The Ordnance Survey Memoirs are a uniquely detailed source for the history of the northern half of Ireland immediately before the Great Famine. They were written in the 1830s to accompany the 6" Ordnance Survey maps, but with one exception were not published at the time. In this new edition they act as a nineteenth-century Domesday book and are essential to the understanding of the cultural heritage of our communities. The Memoirs document the landscape and situation, buildings and antiquities, land-holdings and population, employment and livelihood of the parishes.
This volume contains the Memoirs for the parish of Banagher, situated towards the west of county Londonderry, including the important market town of Feeny. The material paints a fascinating portrait of life in this largely agricultural area whose "wild and romantic" mountains and glens hold both a great wealth of antiquities and a huge variety of wildlife, notably wolves and eagles. As well as recounting the population, through marvellously detailed tables of schools, emigration and manufactories, this volume contains a wonderful collection of local traditions and superstitions. This Memoir provides a unique insight into life in this area over 150 years ago.