McPartland set up Drumshanbo’s history museum ‘Glimpses of the Past’ to exhibit the photographs, documents and other material he’s collected over the years pertaining to the town. Noel gives us a personal account of events commemorated by the museum, including the narrow-gauge railway that gave great life to Drumshanbo, until its closure in 1959.