Lifford Courthouse | DonegalLive
The service will provide a comprehensive genealogy service for people in their search for their Donegal roots
Donegal Ancestry provides a comprehensive genealogy service for people at home and abroad who want to trace their Donegal roots.
They have been collecting and computerising genealogy records for over 30 years and have compiled a database of almost 1 million records from the primary genealogy sources for Donegal.
The indexation of genealogy records was started by a local voluntary committee in Ramelton in 1988 and was supported by a government-sponsored training scheme. In 1992, the committee decided to expand the genealogy service, and this led to the formation of Donegal Ancestry CLG.
The Ramelton Centre closed in 2010 following the cessation of public funding. Directors planned to re-open a Centre for Donegal as soon as was feasible to do so. In the meantime, the genealogy research service was continued by Mrs Joan Patton from her home in Rathmullan.
In July 2024, due to Joan’s upcoming retirement, the board of Donegal Ancestry agreed to reach out to community groups requesting expressions of interest in operating the service in the future. Several proposals were received, and after many meetings it was eventually agreed that Donegal Ancestry would move to Lifford Old Courthouse.
For more than 30 years, LATCH CLG has operated Lifford Old Courthouse as a place for the whole community to use and enjoy. The group was founded to preserve this historic building and to create local employment. These aims remain at the heart of their work today, alongside their commitment to promoting arts, heritage, culture and community life throughout Lifford and the surrounding area.
Lifford Old Courthouse stands in the heart of Lifford, County Donegal, and has long been one of the region’s most significant historic buildings. Designed by the local architect Michael Priestley and completed in 1746, it was built so that a circuit assizes judge could finally sit in the county.
Beneath the Courthouse lay The County Gaol, a cramped basement space used to confine debtors, felons and, in later years, those described at the time as ‘lunatics’. This original gaol remained in use until a larger jail was constructed beside the Courthouse in 1793. That new building handled increasing numbers of prisoners until its demolition in 1907. The Courthouse itself continued to host trials until 1938.
After a period of decline, the building was partially restored in the late 1980s and later fully renovated, reopening in 1994 as an award-winning Heritage Centre.
Since sections of Lifford Old Courthouse first reopened in 1994, LATCH has worked continuously to bring every part of the building back into use. This goal was achieved in 2019 with the completion of a major renovation project, led by the centre manager, Gillian Graham, that transformed the Courthouse into a modern, accessible facility.
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Repairs were also carried out on historic features to ensure they are protected for future generations. With this regeneration work complete, they can now offer the local community a fully restored building suitable for a wide range of uses.
Since its earliest days, LATCH has made Lifford Old Courthouse available as a shared space for the community. One example of the dedication to the local community, Lifford Old Courthouse has been providing a Meals on Wheels service to the local area and, as of April 2026, has delivered over 42,000 meals to those in need.
LATCH operates Lifford Old Courthouse as a not-for-profit group, with all income reinvested into improving their facilities and creating employment. The company now employs more than 20 people and continues to develop and invest in projects that support the people of Lifford and the surrounding area.
In 2025, Lifford Old Courthouse opened the new Lifford Museum. The Museum offers a unique opportunity to explore Donegal’s heritage in one place, within one of the county’s most iconic historic buildings.
The museum brings together three important heritage collections: the County Donegal Historical Society Collection, formerly housed in Rossnowlagh; the Donegal Ancestry Collection, previously located in Ramelton; and artefacts from Lifford Old Courthouse itself.
Exhibits span thousands of years of history, from the Stone Age and Bronze Age through Penal Times and the 18th and 19th centuries. Displays also explore Irish independence and Ireland’s cultural influence across Europe, with visitors able to view copies of the Book of Ballymote and The Annals of the Four Masters.
Highlights include artefacts linked to Napper Tandy, the Irish revolutionary; Nurse Catherine Black, a royal nurse from Donegal; and fine examples of Muckish Glassware.
For these reasons, it was agreed that Lifford Old Courthouse was well suited to operate Donegal Ancestry. In March 2026, after a long moving process, Donegal Ancestry finally began operating again. The service is now managed by Gillian Graham, and the person responsible for research is Luke Maxwell.
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