County Genealogy Centre\Ramelton Story

This impressive and well-proportioned former warehouse\stores forms part of an important collection of buildings of this type aligning the historic quayside at Ramelton. It has been sensitively converted to new uses as a museum, gallery, exhibition space and genealogy centre, and is now an important amenity for locals and visitors. Its stark industrial form is typical of its type and date, and this has been largely retained in the conversion works. The loss of the salient fabric to the openings fails to detract. Its short squat form in comparison to its more imposing neighbouring warehouses adds variety to the quayside. The date plaque over the name doorway indicates that this structure was built in 1964, making it one of the later warehouses\stores aligning the quayside at Ramelton. The plaque is incised 'L & LS RWAY CO. 1864’, indicating that it was originally built by the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company. This company built a railway line from Tooban Junction to Buncrana at the far side of Lough Swilly that opened in 1864, the date of this warehouse. It is likely that this was used as a depot for transporting goods to and from Fahan Pier (served by the railway line) across the lough. A railway line was never built to Ramelton, which hastened its decline towards the end of the nineteenth century (particularly after the establishment of a railway line to nearby Letterkenny in 1909). This building serves as an historic reminder of the town’s industrial and maritime heyday during the nineteenth century. Ramelton prospered during the eighteenth and nineteenth century as a major port with trade with Britain, Norway, America, and the Caribbean, particularly important (there are accounts of ships from the Caribbean anchored in Lough Swilly and unloading exotic cargoes at Ramelton in exchange for linen, corn, meat and fish). Ramelton had the most important linen works in Donegal and many fortunes were made in the locality in its trade. The Watt family ran the largest linen works in the area by the start of the nineteenth century and were heavily involved in its trade (Samuel Watt moved to Jamaica in the early 1800s and began importing linen from Ramelton, with his brother James as agent). Corn was another major commodity in the area during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with a number of large mills still surviving in the area. The surviving warehouses, particularly aligned along the north-east end of the quay, attest to the level of trade and commerce in the Ramelton area. Slater’s Directory of 1846 records that ‘vessels of up to one hundred and fifty tons burthen can come up to the quayside [at Ramelton] at high water, and others, almost of any tonnage, can approach within half a mile of the town’. The town and port declined in importance towards the end of the nineteenth century. This former warehouse\store forms part of an important collection of industrial structures that contributes substantially to the almost unique character of the town of Ramelton, and is an integral element of the built heritage of County Donegal. As a heritage centre\gallery etc., it has helped add vibrancy to this largely abandoned section of the historic town.