Bailieborough photo exhibition to be retained as a source

Exhibition had close on 400 images submitted by the local community

Bailieborough Heritage Society held a photographic exhibition recently entitled ‘Portraits of Bailieborough Town’ in Bailieborough’s former courthouse. The exhibition had close on 400 images submitted by the local community. The background to this exhibition stemmed from the changes in the town, in the buildings, businesses and the family names.

The Society wanted to record and document as far as possible people who once lived and worked in the town. A call went out for images and information and the Society was delighted with the response. Some of these amazing photographs languished as glass plate negatives, polaroids and old images, together they showed a town that has been transformed over many decades.

All the images and information obtained will be collated as a source for the future, to get a glimpse of what life was like in Bailieborough. There were once 32 pubs, three shoe shops, two hotels, as well as many independent bakeries, shops and businesses that employed hundreds of people.

The photographic exhibition received financial assistance from Cavan County Council’s 2021 Community Enhancement Programme and Cavan Heritage Office.  The exhibition was officially opened by Savina Donohoe, former curator of Cavan County Museum. Savina’s mother was a member of the Shaffrey family and grew up in her parents’ hotel on Main Street, Bailieborough.