This Gallery offers a curated glimpse into the people, places, and events that form the rich visual tapestry of the Creggan region. Rather than functioning as a full photographic archive, this space is intended to highlight selected images that speak to our shared heritage — images that capture the spirit of community, memory, and change across time.
We invite visitors to explore these visual moments not as static records, but as windows into the life and landscape of the Upper Fews and the wider Creggan Parish.
A Living Collection
Photography has always had the power to preserve and provoke — to freeze time while encouraging reflection. The images presented here do not attempt to form an exhaustive catalogue of the area’s past. Instead, they are chosen for their historical resonance, their ability to prompt conversation, or the simple beauty of what they reveal.
This is a living collection, added to thoughtfully over time. Some images come from personal family albums, others from past exhibitions, lectures, or field trips organised by the Society. Each has been shared with care, often with the stories behind them intact.
We are not aiming to document every building or family — rather, we aim to illustrate aspects of Creggan life that have shaped the area’s identity, both in the past and the present.
What You’ll Find Here
The images in this Gallery are organised around themes, rather than by strict chronology or geography. These may change or grow over time, but typically include:
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People – portraits, group photos, school classes, wedding parties, sports teams, and gatherings
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Places – townlands, roads, farmsteads, churches, and buildings of historical interest
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Events – Society lectures, field trips, commemorative ceremonies, and cultural occasions
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Seasons – images of the local landscape through the year, including farming life and natural scenes
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Past & Present – occasional “then and now” comparisons to show how the area has changed
Each photograph is accompanied by a short caption or story. Where possible, we include names, dates, locations, and context — though in some cases, details are scarce. We welcome help in identifying unknown faces or places, and invite visitors to contribute any corrections or additions.
Community Contributions
Many of the images in this Gallery have been kindly shared by Society members or local families. We deeply value these contributions and always seek permission before publishing them online.
If you have a photograph you believe would be of interest to the Society — particularly if it comes with a meaningful story — we would love to hear from you. We are especially interested in:
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Images showing life in the townlands of Creggan and the Upper Fews
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Photographs of emigrant families who maintained ties with the area
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School or parish-related photos with dates and names
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Events or gatherings involving local traditions or notable figures
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Photos of disappearing landscapes or buildings no longer standing
We do not require original prints; scanned or digital copies are welcome. Contributors will always be credited unless they request otherwise.
Why Not a Full Archive?
While we recognise the immense value of photographic preservation, we have made a deliberate decision not to create a full-scale photo archive at this time. Managing such a collection — including scanning, metadata tagging, storage, and copyright considerations — requires resources beyond our current capacity.
Instead, our focus remains on selective storytelling, using images that help illustrate articles, journals, talks, and exhibits. This approach allows us to present visual history in context, and maintain quality over quantity.
We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us keep this a manageable, meaningful space.
Interpreting the Past Through Images
Every photograph, no matter how faded or ordinary it may seem, has the potential to open a window into another time. A haycart in the background might reveal long-forgotten farming techniques. A handwritten note on the back might confirm a birth year. The clothing, posture, and setting of even the most familiar faces can yield rich insights into the customs and character of the community.
We encourage visitors to view these images with a historian’s curiosity — to notice the small details and consider the broader context. Who took the photo? Why was it kept? What was happening outside the frame?
In this way, the Gallery becomes more than a visual archive — it becomes a conversation across generations.
Future Plans
We aim to expand this Gallery carefully over time, adding thematic collections linked to Society projects, fieldwork, or research. We may also develop seasonal features or “spotlight” pages highlighting particular contributors or themes.
If there is a subject you feel deserves visual representation — a school, a townland, a tradition — please let us know. We are always open to ideas that help bring our history into focus.