The following is a collection of memories, stories and general information as recalled by Doaghbeg natives. Feel free to add or update to any of the stories below. 

Since these are stories passed down through the years, please take them with a pinch of salt and in the nature that they are intended.

We hope that they may rekindle old stories from our viewers or help steer us in the right direction if some information is slightly off.  If you would like anything updated or removed, please let us know.

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Jim McAteer

Jim McAteer fell off a height at the lighthouse in the late 1960s while flying a kite with the lighthouse keeper's son. He landed on a grassy outcrop halfway down the cliff which ultimately saved his life. 

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Mary 'Charlie' McAteer

Tim McAteer recalls when Mary 'Charlie' McAteer would come to visit, Tim and his siblings would tie her to her chair using her apron strings, Tim said he can still hear her laughing!

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The Three Leafed Shamrock

The song made famous by John Kerr, Breid Sweeney recalls that John first heard Bridget 'Dan Jimmy' Sweeney (nee Kelly) singing it at Tommy Paddy Nola McAteer and Mary Charlie McAteer's wedding. John acknowledged this in later years by all accounts. 

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Kitty Kelly (Carrowblagh, sister of Bridget who married Dan 'Jimmy' Sweeney) house warming party

Philomena Durden recalls Kitty Kelly moving back from the US in and around 1964 and having a house warming party at her new house in Carrowblagh. She was also remembered for having ice cream and soft drinks a plenty which was great news for all children in the area. However as time passed she fell out with a lot of her neighbors. Patrick Callaghan (Drumnacraig) and Patrick Martin (Carrowblagh) built the house for her. Kitty used to also get the bus driven by Manus Begley that was used to take children to school in Milford, before proper school buses were running. 

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Richardson/John Roe/Nanny household

Patrick Callaghan from Drumnacraig built the extension onto the current Nanny household in the 1960s. The John Roe family were living there at this stage, after their father John passed away. Their old house was located where James McAteer has his sheds/barns now and they moved after the roof came off their house after some bad weather (Hurricane Debbie) in 1961. The Richardson house was vacant at the time and was being used to store cocks of corn etc

Dr. Frank McAteer came to visit while the extension was being build and questioned the quality of the work which annoyed Patrick. Patrick stormed off the site and told Frank to do it himself as he knew so much. Eventually Mary McAteer (nee Carr, the John Roe's mother) persuaded Patrick to come back on site. Patrick Martin also removed the original thatch roof. 

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Dohertys shop

Tony Sweeney heard a story that the shop in Doaghbeg started up after a shipwreck on the coast beside Doaghbeg. Hugh Doherty got some of the cargo ashore and started selling it, hence the idea of setting up a shop. 

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Bertie Maher's death

Bried Sweeney remembers a new road was being laid the day Bertie died and it caused  a big issue at the time in 1966. Bertie was known to tell some tall tales and after one of his tales would say to his wife 'isn't that right Hannah' and Hannah would normally agree!

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Francie 'Charlie' McAteers

Eunan Sweeney recalls having to gather the stones from the old homestead of Francie 'Charlie' McAteers opposite where the shop is now along with Tommy McAteer and Francie McAteer. 

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Visitor

Margaret Doherty recalls a man who used to live over the 'old road' in a house that was no more than a shed just on the Doaghbeg side of 'Big Francies' house. He used to buy plug tobacco and little else.

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Mary Kelly
Bried Sweeney recalls her first day at Doaghbeg school, Mary Kelly (McConigley) took her in by the hand and told the others not to be speaking English to Bried as she mostly spoke Irish. 

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Maggie Richardson's wake

Mary O'Brien pulled on an anorak belonging to Mary Doherty (Eddie's wife) that had the pioneer badge on it as there was a big shower of rain. Tim McAteer was going around with a small 'dram' of drink and bypassed Mary thinking she was a pioneer! It was the talk of the wake, Mary O'Brien taking the pledge!

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Kitty Kilkelly (nee O'Brien)'s wake

Tim McAteer also recalls this wake in the 'Big House' in Doaghbeg, the John Roe house. Tim recalls the linoleum floor where the coffin lay and there was a rug on top of the floor which Tim slipped on and ended up on the corpse, it still gives him nightmares to this day!

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The Duke

Tony Sweeney recalls James John Mor Sweeney telling him about seeing a coal ship called the 'Duke' going up on rocks on the Swilly. The crew apparently came ashore and Willie Weras from Portsalon used to go out to the ship at low tide to recover coal. 

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Old stories

Tony also recalls a story from Johnny Whoriskey about an English boat going up the Swilly, a group on the coastline at Doaghbeg beach were gesturing towards the ship which fired a cannon ball their way. Eddie Sweeney said he recalls hearing a similar story only that the cannon landed closer to Pollaid.

Tim McAteer also says there is an old cannon ball in the walls of the current Nanny house, this could the same cannon ball.

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John Joe O'Brien

Bried Sweeney recalls John Joe O'Brien's footsteps coming down the school brae while she was playing in the school playground. Tim McAteer recalls stopping with him and being sent to the shop to get two 'sixpenny' ice creams for himself and John Joe shortly before John Joe passed away. 

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Mass in the Big House

Eunan Sweeney recalls Monsignor John McIntyre coming to Doaghbeg to say mass in the Big House. The used to open the front door of the house and people would gather round outside. Mass was said in the front room opposite where the 'shop' was. Mrs. Sheila Sinclair used to attend, there was a gravel avenue leading to the house with small conifers and trees lining the way. There were two pillars at the bottom of the avenue with hydrangeas and roses beside them. 

Eunan also recalls when Father John came home after his ordination, there was a big welcome with bunting. A meal followed in the Big House.

Eunan also recalls when, some years later, the Monsignor’s nephew, Father John McIntyre, came home from Scotland after his ordination. Crowds gathered to welcome him with bunting along the route to his holiday residence at Kellys(Cahiers). A meal for the dignitaries followed in the drawing room upstairs in the Big House. Eunan recalls that wild salmon, caught by his Uncle Frank, was on the menu as well as roast beef.

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Tony Sweeney

Tim McAteer recalls snow days in Doaghbeg and on one occasion Tony Sweeney pelting people with snowballs as he had hands the size of shovels!

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Dinky Cars!

Tim also recalls Eamonn Harkin bringing him dinky cars every summer, until one evening his sister Bried decided to dispose of them into the fire!

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Johnny & Rosie's house

When Johnny and Rosie Kelly moved to their new home in Doaghbeg, Margaret Doherty remembers they hosted a party for all the children in the area. They sold their old home in Pollaid to a Dr. Deeney who was quite a famous and respected man. He went on to do a study in Fanad which can be found online. 

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Witchel

Daniel 'Witchel' McGavigan - technically a Pollaid man but got his name after working in Glenfanad. He was referred to as the 'wee child'. Daniel's aunt was Bridget who married Patrick 'Nelly' Sweeney from Doaghbeg. 

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Robbery

There was a record on the National Archives database about the robbery of James 'John Roe' McAteer in October 1921.  James would have operated the post office. They were awakened by masked men and a small amount of money was taken.

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Curraghs

James John Mhor Sweeney and Dan The Tailor Kelly were fishing partners back when a number of currachs were stored on Doaghbeg beach. Mickey Martin also owned one while Art McAteer and his brother John also owned one. 

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Brown George

also known as An Dunach or Stoicmhor, got its name either from;

Prince George, Prince of Wales sailing up the Swilly in the 1850s.  Apparently a fire was lit in Pollaid to welcome him and the Doaghbeg crew weren't too happy about this.

A local man named George who hid on it from the law for three days.

Hughie Dan Coll used to make out the standing rock next Doaghbeg Point was really Brown George.  He also stated the Ordinance Survey men may have named it. 

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The 'Rosie Colls'

After Hughie Martin died (he was living in his deceased uncle Dan Rosie's house over the 'Cassan'), the house was let out to some students from the North who came every summer. We called them the Hughie Martins although they weren't related. They lived a sort of hippie lifestyle. The house was remote and would have been fairly primitive and the fact that there were men and women living together who weren't married was quite shocking for the time. They were very friendly with Johnny Whoriskey, bringing him books and listening to his stories. Danny and Jan were the main couple, they may have been students in Queens. Jan would always give scarves or hair bands to Margaret Doherty. 

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Thresher machines

Outside Hughie and Dan Rosies, Bried Sweeney remembers very exciting days there when the trashing took place.  There was a big mill inside and the horses pulled the mill going around in a circle outside.

There was also a thresher in John Roes barn, the thresher inside was pristine, there was also a lot of cogs and wheels in the floor underneath, the horse unit was outside, that turned the thresher which was made in Coleraine, the wooden corn shaker was their also, all were there up to recent times.

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John Phaddy

Tim also recalls John 'Phaddy' Sweeney from Ballinabrocky passing away after one of the Martin's funerals in Doaghbeg. John done some taxi work at the time. This occurred in Johnny Martin's house. 

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Cars

Tim also recalls some of the locals owning trendy cars;

Johnny Martin owned a blue mini with a white roof.

Patrick Coll had a brand new Opel estate, perhaps a Kadett, chocolate gold in colour. 

Eddie Doherty also owned a Vauxhall Viva in white. Although his preferred car was the Hillman Hunter. 

Bried Sweeney also remembers the maiden journey in Benny John Roe's car, it was deep blue/purple in colour and it was the biggest car she had ever seen. It first ‘gave up’ at Pats bridge and a bit of repair done, next stop was Ballinacrick where the engine was cranked up with the starter handle.

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Football 

Tim recalls playing football on the green in Drumnacraig, however was ordered off the land by Mr. McClure. They then moved to land below Big Francies.  McClure also lost a yacht in those times mysteriously.

Football was played in more recent times in the field above Eddie Jimmy's house. Huge crowds would assemble in the 1990s. The telephone line came down one evening and the people there thought it would be a good idea for a nominated individual to stand holding the center of the dangling line while the others yanked the end, sending the person in the middle well into the air. Great fun at the time. 

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Visitors

Others recall Paddy Gamble from Castlefinn, perhaps an ex army man, who used to visit Doaghbeg. He used to stay in a shed behind Dohertys and also up behind the Callaghans in Drumnacraig. Paddy's niece Pearl Gamble was murdered in Newry back in the day too.

Another visiting man was Charlie Devine, he had a patch on one eye and was from Lifford. 

Red Johnny Sweeney used to visit Doaghbeg in the 1960s and empty the latrines in Doaghbeg school. Philomena Durden recalls an unfortunate event when one of the students fell into the deposits of the latrines one day.

Bried Sweeney's grandmother fed anyone who came their way and when Bried was small she approached Johnny in a real rage not long after she learned to talk and challenged him in Irish - tá mug granny, ubh Daddy agus  spáin an babaí agat.

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Three Kings

That Ditch opposite Doherty's shop was a great spot to just stand and chat and gaze at the sea, well one day Mary Doherty, Mary Kelly and Dympna McAteer were playing at the bottom of street and Art McAteer, Charlie Kelly and Eddie Doherty were at the ditch discussing the news of the day. Dympna stopped playing and says... We are witnessing history, look at our own 3 Kings of Doaghbeg holding court, King Arthur, King Charles and King Edward and her as serious as could be.

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Up to no good

Tim recalls Domenick Richardson calling to the big house to read the Independent newspaper. One evening Tim and others hid his bike. The fallout was bad so they turned good cop and helped retrieve the bicycle for Domenick. 

Tim and Paddy O'Brien also robbed Doherty's orchard one night and were chased away by Maggie Doherty. Paddy ran straight into a septic tank and was immersed. Rumour has it Seamus Diver Friel also fell into that same tank. 

Another orchard robbery! - Eunan recalls one night in the orchard and they heard Eddie Doherty and his mother Maggie coming out. Benny John Roe McAteer and the rest got out to the back field but Paddy O'Brien was in front of Eunan and ran though where old tins were dumped and started laughing. Eunan couldn't get past him and he knew Eddie would catch him so he got as far as the field and lay down in the grass. Eddie passed within a few feet of Eunan and chased the lads as far as the whins.

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Jim McIntyre

Jim McIntyre was also kept home from school on certain days to deliver milk to the barracks. He had to navigate his way past the school without being seen.

Tom McIntyre also recalls hearing his father Jim tell about when he first went to school in Doaghbeg and answering his name as 'Seamus Aca tS'ire'.  He attended the old school in Doaghbeg. 

Dan Martin and Jim McIntyre regularly fought on the way to and from school.

Jim attended Doaghbeg and Ballylar school. 

Also had a new bookcase in their home in Doaghbeg. 

Kevin Doherty also recalls; a little story about Jim McIntyre, when I was a nipper I was always helping my dad moving cows and running after them herding them this way and that. On returning from Scotland one time Jim presented me with a beautiful blackthorn stick taller than myself to help me round up the cattle.

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Benny John Roe

There's also a story about Benny John Roe McAteer throwing the teacher's shoe out the window in Doaghbeg school one day.

Margaret Doherty recalls when she was very young Benny McAteer giving her so much Cidona that she felt drunk as it contains a small bit of alcohol.

Benny McAteer used to drive an old Hillman Minx.

Tim recalls Benny McAteer taking his nephew Justin out on Doaghbeg beach on a small inflatable boat.  Everything was going fine until Benny revealed he couldn't swim!

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Mena Coll 

Bried Sweeney recalls Philomena Coll (Doherty) bringing back small duck ornaments from her honeymoon after marrying Patrick Coll of Pollaid. They may have went to Bundoran. 

Philomena Durden made Philomena Coll (nee Doherty) a dress as part of her sewing project at school. 

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Wedding memories

Mary Doherty's first memory of a wedding in Doaghbeg was that of Mickey Joe McConigley and Irene 'Pat' Coll. Catty let the students out to watch from the back wall to see them coming at Clementstown and then they raced to front wall to sit up on it and wave as they passed the school.

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Dan Martin 

Tony Sweeney recalls Dan Martin playing cards in the John Roe house one night, Dan had a serious bad temper when it came to cards. He lost a trick and broke a table in two. 

There's a story about Dan Martin trying to chat up Mary 'Francie' and she was having none of it so he kicked her up the backside!

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Dulse collecting

Philomena Durden recalls collecting dulse annually at 'Pol a Leihe' with her grandad Jimmy Callaghan and Maggie 'Den Donnell' McCarron.  Mary Campbell (who married Dan 'Paddy Anton' Carr and her auntie Maggie Gallagher were also there. 

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Eddie Doherty

When Eddie Doherty was in hospital, Bridin Johnston had to lie about being his sister to get in to visit him.  She reckons that's the only lie she's ever told!

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Ice Cream

Tim McAteer remembers the thruppence and sixpenny ice cream cutters from Doherty's shop. 

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Jimmys brae

Kevin Doherty remembers going down the bray at 'Dan Jimmys' to deliver an SMA magazine to Bridget when the brakes went on his bike.  He ended up hitting the wall at the bottom of the bray and went over the top of the handlebars.  A similar incident happened Benny 'Nanny' only for Eddie 'Jimmy' to catch him before he made contact with the wall. 

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Big Francie

Tim McAteer recalls 'Big Francie' Sweeney calling to the post office on Friday mornings at 8am for his pension.  Tim recalls him having huge feet.

Eunan Sweeney, on his return from college, would also call over to chat to Francie and discuss the Vietnam War etc.  His relatives in the USA used to send Francie newspapers which he would read back to front.  

Francie was a big man but had a strange manner.  He once asked for directions to Feakle, which was in Co.Clare, to some youngsters in Milford. 

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Big Francie Sweeney was telling Tony Sweeney about how his wee dog was very affectionate.  Tony said he wasn't so affectionate when he got near Tony's ducks.

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Punties

The well called 'Punties' beside Dohertys shop used to have lime added to it to clean the water.  Eamon Harkin used to do this. 

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The burn

Another challenge that some people recall was throwing a stick into the burn at the Doaghbeg school bridge then racing it over to the burn at Drumnacraig. 

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Callaghan's road

Eunan Sweeney reckons the road going past Callaghans in Drumnacraig was built under a minor relief scheme and that Jimmy Callaghan carted stone to it. 

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Mary Paddy Anton

Tim recalls his mother having a huge cauldron opposite the 'Charlie' McAteers house where she used to wash sheets.

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Bella Doherty

Kathleen Ward recalls Hannah Bella Doherty crocheting for the kids in the area.

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The Doherty house

Eddie and Mary originally built the house where Bridget Kelly is now living.  The roof in the shop house was being raised and Art McAteer had to rescue Margaret from being 1/2 way up a ladder!  Eddie and Mary moved back to the 'shop' house after Margaret was born so that Eddie's mother Grace could help with the children. 

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Priest's photo

Aidan McAteer has a photo of all priests ordained in Ireland between 1895 and 1896, including a portrait of Father John McAteer.

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John William

Tony Sweeney heard stories that John 'William' Sweeney from Drumnacraig used to go hunting all sorts of small birds and would crawl up burns to get a shot at them. 

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Tom McIntyre's story

I heard it from Biddy John Roe. According to her Eoin Beag Mac an tSaoir married twice, first to a Friel, then to a Carr. This would be in the very early 1800s. Billy, the son of the first marriage is the William  Mc Ateer who is named as the tenant of so much of Lord Leitrim's Doaghbeg land in the 19th century  Griffith valuations. The sons of the second marriage were 'Doney' and Tearlach, the progenitor of the Charlies.

Charlie of course was born last and lived into the 20th century. My father remembered him about 1908, very old and much respected, always given the place nearest the fire when he came in at evening. Tenants in Ulster were better protected than elsewhere in Ireland. They could not be evicted if they paid their rent. When their lease came to an end, however, someone else could claim it if you did not renew immediately. A tenant was entitled to be told when their lease was due for renewal. A bad neighbour had his eye on the land of Sally Doney and presumably  had some influence with Leitrim's agent in Milford. Sally s notification that her lease was up did not arrive until just before midnight on the last day. Sally knew what was up. She dressed and set off to walk the 14 miles to Milford through the night. When the agent arrived next morning she was waiting at his door. As she left with her lease renewed she met her rival hurrying in.

 

Another Version of the Story by Eunan Sweeney

Sally d’Eoini was my great grandmother. She was married to my great grandfather, John Mor Sweeney, and was related to me on both my mother and father’s side. John Roe McAteer, who was also my great grandfather, was a first cousin of Sally’s, both born around 1833.

 

With the benefit of information from both sides, I have a different take on the story.

 

The Tithe Applotment Books of 1834 record Eoin Bhig and Eoin Junior as occupiers of holdings in Doaghbeg. Eoin Junior (Eoini or d’Eoini) was the son of Eoin Bhig and a brother of William and half brother of Charlie. He may have been the elder son. He is listed in Griffith as John McAteer, the occupier of Lot 22a in the vicinity of the barracks, comprising  house, offices and 15Ac 3R & 30P of land He died around 1856.

 

Sally was his daughter. He also had one son of whom we know, Patrick. Tradition in the Sweeney family had it that Patrick and his family were evicted from the aforementioned land and emigrated. Nothing further is now know about them.

 

Following the eviction, the house was listed as closed in 1863 and the name of the occupier changed to Lord Leitrim. It would appear from the records that the lands then lay unoccupied for a number of years. The story that Tom recounts relates to Sally’s efforts to regain occupancy of the lands. The occupiers of the farms in Doaghbeg were tenants "at will" on the Leitrim Estate. Notwithstanding "the Ulster custom" on security of tenure that prevailed elsewhere, nearly all tenants were on a six months notice to quit so, as such, couldn't automatically transfer to next of kin.

 

Sally walked through the night to Milford to make her case to Lord Leitrim’s Land Agent for repossession. She succeeded in getting tenancy of only some of the land, the remainder being given to Muracadh Sweeney, a brother in law of her husband.

 

 

The island of Inishtrahull (just off Malin Head)

There may be a connection between Fanad people arriving there in times gone by or vice versa. 

Tim had regular chats with the lighthouse keeper there when he worked in the Post Office. 

 

 

Telephone exchange

Doaghbeg was regularly confused with Doonbeg in Co.Clare.

 

 

Curse

There was a rumor that a curse was placed so that a McConigley or McCarron from Fanad would never become a priest.

Johnny Whoriskey had a story that the curse went back to penal times when a priest was turned away by them.  He got shelter from the Gallaghers (Juckins) and he blessed the bed he stayed in and nobody ever died in that bed after it.  That Gallaghers house is where George McAdoo now lives.  

 

 

1926 Joseph McCarron drowning

Many local people recall this terrible day.  He went for a dip on a warm summer's day after attending mass on July 4th 1926.  Eunan Sweeney recalls his father saying he wasn't allowed to go to the shore by his brother James Sweeney.  Joseph had also called into his cousins house - the Neidy Sweeneys, on that day. 

He was a strong swimmer but didn't stand a chance, it was out behind the island where there was sinking sand. 

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Colmcille's curse

This was something Maggie Doherty (nee Boyce) spoke about a lot.

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Cattle walk

Frank Sweeney remembers walking cattle to Araheera in the mid 1990s and they ended up in the Tavern where Dan and Pat Coll fell out.

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Sweeney relations

Eddie Sweeney also recalls some of his father's relations calling to visit Doaghbeg before, namely; Joseph Dwyer and Willie Gilmartin who landed on a bike in the 1960s.  He returned a few times after that.  Mary Martin (Eddie's sister) knitted a cardigan for Joe's daughter Helen.

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James Charlie memory

Tom McIntyre recalls James 'Charlie' McAteer being renowned for having a freak memory which may have been used to comile the list of mourners at his brother Edward's funeral.

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The 'Big House'

Owned by the McAteers was completed in 1912/1913 and valued in 1914 in the name of John McAteer.

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Bus incident

Mary Doherty recalls her brother Malachy being hit by the 12 o clock bus, but luckily it wasn't going too fast. 

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Annie Coll

Bried Sweeney recalls Annie Coll (1904-1974) really enjoying the company in her house with one crowd playing darts and another crowd watching TV. Mickey Joe McConigley used to also give lifts to the dances in Kerrykeel.  She also brought Bried on her first visit to the La Scala cinema in Milford to see 'Bring me no flowers - Doris Day'.

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Charlie James

Charlie' James' Sweeney used to have a dog that would chase its own tail.  Charlie loved animals.

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Knock/Charlestown story

Jimmy 'Tommy' McElwaine used to drive Hackney.  He told of a story before of taking a group of men to Knock.  They stopped in Donegal Town and one of the men, who wouldn't be used to travelling far, told the barman they had come all the way from Donegal!  He couldn't believe he was still in Donegal.

Bernie McConigley also visited Charlestown in recent years and when she mentioned Fanad the barman produced a photo of four Fanad men in Knock from years gone by (John Kerr, Ardglass. Patrick Callaghan, Drumnacraig. Gerry Boyce, Drumany and Francie 'Johnny Owen' Whoriskey, Doaghcrabbin).  These men had an agreement that if one died, someone else would take their place. 

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Biddy John Roe

Biddy 'John Roe' McAteer was a great singer and recalled the first gramophone in Doaghbeg. 

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GAA

Frank Sweeney remembers Paul 'Neidy' Sweeney coming onto the field after Fanad Gaels won the Intermediate GAA Championship in 2007.

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School memory

Mary Doherty recalls Una Sweeney shearing her hair in the school shelter and her Granny Doherty being in a bad mood with her over it. 

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Some incidents

Tim McAteer recalls giving his brother John an awful slagging over missing the corner at Manual Friels one night coming home from Araheera.  He ended up in the whin bushes, absolutely no damage to the car until he tried to get out and scraped the driver's door on the whins.

Tim also recalls his brother Benny having a similar scrape one night in a Ford Escore Mark 2, cream in color.  The car rolled onto its roof but not to be outdone  he simply cut of the entire roof and made it look like a open top sports car.  

Kevin Doherty remembers Charlie Diver Friel and Benny pulling up to the shop street in the car. 

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Benny also had an accident one evening where Jude Lewis was a passenger.  Jude was fretting at the time and Charlie Diver slapped him and told him to calm down!

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Martin Coll remembers hearing about his aunt Rosemary Coll getting a lift home with Francie McAteer from the Lighthouse Tavern.  Francie rolled the car at Clemenstown, they kicked back window out, to get out the car and Rosemary walked up to the house in Pollaid in shock, only to notice her glasses were in the car.  Back down she went and crawled back in the car and got her specs.

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Eddie Sweeney also remembers Francie buying an M2 escort off Alan Fahey once and after a week it fell into the big drain on the right past Mary Charlies corner.  They got Pat Nanny with a JCB to lift it out.  They thought they had done a great recovery until she was set on all four's again.  When the toe rope was put in place the poor car crawled like a crab.  It got pulled out off shape with the sheer lift.  Needless to say it was towed to its resting place.  This was in 1984 or so. 

The boot of this car is still in Doaghbeg!

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John (Paddy) McAteer remembers his Dad driving a Austin Wolseley Cambridge around Fanad.  Micky Joe McConigley used to throw him the keys of his car when he was on holiday.  He remembers a trip along Trialough.  It’s pretty straight and about a mile long.  Paddy had the Cambridge up at 100mph.  John remembers being able to see the road through the footwell on the driver side.

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Tim recalls being stopped by the UDR at 7am while on his honeymoon.  They jumped up out of the roadside in full camouflage gear.  

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Coll family Pollaid

Some research about Stephen Coll of Pollaid.  He would be a great grand uncle of a lot of people in the Doaghbeg chat (Eunan, Tim etc).

He died in 1897 aged 70. 
He married twice, first to a Mary Ann Marley. They had 7 children. 
Within the space of 7 years he lost his wife Mary and 5 of his children. 
Harrowing stuff. 

He married again to a Jiley Carr from Pollaid (her father was Michael) But I don't think they had any children. 

His remaining two children Annie and James are buried in Fanavolty.
Annie died in 1951 Death reported by cousin Manuel Friel. 
James died in 1946. Can't find a death record for him.

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Visits

Kevin Doherty recalls going visiting the 'Johnny Owens' in Carryblagh and 'Juckins' in Glenfanad.   Both Cissy and Eleanor would make such a fuss of Kevin and Mal, "Eddie's boys" as they called them. 

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Coll v Coll!

Margaret Doherty remembers the  repeated story of the constant jibing between Patrick Coll and Hughie Dan and not often Hughie got the last word, but Xmas was coming and Patrick was on about the boys would be coming home and how they would have him out every night and quick as flash Hughie says in his great slow droll “Aye I’ll give you that Pat sure didn’t they take their drinking from Pollaid but thank God they took their manners from Doaghbeg “ Poor Patrick had no retort!

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Pope visit

Pope visit to Knock;  Mary Doherty was left in charge of Grainnes (Portsalon) because all the oldies had gone to see the Pope.  Patrick Diver pulled up to the takeaway window in a class yellow mini and Mary's 2nd in command disappeared leaving her to it.  Jimmy Tommy left Doaghbeg after all the postmortems of the excursion and met Margaret Doherty and Sheila Diver walking the last leg of the journey home. He stopped and had to turn around and head back for Pollaid and Doaghbeg.

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Kitty Duffy & John John Eoin

Kitty Duffy, Doaghbeg married John 'John Eoin' Friel from Ballure in America.  

Margo, Joe McShane and Joe Cullen wrote a song about John.  Paddy Johnny Mór Callaghan told Joe that he was in John Eoins the day John left for America.  He said he sat on the millstone at the well and played the fiddle, put it in the case and walked up the lane and was gone. It was 1927.  He said once Margo heard the story she was adamant they should write a song about it. They did and Margo recorded it, called “He played his Farewell Song” It’s on YouTube. He also told me he had a copy of Katie’s story, which she wrote before she died, it tells about the two of them and their travels to America and their saga. He sadly lost his copy during a house move, but it was Mary Gallagher, Rosnakill, who gave it to him so he thinks she will still have a copy.

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Paddy Rosies

Paddy Rosies house burning in the early 1900s - apparently Francie 'Paddy Rosie' had a dream about the house being burned.  Charlie returned from America to fix it up. 

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Sister Placidus

Margaret Doherty (Sister Placidus) - based in the South of London, Mary went to visit her grave with her Aunty Maureen when she first went to London.  Sister Placidus was in an enclosed order, the same nuns ran the Nazareth House in Derry and Fahan.  

She visited Doaghbeg in the 1960s and visited Derry regularly.  When she joined up nuns weren't allowed home, even for funerals.   At the time of the Doaghbeg visit, she was an old woman and Margaret Doherty was fascinated by the headgear which was called a wimple.

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Daniel Mhor

Tom McIntyre's father Jim told stories about a very strong man known as Daniel Mhor.  We now know this to be Daniel Coll.

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Sheila Coll (Pollaid)

Sheila Coll (Pollaid) could be cranky, Mary Doherty remembers her mother saying herself, Grainne Doherty, Philomena Coll, Eddie Doherty and Patrick Coll were at a wake somewhere and came back to Pollaid to rake. Mary had a good hearty laugh as did Philomena and when the craic got up the two wakened Sheila with their howls of laughter and she got up and raced the Doaghbeg ones back home!

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Father Farren

Fr. Farren was the priest in Fanavolty at the time the Colls of Pollaid were between Drumnacraig and England, but he preached a big sermon off the Alter about putting in your own envelopes on a Sunday; Patrick Coll had left their envelopes in Doaghbeg with the money to put in each week, but of course money went into Doherty envelopes one week and maybe Coll’s envelope the next week, anyway the first time he arrived in Doaghbeg after that sermon our mother lit on him: Why did you not just say “could the Doherty’s and Coll’s just use their own envelopes", because the whole parish knew who you were referring to” and then she tops it off by saying “sure you should be glad to be getting it, no matter what envelope it’s in".

Liam Callaghan (Kerrykeel) used to drive Father Farren to Carndonagh. He said father Farren had a heart condition so wasn't allowed to drive but he would only get Liam to drive him as far as Carndonagh town and he would drive the rest out to his homeplace as I suppose he was proud enough and didn't want to be seen by his own people getting transported about. Liams brother Joachim would lift Liam then and take him home. 

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Willie & Paddy John Roe

Liam mentioned Willie and Paddy McAteer being in Ballylar school during his time there. He said Willie was a very slow writer much to Master McConigleys annoyance! And that Paddy was left handed but McConigley tried to get him to write with his right hand. But any time he was looking away he would go back to the left.

Tim remembers his brother Willie taking him to the Lighthouse Tavern after cutting the corn.  Willie was a teetotaller but had a glass of Guinness.

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Maggie Richardson. 

Fond memories of her and her dog Fido who used to sit in the armchair.  Coincidentally the O'Briens used to have a dog also called Fido.  She used to write to Rosaleen Carr (nee McIntyre) and had lovely handwriting.  The children would visit her at lunchtime from school to get tea on occasion.  If you were visiting when the Angelus was on, you had to stay for all the prayers on your knees then poor Maggie used to pronounce "blessed art thou" that sounded like "bekstarter" which they think was a baking product and then the kinks of withheld inner laughter would start.  There was also a school rota to go over for a fresh bucket of water.  She would always have tea and a slice of scone ready. 

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Bridgie O Brien

Tim recalls Bridgie O Brien cooking a lovely fry but as she got older she seemed to let the cigarette in her mouth burn for ages, until eventually the ash dropped off and into the food!

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Bertie Maher

In 1966 Eddie Sweeney met Bertie Maher.  Bertie asked had Eddie any young cats or as he pronounced it - chats, and they could swap them for a collie dog.  Eddie had no cats but Jonnie Martin's wife Anne had two smart half-grown cats that spent most of their time at our house. Without thought Eddie agreed to the deal as he needed the dog.  But he did not think of the inquest that followed as Anne searched for days trying to find them.  The dog was a great worker, it never had to be trained and was called Spring.

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Dogs

The John Roes had three dogs called Chantelle, which was softened to 'Shan' in recent years.

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Doaghbeg Band

There may have been a band and definitely a song.  Looking for more info on this.  Paul 'Neidy' Sweeney may have recited it before.  There was a reference in it to Den Donals, Drumnacraig that they took exception to.
'The assembly point was at Doherty's gate' was apparently the first line of the song. 

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Patrick Callaghan

The time Patrick Callaghan (Drumnacraig) met two Protestant women from Ballymena in Portsalon, and he assumed they were Catholic, and says 'I don’t know how yous live among them orange wans, I worked with them in Scotland and I never came across more bigoted  ____ ____' you can imagine the next two words!

Patrick also fell into the Clyde when working in Scotland and nearly died.  

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Work

Eddie Sweeney; I remember when we were hanging around one evening, I'd have been twelve or thereabouts.  Eddie Doherty asked us to help as Dan Wera Duffy was coming to bale hay over at Ard a Phriosan.  We were only to glad to go as I had never seen the baler work up to that. When the work was done we were treated to bars of DM chocolate. It was like Santa was back in our lives. Then a couple of years later I helped with harvest at John Roe's, and Tommy came out in the evening and threw out 20 Major cigarette packets to us. That was the moment we knew we had arrived when the cigarettes was the reward.

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Manuel Mac

Mary Doherty; One night in the Lighthouse Tavern, I filled Manuel Macs coat with the glasses and he swung it around to put on him and crashed them all off the fireplace.  The place eruped with laughter. 

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Snakepit bar

The group recall Mary Riordan visiting the 'Snakepit' bar in Portsalon Hotel.  Mary recalls;

We all got a fiver at the end of the fortnight that Riordans were there as a tip from them, which we pooled to get us into the Irish nights in Kerrykeel and buy expensive perfume to disguise the smell of grease of us and a pound to Hugh Gallagher for his patience with us.

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Philomena Durden on a drowning in the Swilly in the 1950s;

John Den Donel and Grandad Jimmy Callaghan found the poor soul washed up at the big cave far end of shore.  He was Eugene Mc Ginley, 18 year's old, he was out in place of someone else that night.

They carried him up on sheet of tin to where Wards house is now.  I remember the crowd of people that came that evening as if it were yesterday. 

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Some info on the McConigley family, Drumnacraig;

John and Rose were in both the 1901 and 1911 census in Drumnacraig. 
They were listed as having 8 children with 7 still alive in 1911.

John died on 28th September 1911 aged '65' from chronic bronchitis. Death repeated by his son William. 
Only William and Celia were in the 1911 census of the McConigley House along with John and Rose. The other children must have moved on. 

Rose died on 4th May 1923 from debility caused by a septic foot. Again son William reported the death. She appears on the same death register as John Roe (2nd April 1923) and Eunan's uncle Daniel Sweeney (1905-1923). 

I cant find a marriage cert for John and Rose Sweeney but their first child was Ellen born in 1879. I dont think John was an original Drumnacraig man as there were no McConigleys in the land records of 1854. 

Roses parent's were Charles Sweeney and Giley. Giley may have been Cannon.

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Kevin and Malachy Doherty

Wote a letter to Shell Ireland after reading an article in 'An Phoblacht' when they were only 14 or 15!

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Story from the Doherty household;

Granny Maggie (nee Boyce) laid out the shoes for polishing (handing the mantle on to Mary Doherty), she threw the dummy and asked what was wrong that they couldn’t polish their own shoes. Maggie had a great laugh and the men polished their own shoes going forward to throw in a common day phrase.

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Larry Coll;

When absent from school one day the teacher asked "where is Larry today?"  Some other pupil told he was helping one of the neighbors to 'yock a filly'. 

 

Also a story that Dan Martin and Larry had an altercation, which Dan won. 

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When the Sweeney house in Drumnacraig was being built;

When they were building our house in Drumnacraig there was a huge tree root where the foundation was to go. Patrick Martin and a number of ones tried to shift it but to no avail, so Larry was sent for. It was lying over at the side of the house until the 1970's.

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Larry was also a good High jump exponent.  He was the main challenger to Master Gavigan, a noted athlete at Sports days.

Remembered as having a pipe permanently in his mouth!  He ended up getting cancer of his lower lip and had surgery on it. 

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Story from Eddie Sweeney about Larry - Back in them days all the bragging rights came with work and crop related activities. On one occasion Larry was digging tatties and some of the smart boys set him up by planting a massive spud in the drill that he would be digging next day.  Larry brought his prize to Whoriskeys that night to show off, but after some time Manuel exposed it a fake. It was made up from two large spuds joined together by match sticks and covered with a sticky clay.  Needless to say Larry swore revenge on all suspects.

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He died in the potato field below John Roes.  Bried Sweeney remembers making tea at his wake. 

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Sweeldrafts

Both players sit opposite each other with the foot soles tight against each others.  Both then grasp a pick shaft or brush shaft with both hands and pull with all their might and eventually one of the competitors will lift the other.

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Martin sisters

When Bridget and Mary Anne went to America in 1925 and 1929 respectively, it said their contact on the US side was their uncle Dan Martin. 
Dan was a brother of Mickey Martin and was the second oldest after Mickey. 
He had an address at 3306 Melon Street, Philadelphia

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Pol Cormac

A man drowned there some people got a strange feeling fishing near there. A James Campbell from Glenn Fanad drowned in Pol James long ago and that is the Big Cove next to it.

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Dr. McMenamin

Eddie Sweeney; Recalls hearing a case where Dr. McMenamin put 3 stiches in a wound  that a man received at the Sports Day on Trialough. When asked for the bill the Doctor replied "seven and six, half a crown a stitch".  The injured man replied "I wouldn't like to have a suit made with you".

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Roadworks memories;

Margaret Doherty: In the late 60's there were two men who worked for the council clearing drains and the like who had their tea in our house when they were in the area. Turns out it was Willie Dorrian (Toame) and Mick McAteer (Araheera)
Eunan Sweeney: It would have been the 1960's. Willie used to take tea in our house too. Mick was a regular Council employee as a labourer; what was referred to as " a surface man".  Willie I think worked on specific schemes. The ' surface man " was responsible for a specific stretch of road. They cut hedges, cleaned the shoughs and filled potholes. Mick carried a shovel and billhook on his bike.

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Patrick Callaghan (great great grandfather of Philomena Durden) drowning - 1830s or 1840s.  They were fishing for herring under Belfullide. 

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John William Sweeney's decision to leave Drumnacraig and move to Shannagh.  John maintained that he had seen his uncle, Johnny Liam's, ghost a number of times. I remember hearing that was the reason for him selling up.

Patrick Callaghan also maintained he seen Johnny Liam's ghost while Johnny was on his deathbed in 1947. 

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Philomena on visiting the McCarrons, Doaghcrabbin;

I always remember the distinctive smell it was due to Giley and her spinning she was amazing spun the own wool and made socks and jumpers interesting part of my growing up.

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Tom McIntyre on serving at his uncle John's mass in Doaghbeg;

I used to serve my uncle's Mass when he was in Doaghbeg. It was a special experience - the reflections of the morning sun off the lough dancing on the ceiling, the Doaghbeg people praying in the room and outside and Fr John's lovely voice  speaking the Latin with great feeling and understanding.

On another occasion Father John saw a very crippled man pulling himself up the avenue towards the John Roe house and sent 2 people to help him. The man was Hugh Doherty the present Dohertys great grandfather. What a strong character he must have been.

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Hugh Doherty;

Tom McIntyre: Hugh Doherty was someone my father Jim always mentioned with respect and admiration. The complete good neighbour.
Another story my father told was of Hugh putting a crippled horse out of its misery when nobody else was being practical.  At a field-gate near Ard Dubh if I remember the story.

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Tom also recalls the following story;

1953 - there was concern about a good water supply. Punties well was liable to runoff from the road. The corner well was closed since the bull fell in. A pump would be safer. A likely place for a spring was under Ard Breac supplying Sheila Cathaoir's little well. A water-diviner was hired, and a lot of people gathered to see him at work. He crossed and re-crossed the ground, holding a forked twig with two points of the fork pressing on his thumbs. When there was water underground the twig stirred, and when he found a strong source it twisted up in his hands. Eventually he found a strong steady flow and advised siting the pump there. After he left everyone was keen to try their skill. No luck, until Rosaleen in her early teens had a shot. And when the twig came alive in her hands she seemed more distressed than pleased. Everybody else was admiring except John McAteer. Always the prosecuting lawyer,  he wanted clearer proof. So he brought Rosaleen and the  crowd to where he knew of drains and underground watercourses. She found them all, which satisfied even his keen  judgment.

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Mary Doherty on Ford's Barn;

We live in Ford’s Barn and the legend is it was built with the bounty they got for killing Jesse James. This was a great dance hall in its day and the ironic thing about it is that Robert Ford started a string of dance halls in the states and was gunned down himself in one. The brothers briefly returned to Portsalon when they were sought after by the Pinkerton Agency who were pursuing them, but gave up upon the pursuit at Letterkenny. Fords was the first stone barn in this area.

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Newspaper trading

Bried Sweeney; We used to get the Sunday Post from the Campbell’s in Scotland and traded it for a Donegal Peoples Press.  I have the job of weekly delivery.  The Post would have been about 2 weeks old at that stage.

 

Margaret Doherty; The Sunday Post then moved on to our house where we enjoyed the cartoon Oor Willie. The People's Press, which at that time was a FG paper before it was taken over by the Democrat, came originally from Mam who got it sent up from Cannon's of Ballymichael. One of the bread men brought it. 

 

Eddie Sweeney; I remember us getting the Peoples Press from Cannons ,via Manuel Friel's and Pat Colls and we young ones would collect on a Friday night after sitting at Tv for a couple of hours. Old Charlie Gracie carried the post at that time and he would take the DPP to Pollaid. He would get 20 Players (Cigs at Xmas for his troubles).  And Rosie would get the Scotch papers from across the Sea as we used to call it and then pass them to us. I thought the Broons and Oor Willie in the cartoon section were real and envied the way the Broons managed the dishes at the washup.

It wasn't a case of today's news today.  People would sit and read from cover to cover, a paper of any date. Big Francie Sweeney once asked me how I would pronounce the party 'Alliance' as he already asked Mary Doherty and looked to me for a second opinion, which gave me a great vote of confidence.  Francie thought it was the 'Aliens' Party himself.  When me and Mary conferred she said they would be as well called the 'Aliens' Party for all the chance they have of success.

 

 

Rumors of a dispute between Charlie Una McAteer, who had the nickname of McCann, and John Phrionnsais, who had the nickname 'Mealtain Mor'. Apparently, they squared up to one another at the burn. Patrick Shiels, Carryblagh composed a recitation about it.
 

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1940 Pandion sinking

The Pandion ship - attacked by the Germans off Tory. Went in at Swilly Rock. Captain HJ Brevis was killed and body taken in at McAteers

Death record available. 

Apparently the lighthouse keeper in Fanad seen the action and contacted Dublin, who told him to turn out the light in case they were attacked. The Pandion then hit a rock on the Swilly as they had no light. 

The body was laid out in the barn in Doaghbeg until the English authorities collected him. 

John 'John Roe' McAteer and John Joseph O'Brien went out on a currach and got onto the deck of the boat before it sank, and they weren't able to swim either. They came back with a box of biscuits and the mast. 

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1948 death of Michael Martin

​Died on August 25th 1948 of pulmonary congestion and streptoxoccal septacaemia. He was a railway fireman. There was great excitement that they were back from Scotland for Rosie Martin and Johnny Kellys wedding, people sat on the 'knowe' waiting for them. 

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McConigley Drumnacraig
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