In pictures: St Connell's Museum and Heritage Centre reopens

An ageing society and rural depopulation are among two of the biggest challenges facing many of our smaller towns in West Donegal but people in Glenties are determined to turn that tide and part of their way of doing this is to rejuvenate their local museum. And it has worked!

St Connell's Museum and Heritage Centre reopened this week following a three-year break thanks mainly to Covid but also due to the high costs associated with running such a community facility. Please click on the arrows to go through the gallery

Locals and visitors welcomed the move which was brought about thanks to the enthusiasm and drive the committee operating the facility has shown since the community rowed in behind the undertaking to get the museum up and running again last November.

Tea, coffee, champagne crisps, buns and other treats were the order of the day as a steady stream of locals returned to view what was on offer.

"It's a fantastic day for the museum committee and the people of the area to see this place opened again, said committee member, Laura Farren.

"When we started to get the place ready it looked bleak. There was a lot of mould throughout the building which meant it was a huge job to bring it back into shape. We had to clean the building from top to bottom, fix lights, carpets cleaned and get the heating going again. We haven't the funds for any painting yet but that will be a project for the winter time."

She said all the items previously contained in the museum were still there. These included a Donegal Railway section, a natural history section, a f Famine display, local history displays and collections from famous writers Brian Friel and Patrick MacGill.
Laura added the team effort, energy and enthusiasm shown by all the committee members, particularly the new ones, helped drive the project.

"It took serious commitment from everyone and thanks to fundraising events supported by the community such as St Bridget's cross making, a gofundme page, a raffle during the community drama group's show and a tea morning event we were able to nearly reach the €10,000 target we needed to get the place open again."

Looking to the future Laura believes the museum will prove a big attraction during the summer months, particularly during the MacGill Literary Festival between August 16-19.

"We needed the closure the remind us this is a fantastic facility to have in our local town. We are hoping to transform part of it into a community hub as well so in the quieter months we can offer space for people to deliver courses and training.

Unfortunately, Glenties like many smaller towns nearly closes down in September as there is little to do so we want to change that for everyone. The break has made us even more determined to make sure it the museum and this space will be used and last a long time," she added.

The museum is currently open between Thursday and Saturday from 10am to 6pm. If you want to get involved with the museum or offer courses at the premises you can e-mail:stconnellsmuseumfunding@gmail.com or call 087-403 9404.