The Gallagher Scholarship Fund (1941)

A man of the Gallagher’s from Tieraur (Tír an Áir) a townland between Malranny and Newport) who was a parish priest in America and whilst he was there he was among most of his relations from Ballycroy and Achill and they gathered a lot of money for him. His mother’s name was Campbell, a relation of the money to be spent to educate the Gallaghers of Achill, Ballycroy Tiernur or their offspring. For the priesthood and if there was any money left over they were to go to Donegal to the offspring of the Gallaghers there. A good many Gallaghers got the scholarship but there was never a priest of the Gallaghers ordained but they were not Gallaghers -their mothers were some of the Gallaghers- and the first to be ordained from the scholarship fund was a policemans son from Newport, but he was not a Gallagher. He (the parish priest who left the money) came home to Tieraur on a visit and he walked to Achill though Corrán and back again to Tiernaur on foot. He was so gortac that he wouldn’t spend a penny and no wonder he’d have money. This Fr Gallagher was ordained sometime after my uncle (Fr Michael Gallagher ) and it was though Fr Michael recommendation he got the place in America whilst he was at home on his visit he never gave a penny to any of his friends or left them any in his will. There was a good many of the Gallaghers from Achill here who got the scholar ship, but something happened everyone of them before they were ordained, so none of them ever was a priest from it. There must be some mallait or mí-ád on it.