We were delighted at our very first scanning session at Saturday Morning History Club in Killaloe Library to welcome a visitor who wanted to share with us an extraordinary personal archive of historical retail receipts from the streets of Killaloe and Ballina in the last century. It was a very exciting morning for us!
Nothing quite brings to life the story of the past like the little details, and these receipts were full of the little bits and pieces that made up the daily life of one man. The receipts dated from the 1920s to the 1950s, and showed the arc of his life, with the last receipt containing a set of funeral expenses. We examined each one, front and back (the reverses were often very ornate!), scanned them, and then handed them back to the owner. He has generously allowed us to share a selection with you here, and they appear below. Can you match them up with the shops still in existence on Main Street and beyond?! If you have any more information on any of these shops at this time, please do get in touch with us as we would love to hear about them!
You can read more about Saturday Morning History Club and our scanning service here. Dates for the next couple of months are 30th June, 14th July, 28th July, 11th August, and 25th August. If you would like to participate in our scanning project, but cannot make Saturday mornings, please just get in contact with us at killaloeballinalhs@gmail.com; we are very flexible!
Killaloe-Ballina