Colgan Heritage Weekend

1. Colgan Heritage Weekend The Colgan Hall 1914-2014 Celtic Revival - the First Celtic Tiger

2. Colgan Hall and old chapel

3. Colgan Hall from Derry Road 1900s • The Colgan Hall acts as a counter balance to the chapel on the main entrance to the town in a statement of Celtic and Christian heritage. Site found in garden of Johnny and Roseanne Marley.

4. Colgan Hall – late1940s

5. The original invitation to tender from ‘The Irish Builder & Engineer’ Jan. 17th 1914

6. Celtic Revival : a return to Celtic stories and themes“EXTERIOR IN IRISH ROMANESQUE STYLEDETAILS ARE TAKEN FROM ANCIENT EXAMPLES”WJ DOHERTY 1914 Colgan Hall doorway a variation on Clonmacnoise medieval monastericentrance Duncan McLaren Dedalus Architecture Doorway - Clonmacnoise

7. Celtic Revival • Ceramic mosaic – Italian craftsmen • Round arched windows • Tiled side porch • Pitch pine wainscote/roof • Fire resistant cinema box (flue) • Lighting by petrol-air gas with incandescent burners. • Coved ceiling with arched ribs • Carn Cross interlace in circular windows. • W.J Doherty, Irish Builder and Engineer , 1914 And other features features of Colgan Hall

8. New Century Bar Challenges Sanitation at Pound Lane Tuberculosis - extension to hospital Diphtheria Female Emigration Landless labourers

9. POLITICS • Home Rule due 1914 • Independent Irish Party • John Redmond holds balance of power in London • Irish Volunteers in formation • Ulster Volunteer Force • Land Acts 1903 and 1909 * a social revolution

10. DONEGAL IN TRANSITION A NEW STUDY CHANGES IN Agriculture Craft Schools Lace Schools Curing stations Communications Fisheries Land Ownership Parish Committees Dept of Ag and Tech Inst

11. Consultant on Colgan Hall William Micks 1851-1928 Local Government Board Inspector and later member of Congested Districts Board Congested Districts Board “When Fr. O Doherty was giving instructions for the plans of the John Colgan Hall he provided, in addition to a great Hall, a number of smaller rooms in order that the Congested Districts Board and the Department of Technical Instruction might have suitable rooms for holding their classes for woodwork and for technical instruction respectively.” William Micks

12. CDB classes in Carndonagh pre1914 Domestic Science 1907 CDB Certificate 1907

13. Brown Girls Quigley’s Point showing home made lace dresses

14. Carndonagh Hall and Technical School 1914 Colgan Hall Night Classes STATEMENT BY P.H. DOHERTY “I was born at Glebe near Carndonagh in the year 1892. I received my primary education at Glassalts National School. I later attended night classes and agricultural classes.” BMH Record • Agricultural • Lace School • Dressmaking • Wood work • Drawing • English • Mathematics • House Wifery • Domestic Economy

15. A Disturbing Political Background BISHOP McHugh 1907-1926 Anti-partition “I would rather spend the next 50 years under British rule than agree to the partition of Ireland” Bishop Charles McHugh

16. The First Celtic Tiger Railway Station 1902 Buildings 1891 Bocan Hall 1902 Railway Stations/Creamery 1903 Buncrana Hall 1904 Masonic Hall, Moville 1906 Labourers’ Cottages 1906Letterkenny Cathedral 1908 Guildhall 1911 Kilcar AOH Hall 1913 Clonmany Church AOH Hall B’lifffin 1914 Colgan Hall (near completion in October 1914)

17. McDonoughs Founded 1850 A Major Sponsor of town events in the Colgan Hall Mrs. McDonough was President of St.Colmcille’s stall at opening 4 day bazaar in October 1914

18. Prosperity in early 1900s High Levels of Employment Carndonagh Post Office Deposits grow six fold over 31 years 1881 £3,237 1912 £17,849 See Donegal Annual 2011 • Building Boom • Post Office savings • Railway network • Co-op Creamery • Shirt factories/outstations

19. The First Celtic Tiger Other Savings Carn Ag Co-op 1902 - later had Fr Philip O Doherty as Chairman • Malin Agricultural Bank • Aghaclay Agricultural Bank • Culdaff Loan Fund • Northern Bank, Carn • Shopkeeper savings a/c

20. The town economy Markets Parish Committee 1903 under Congested Districts Board Venue – St Patrick’s NS FrO’Doherty Rev Smyth J McDonough R Moore Aims – improve dwellings and industrial improvement • Butter market (11d per pound) • Pork market (pigs 11s) • Grain Market (7d per stone • General – flour, eggs turkeys, calfskins

21. Carndonagh Public Health Committee Public Lighting Chairman Robert Binns, JP • 1911 • Proposal to introduce public lighting by means of electricity • Demands from local businesses for private supply also

22. The Church and Politics Cardinal O’Donnell, Raphoe Social action by clergy “Get involved in parish committees and help to fight against disease so that it will be safe to visit houses on station rounds” CARDINAL O’DONNELL

23. Fr Philip O Doherty • Born in Derry 1851 • 1879-1890 Curate in Carndonagh (Land War) • 1892-1898 Archdiocese of Melbourne, Australia • Secretary to Archbishop Thomas Carr • Bishop Carr sent a gift to the 4 day bazaar • 1911- 1921 Parish Priest Carndonagh • 1914 - Colgan Hall and Technical School • Died 1927 buried in Long Tower • Priest • Orator • Patriot – Independent Irish Party (Justin McCarthy) • Scholar (Royal Irish Academy)

24. Demonstration Plots • Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction 1899 • Demonstration plots in grounds of Colgan Hall and Parochial House opposite front door of Hall • Vegetables • Fruit – apples and gooseberries • Corn • Potatoes (new spraying methods from France) • Grasses • Crop Rotation

25. William J. Doherty • Castle Street Derry • First Prize in Architectural Exams • Aged 27 when be designed Colgan Hall - “Celtic feeling” which had many Celtic motifs – door, windows, mosaic on floor • His first major project. • Four Rooms • Cookery and butter making (Girls) • Lace School • Reading Room (library) • Recreation Room • Hall in two sections for Carpentry and Agriculture (Boys) • Stage used as a classroom, and closed off from hall • Five boys win Agriculture Science Scholarships

26. W J Doherty’s other works - 104 • Workhouse Infirmary, Carn • Rialto Cinema, Derry • Nesbitt Arms, Ardara, • Morrisions, Waterside • Hospitals- Letterkenny • Churches – Meenacross, Dungloe • Courthouses – Carn, Lifford • Waterworks – Carn, Buncrana • Tullyarvin Mill • Housing schemes

27. Michael Sweeney • Derry builder • Atlantic Buildings, Strand Rd., Derry

28. Building the hall • Voluntary effort; local quarries; local labour • Stairs made by J.W. Cunningham, Glencolmcille • Plumbing Joseph Donaghy, Waterloo Place, Derry • Local Committees and fund raisers in each townland • Cloak rooms for school and hall • Pay box at door

29. Guests – a community event • Sir Basil and Lady McFarland, Derry (Lough SwillyRail) • Rev Duncan, Church of Ireland • Fr Maguire, Clonmany • Rev. Mr Smith, Gleneely • Robert Binns • Robert Moore, (Clerk of the Workhouse) • J.Beirne, Manager, Northern Bank • Bishop McHugh • Music supplied by Carndonagh Brass and Reed Band under Mr.Lanigan.

30. Carndonagh Technical School 1918 • Financial assistance for new school in • Colgan Hall was given by the • Congested Districts Board • “There is a teeming population within a very short radius of Carndonagh to provide students” • 55 years later first students of CCS would enrol in Colgan Hall in 1 September 1973

31. Colgan Hall - Technical School 1919 • EXPANSION of technical • Education • 3Rs + basic education • Building trades • Commerce • Domestic economy • Handicraft

32. Colgan Hall - a Music Hall Music in the Colgan Hall Colgan Hall Concert 1942 • Carndonagh Brass and Reed band (Mr.Lanigan) • 1916 Leap Year Ball • Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers • Fund raising concerts • Opera • Choirs • Musicals

33. Colgan Hall - Cinema Starring “Smiling Through” 1932 First talkie • Norma Shearer as the screen godess • and • Leslie Howard • MGM

34. Colgan Hall history online See www.historyofdonegal. wordpress.com by Sean Beattie • Full • Text • Of • Lecture • Maura Harkin, John O’Connor, Aisling Cunningham, Duncan McLaren, Tim Stampton • Thanks to all speakers.