A community group has set out to restore a “ballroom of romance” close to the border village of St Johnston.
Once the hub of local entertainment, Kinny Cally Hall has fallen into almost complete dereliction since its heyday from the 1920s to the 1940s.
Just two miles outside the Co Donegal village of St Johnston, campaigners have already secured funding to start restoring the hall and a new roof has been fitted.
It is now hoped that the plain stone building will be completely restored for community use.
From the 1920s to the 1940s, Kinny Cally hall was the venue for all local entertainment, with matches made and marriages forged at the regular ceili and old time dances, according to restoration committee member Fr Oliver McCrossan.
“Older people recall the dances when people would arrive on bicycles from miles around, from Newtown (Newtowncunnnigham) and Manor (Manorcunningham) and even in from Derry,” he said.
Known as a “dry hall”, the strongest beverage available to dancers was the offer of a “mineral” while the common invitation from the local men to their target of romance was “are you dancing?” to which the answer was usually “are you asking”.
Fr McCrossan said Kinny Cally also enjoyed a little-known role at the heart of the distinct east Donegal Irish traditional fiddle tradition as it was the home townland of the Peoples family.
“The east Donegal fiddle tradition of playing Mazurkas and Strathspeys came from local men having to go to Scotland for seasonal work picking potatoes. The grandfather of the late legendary Tommy Peoples (one of Ireland’s most highly regarded Irish fiddle players) would have played at the hall often,” Fr McCrossan said.
The plan to restore Kinny Cally is being driven by a local committee, including Fr McCrossan, Mary Crossan, Julie Costello and John-Edward McGill. With the help of a grant from the Irish Heritage Council, the old building has already been recovered from the undergrowth and a new roof has been put on it.
“I suppose the plan now is to restore the windows and doors and we’d hope to be well along in the next year,” Fr McCrossan said.
He said: “Older people remember the hall but the younger generation hadn’t a clue but when they hear the stories there is community support for what we’re doing.”
The committee hope the restored hall will be used for community events and small gatherings. However, Fr McCrossan felt the days of the “ballroom of romance” were over. With no room for car parking, people were unlikely to attend, unlike, the days of Kinny Cally’s golden age when young people travelled to and from the dances by bicycle.
