Man Who Saved Part of Sligo History Dies

Martin Alexander St George Foley, who was known as Alec, digitised and uploaded to YouTube a fascinating collection of old photos of Sligo and local people from the early part of the last century. Alec, who died peacefully at his home at Markievicz Heights in Sligo on Friday, ensured that the photos would be available to future generations of Sligo people all over the world.

The images are part of a collection of more than 2,000 photos taken by a Sligo photographer Tadgh Kilgallon. They were on glass negatives which had been dumped on the old town dump in Finisklin. Alec got the plates from Ivy Sleator in Treacy Avenue, whose brother Roly had rescued them from the dump.

Alec’s funeral service takes place at 4pm tomorrow, Friday, at Calry Parish Church, The Mall, Sligo. His remains will be cremated in Mount Jerome Crematorium, Dublin, on Saturday at 2pm. He is survived by brothers Richard and John, sisters-in-law Shirley and Cathy, nephews, nieces and other relatives to whom sympathy is extended.