Landmark event to celebrate 70th anniversary of historical society

Landmark event to celebrate 70th anniversary of historical society

19 September 2018

THE Lecale and Downe Historical Society celebrates its 70th anniversary this Friday evening at Denvir’s Coaching Inn in Downpatrick when the guest speaker following a celebratory dinner will be eminent Irish historian, Dr Eamonn Phoenix.

A society to promote the history and heritage of Downpatrick and Lecale was the ambition of Mr Richard Edward Parkinson (1896-1977) and, after interest was expressed by  a group of other like-minded inhabitants, the first meeting of the Downe Society took place on  January 23, 1948.

Mr Parkinson was the assistant surveyor to Down County Council and is perhaps best known for his book, The City of Downe, first published in 1927 and republished in 1977. This was the product of gathering together his late father’s copious notes on the history of the town.

The society’s other founding members included Mr Robert Brown, an agent for Dunleath Estates who was treasurer, Down County Council official Mr Robert Maxwell, who was secretary, and the Rev John Radcliffe, who was chairman.

Other society members included other local clergy, headmasters, representatives of professions and local businesses and individuals who were interested in local history.

The first meeting took place in Denvir’s Hotel where it continued to meet every month for several decades. At this meeting the objects of the Society were outlined – to encourage and foster interest in the history and traditions of Downpatrick and County Down, music, arts and sciences and the architecture of buildings and monuments of historic or artistic value in the area.

The following day’s Down Recorder reported that Mr Parkinson gave the first lecture of The Downe Society, fittingly on the subject, The Story of Downpatrick, in which he spoke about man reaching Ireland some seven thousand years ago, through to the ravages of the Norsemen, De Courcy and the Normans, the Fitzgeralds, Cromwells, Southwells and into the eighteen century. 

His closing words were on the urban administration of the day with a sense of the historic past and the hope of future well-being. 

In 1948, the formation of the Society was a significant attempt to bring together people from all sections of the community, particularly across the religious divide. Both The Downe Society, and its later partner, the Lecale Historical Society, maintained a proud non-sectarian record. 

Over the years, the society hosted many outstanding speakers including a Lord Chief Justice, local author Lynn C. Doyle, W.Y. Crichton, who was editor of the Down Recorder for 64 years, Brian Faulkner, the last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, and mountaineer Dawson Stelfox, who climbed Mount Everest.

Other speakers have included Senator David Norris with his one-man show on James Joyce, broadcaster Brian Black on his travels to Arctic regions and the late Arthur Pollock, verger of Down Cathedral, on his discovery of the Downpatrick Gold Find while digging a grave in 1954 and again in 1956.

Annual outing venues have included many interesting places such as the Armagh Planetarium, the Cathedrals of Armagh, Bishop Robinson’s library and stables, historic sites around Carlingford, walking tours of local towns and villages, The Somme Centre, The Boyne Valley Centre, boat trips and visits to private homes and castles. This year, the Society visited Collon House in County Louth.

In October 1960, a memorial to Sir Hans Sloane was unveiled in his Killyleagh birthplace. The memorial project was spearheaded by Downe Society president R E Parkinson and Mr W A Seaby, Director of the Belfast Museum & Art Gallery.  

From the remaining funds raised, the Memorial Committee founded The Hans Sloane Medal which recognises Northern Ireland’s top achievers in ‘A’ level Biology, Chemistry and Physics.  Although no longer connected with the Society, the medal is still presented today and since 2017 The Sloane McClay Award is presented to Northern Ireland students who excel in GCSE and ‘A’ level STEM subjects.  

The society celebrated its 40th anniversary at the old Abbey Lodge Hotel outside Downpatrick in November 1987 when the special guest for the evening was the late Lord Dunleath, who delivered an after dinner speech on his views and visions on the growth of Downpatrick.   

The 50th anniversary in 1997 was celebrated at Denvir’s Hotel, the boyhood home of the late Maurice Hayes, who gave a humorous talk on his early life.

In 2008, the society was invited to Áras an Uachtaráin in recognition of its cross-community relations, with eight members attending a garden party on July 3. They were also given a guided tour and met President Mary McAleese and her husband, Dr Martin.  

The society continued to hold its regular lectures in Denvir’s for over 60 years and in 2009 it amalgamated with the Lecale Historical Society, founded in 1974. The new body was named the Lecale & Downe Historical Society, due to their shared aims, objectives and membership. 

In 2002, the Lecale Historical Society launched its website with the help of Mr Pat Devlin and encouragement from the late Dr James Hawthorne CBE, the society’s then president. 

This provided an outlet for the Society to give details on the work that it does with the website containing a full index of articles and authors for the annual journal, copies of reports, annual programme and newsletters.

The website also includes some historical resources for the Lecale area, which include the 1901 census, Lewis’ Topographical Dictionary, Griffith’s Valuations of 1863, ships and shipwrecks associated with Lecale, the Nannie Cinnamon letters and various others. The Society launched its own dedicated Facebook page at its annual meeting five years ago.

The society, which is one of the largest of its kind in Ulster with a membership of over 250, wishes to thank its many members and friends who have supported its work and volunteered over the past seven decades to ensure that the history and heritage of Lecale and surrounding parts of County Down are recorded for future generations.  

Anyone who would like to join the society for just £10 and prevail of free entry to all society lectures and a complimentary copy of Lecale Review each year, should visit www.lecalehistory.co.uk or email info@lecalehistory.co.uk. Alternatively, call in to one of its meetings.