Special William Allingham family Bible viewing for New Zealand relatives

As is well known through the town's annual Allingham festival as well as the famous plinth erected in his honour on the old Bridge, famous poet William Allingham and his many family connections are very much embedded into the history of the Erne town of Ballyshannon.   

And one of the physical legacies to that link is the Allingham Family Bible, which still remains in Donegal. 

Recently Helen Rolinson and her sister Julie on a visit from New Zealand, paid a visit to south Donegal.

They are descendants of the Allingham family, through Hugh Allingham, who was a half brother of the poet William.

Hugh, a bank manager and keen local historian, penned a magnificent history of the Erne Town, "Ballyshannon: It's History And Antiquities", which was first published in 1879.

(Above: Helen and her sister Julie at St Anne's Church in Ballyshannon pictured beside the family memorial plaque) 

But there was a pleasant surprise awaiting Helen and Julie when they arrived "in the kindly spot", as their poetic ancestor famously described the town in his epic 'The winding banks of Erne':

Adieu to Ballyshanny ! where I was bred and born;
Go where I may, I’ll think of you, as sure as night and morn;
The kindly spot, the friendly town, where every one is known,
And not a face in all the place but partly seems my own;
There’s not a house or window, there’s not a field or hill,
But East or West, in foreign lands, I’ll recollect them still.
I leave my warm heart with you, tho’ my tack I’m forced to turn, –
So adieu to Ballyshanny and the winding banks of Erne !

They got to view the special Allingham Family Bible in the vestry of Saint Anne’s Church, Ballyshannon. 

Of course, many members of Allingham's family including the famous poet himself, are buried there.

And the first three pages of the bible contain a hand written history of important dates in the history of the Allingham family.

(Above: The Allingham Family Bible) 

Helen and Julie were made aware of the existence of the family bible by their good friend Jacinta Clarke who lives in Lough Eske.

Jacinta had met Helen 19 years previously while she was living in Auckland, having become friends through a mutual participation in singing in choirs. 

The Bible itself was donated to the Donegal Historical Society by DJ Manus O Nuanain in the 1950s.

Helen and Julie have since expressed how grateful they are to the society for giving them the opportunity to see their descendant’s Bible in the family church.

With the Historical Society's museum closing in Rossnowlagh Friary, the Bible will be moving to the society's new museum in the courthouse in Lifford.