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The Museum has published a variety of Booklets, which are available free of charge 

  Hard Copy and  PDF version available 

PDF Version available of 

Online Publications

Donegal County Museum in association with the County Archives Service created this booklet on the history of the Workhouses of
County Donegal using the Workhouse records held in the Donegal Archives and various other sources.
Workhouses were synonymous with the purported social care system that existed in Ireland prior to Independence, but their role
in society has often been overlooked or misunderstood. In this booklet we explore the early years of the Donegal Workhouses and
examine the final years of the Poor Law system.
The records of the Donegal Workhouses are a truly invaluable source for the study of the local, family and academic history of
Ireland, from the era of the Great Famine through to the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922.

We wish to acknowledge and to thank all those who contributed to this publication;
Judith Mc Carthy, Donegal County Museum, Culture Division, Donegal County Council
Caroline Carr, Donegal County Museum, Culture Division, Donegal County Council
Dr Niamh Brennan, Donegal County Archives, Culture Division, Donegal County Council
Una Matthewson, Donegal County Library, Culture Division, Donegal County Council
Dr Ben Rogers, County Archives/Museum Historian in Residence for the Decade of Centenaries 2021
Dr Arlene Crampsie, School of Geography, UCD
Daragh McDonough, IS Project Leader (GIS), Donegal County Council

Read the 'Workhouse of County Donegal' Booklet here

 

 

‌The Battle of Pettigo/Belleek, took place along the Donegal /Fermanagh Border in late May, early June 1922 in the period between the War of Independence and the Civil War. It was the last time that Pro and Anti Treaty Forces fought side-by-side against British forces. It was part of Michael Collins's Northern Offensive, which was intended to destabilise the Unionist state, and was also a reaction to sectarian violence against nationalists in the North. This was the only location in Ireland where Irish forces engaged with British forces in a stand-up fight with a defined battle line and the first time since the Easter Rising when heavy artillery was used in Ireland.

On Saturday 28th May 2022,  working on a cross-border basis with Fermanagh County Museum, Donegal County Museum held  a commemorative event in Pettigo and Belleek, which included talks by both national and local speakers, the premiere of a specially commissioned animation, part of the Bordering Realities Project, funded by the Creative Ireland Programme,  a History Ireland Hedge School and a walking tour of the area.  Speakers included Dr Éamon Phoenix, Dr Edward Burke, Dr Margaret O’Callaghan and local historians, Jimmy Baird, John Cunningham, and Pauline Gilmartin. 

This commemorative event was funded under the Community Strand of the 2022 Decade of Centenaries programme by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

 

For further information, contact Donegal County Museum, High Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal T074 9124613 E museum@donegalcoco.ie

 

In December 2020, Donegal County Museum was delighted to partner with Donegal Volunteer Centre to create the ‘UnCover & ReDiscover Your Locality’ community project. This community project encouraged the project participants to find out and share with us what they had they uncovered or rediscovered about their locality and their ancestors.  

Heritage is a very broad term and includes natural, built and cultural heritage. The varied and eclectic submissions we received came from all over County Donegal, England and the USA and were complied into a booklet created and edited by Donegal County Museum.

We hope you enjoy this miscellany of eclectic and wonderful stories, poems and pictures from across County Donegal. This booklet was launched as part of National Volunteering Week in May 2021.

We would especially like to thank John Curran and Eammon Bonner from the Donegal Volunteer Centre who enthusiastically encouraged, organized, supported and participated in the project.

Funding for this booklet was provided by the Community Resilience Fund as part of the Healthy Ireland KEEP WELL campaign.  Healthy Ireland is an initiative of the Government of Ireland with funding from the Healthy Ireland Fund and the Sláinte care fund delivered by Pobal.

Copies of this ‘UnCover & ReDiscover Your Locality’ booklet are available for free in Donegal County Museum and at the Donegal Volunteer Centre.

To discover more about the work of the Donegal Volunteer Centre visit  

For information on Healthy Ireland initiatives  see

For information on Healthy Donegal visit:

The period 1912 – 1923 is perhaps one of the most important in Irish history. The events that occurred during this decade transformed the island of Ireland and have had a lasting legacy on Irish politics and society up to the present day.

In the years leading up to the First World War, tensions between those who wanted to remain in the Union and those who wanted independence for Ireland increased. Two opposing forces were formed – the Ulster Volunteer Force and Irish Volunteers - and the stage was set for civil war in Ireland.  The onset of the War delayed any possible conflict but the ongoing issues had not been resolved.

While the First World War was being fought, those who saw this as Ireland’s opportunity, organised themselves to secure Ireland’s independence.  The Easter Rising of 1916 was initially unsuccessful but the actions of the British in the aftermath of the Rising and in particular the executions of the leaders swung public opinion round to support the rebels.

A General Election took place on 14th December 1918. Support for the Sinn Féin party had increased following the Rising and also as a result of their anti-conscription campaign. Sinn Féin won 73 seats, the Unionists won 26 and the Irish Parliamentary Party won 6.  The Sinn Féin MPs refused to take their seats in Westminster. A new path was being set which would ultimately lead to the War of Independence and the Civil War.

This booklet was written and edited by Caroline Carr and Judith McCarthy, Donegal County Museum, Culture Division, Donegal County Council.

This booklet was supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative and by Creative Ireland Programme 2017 -2022.

 

 

 

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