First lecture of 2025 - The rise and fall of Lord ffrench’s Tuam Bank

The Old Tuam Society is delighted to host our first talk of 2025. The topic will be the crisis around the collapse of the Tuam Bank in 1814. This illustrated talk will take place at 7pm on Thursday, 30 January in the Miller's House, Shop Street, Tuam.

On 27 June, 1814, Lord ffrench’s Bank of Tuam and Dublin, unable to meet its obligations to pay the demands of three bank ‘runners’, closed its doors detaining the three people inside. This crisis caused considerable alarm locally and throughout the region, resulting in a ‘run’ on other private banks.

Despite the valiant efforts of Lord ffrench to avoid a Commission of Bankruptcy his tragic and untimely death sounded the death knell for the bank, which was found bankrupt by trial six months later. This talk will address the history of the Tuam Bank, both prior to and subsequent to its failure and will consider the factors which led to its demise and shed light on the personalities involved.

Our speaker is Irene McGoldrick, a recent MA History graduate of the University of Galway. Irene has been involved in local history and genealogical research for many years and is currently Chair of the Annaghdown Heritage Society.

All welcome to this free event