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The Hamiltons
The Fintra Estate was for seven generations the property of the Hamilton family which came to this area during the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century. From the references in local history, the family appear to have been God-fearing, practical people, determind to contribute to the betterment of the Killybegs area and the wider community.
The Hamiltons were involved in the leasing of houses and property, fixing the roof of the Protestant Church, building roadsand bridges. In the mid 18th century, James Hamilton was one of the men entrusted with the building of the arch which gives Bridge Street in Killybegs its name. The cost of the work was £9 sterling.... read more>>
Pirates At Killybegs
Pat Conaghan in his book "Bygones" available locally), records that in April 1628 James Hamilton, in his capacity as "Constable of Killybegs" reported to Captain Sir Basil Brooke at Donegal Castle the arrival of Dutch pirate Claes Campaene at Killybegs. In an earlier volume "History and Antiquities of Killybegs", the late Charles Conaghan (Pat's father) gives considerable detail about that visit and the Hamiltons' involvement with it..
Quoting from G.F. Dalton, he tells us: "on an April evening ....three ships....came to anchor at Killybegs, their gun ports bristling with cannon and their holds weighed down with booty. It was Claes Campaene, the famous Dutch pirate, on his way home to Amsterdam." read more>>
Bomber Crash Lands At Fintra
The dramatic landing of an American Flying Fortress bomber on Fintra Beach shortly after 6:00pm on the evening of February 20th, 1944, was one of the more dramatic episodes of World War II in Killybegs.
The Plane, with a crew of ten was forced to crash land when it ran out of fuel after a dramatic flight from Newfoundland during which the on-board instruments were put out of action and two of the aircraft's four engines failed.
The aircraft was one of several new B-17G planes being delivered to Prestwick in Scotland from Kearney, Nebraska, but pilot, Frederick Rowan, recalled years later that there were problems from the start. Problems with oil pressure to one of the engines caused a delay of three weeks at Gander Air Force Base in Newfoundland before the trans-Atlantic journey got under way at 2:00 a.m. on February 20th.
Two hours out, one engine failed as they tried to over-fly a storm. "Had anyone been clairvoyant, we would have returned to Gander but, having had a long delay at Gander (23) we decided to continue the flight." read more>>
