The Oldest Community Hall in Ballyshannon
The Rock Hall has a long and continuous history in
providing a venue for parish and community activities. It is the longest surviving
hall in Ballyshannon which predates The ’98 Hall, The Masonic Hall, The Abbey
Centre and The Marian Hall. Situated on land once owned by the Dickson estate,
it was purchased in 1865 for the parish by Canon Kelaghan P.P. who was the
first parish priest of Inismacsaint to reside in Bundoran. Prior to that time
the parish priest lived in the Ballyshannon end of the parish. Local tradition
suggests that the area purchased contained three small houses and a ruin which
in the early years of purchase were used as a stabling ground for the priest
and parishoners’ horses. Around twenty five years after the purchase of the
property, Canon McKenna P.P. was approached by local people to build a hall and
he instigated the construction of the Rock Hall. The vicinity around the hall
was much different in 1892 than it is today. Across the road was the Fever
hospital, a few doors away was the workhouse where inmates were still being
admitted and visible from the front of the Rock Hall was the military barracks
occupied by the Dorsetshire Regiment where the East Rock houses were later
built in 1936. The Rock Hall was constructed before Finner Camp became the new
military barracks in 1896, before the foundation of the local G.A.A. club in
1909 and before the arrival of the De La Salle Brothers in 1912.
The Opening of the Rock Hall
1892
On Monday 25th May 1892, known as Lady’s
Day in honour of Our Lady, the Rock Hall was officially opened. The cost of
building the hall was shared by voluntary contributions from the people of the
parish and also included subscriptions from the Kilbarron parish across the
Erne on ‘the far side’ of Ballyshannon. James Monaghan, a well known contractor
from West Port, built the hall at a most reasonable cost and also subscribed
generously to the building fund. His name can be clearly seen on the tower of
St. Joseph’s Church which he constructed in 1886. He also built the Courthouse
on the Mall now the Tyrhugh Centre. He was the grandfather of Mary and Paddy
Monaghan well known to older residents in Ballyshannon.
The official opening was marked by a concert and the
local newspaper “The Donegal Vindicator” printed on East Port described the
opening concert as follows:
The
fine new Hall, Rock, Ballyshannon, was opened on Monday, Lady Day, with a very
successful concert. Every inch of room was occupied by a most respectable
audience. Mr. Starling Philson who organised the concert had advertised a grand
Diorama of Irish views but unfortunately the hydrogen gas escaped from the
cylinder in transit and he was unable to gratify his audience with a sight of
the splendid views.
The concert went ahead despite the leaking gas and was
the beginning of a wonderful era of local entertainment in the Rock Hall in the
days before cinema and television. The hall has echoed to the sound of laughter
and community endeavour as actors, singers, dancers and athletes developed a
parish and community spirit which was a feature of events in the Rock Hall.
Fundraising concerts for the Ballyshannon Lace Class, St. Vincent De Paul,
Ballyshannon Lawn Tennis Club, The Gaelic League, The G.AA., Ballyshannon Brass
and Reed Band and many other organisations helped to raise funds for charitable
causes. In the 1890s the Market House located
on Market street ,beside O’Reilly’s fish shop, was the other centre for
social events in Ballyshannon.
Drama on the Rock
The drama movement in
Ballyshannon can be clearly traced back to the 19th century when
Bernard Kelly of the Port, the first nationalist Member of Parliament for South
Donegal, was a member of The Ballyshannon Amateur Dramatic Club. Kelly is
buried at St. Joseph’s on the Rock, just beside the Rock Hall which was the
popular local venue for plays and concerts. John (Pa) McAdam, editor of “The
Donegal Vindicator,” produced countless plays in the Rock Hall. He was responsible for
the old Dramatic Club who staged “The Colleen Bawn” and “Ara-na-Pogue” in the
Rock Hall around 1904. He was an all round producer who taught the local actors how to talk, walk and more
importantly stand still. In the 1930s The Ballyshannon Players
regularly performed plays by George Sheils including a three act comedy called
“The New Gossoon”. Audiences got great
value for their money in those pre-television days as there were also singers
and dancers accompanied by a small orchestra on the programme. The night
concluded with The National Anthem.
Promotion of Gaelic Culture
In the early 20th century the Gaelic League
was active in promoting the Irish language and culture in Ballyshannon. Classes
for junior and senior students were provided by Aodh Ó Diver in the Rock Hall
to encourage people to speak Irish. Dr. Mulhern P.P. gave the Rock Hall free to
the Gaelic League for these classes which ran during the school year. Fr.
Tierney who was a curate on the Rock from 1911-1917 was actively involved in
the promotion of Irish classes; Irish history lectures and in Gaelic games.
Following his tragic death on the Chinese Missions it was fitting that he was
remembered in the name of the local football field and in a memorial beside St.
Joseph’s Church. In October 1909 the Aodh Ruadh Hurling and Football Club was
founded at a meeting in the Rock Hall. Officers elected were Rev. J O’Daly
(President), James Rogan (Vice-President), John Downey (Treasurer) and Cecil
Stephens (Secretary).
The First Cinemas
The Rock Hall as well as being a concert venue in the
town was also the location of the town’s first permanent cinema. Films were
shown earlier in venues like the shed in the Market Yard by travelling film
companies but the first cinema in town with projection equipment installed was
the Rock Hall. John Sweeny of the Commercial Hotel, Major Myles, Paddy Crose
and a few interested business people formed the Ballyshannon Cinema Company.
They brought in an operator from Glasgow and the cinema played to packed
houses, for some years, as people came to the Rock Hall from far and near.
During the War of Independence the
Bracey Daniel’s Picture Company booked the Rock Hall annually at Easter
and showed silent movies nightly. Bracey Daniels (1884-1956) is buried in St.
Joseph’s cemetery close to the Rock Hall and is described on his gravestone as
an “Irish Cinema Pioneer”. By the 1930s the four penny matinee on a Sunday was
the highlight of the week for young people in Ballyshannon . Mass in the
morning and the ‘flicks’ in the afternoon with the Cisco Kid, Tom Mix, Buck
Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers and
Dale Evans. The patrons crammed into the hall, sitting on wooden
benches, no backs, no arms and noisily greeted their heroes on screen in the
‘talkies’ which had replaced the silent movies. The arrival of the Erne
Hydro-Electric Scheme brought great changes to cinema viewing in the town. By
1946 two new cinemas opened in the town, The Erne Cinema and the Abbey Cinema
which nowadays is called The Abbey Centre. Nevertheless the Rock continued for
a while as a cinema but its heyday was in establishing cinema in Ballyshannon
from the early 20th century. Fortunately the Rock Hall was able to move with
the times and meet other needs of the community.
Memories
The Rock Hall was a mecca for variety shows and it
would take a book to name all the artistes who provided entertainment for the
community. Everyone has their own special memories. Charlie McGettigan who won
the Eurovision Song Contest with Paul Harrington in 1994 rates the Rock Hall as a major influence on
his early career. He was influenced by hearing Cyril Curran and the Assaroe
Ceilí Band playing in the Rock Hall and
also shared in the fun provided by artistes such as Michael Gillespie, Maureen
Kane and Lily Heresey to name but a few. Charlie McGettigan perfomed for the
first time in the Rock Hall with his new Egbert electric guitar in 1963 where
he sang “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” And the rest is history.
The guardian of the hall who ensured that
everything was properly looked after was Terry McDermott with his distinctive
walking stick. His sister Annie looked after the church and Eileen Kennedy
continues the family association with the parish as church sexton today.
Renovations to the hall in 1947 were continued over the years and developments
in 2014 have resulted in an excellent
modern facility which will serve the needs of the community far into the
future. Activities such as parish events, drama, Gaelic culture, school
events,cinema socials, bingo, meetings, badminton, sport, dances, youth clubs, card playing and
ceilí dancing have provided enjoyment
and community spirit to generations of
people in the wider community. The history of the Rock Hall is a proud one of
service to the community and we remember all our clergy, friends, neighbours
and parishoners who have passed on this small but unique hall to our keeping
in the twenty first century.
A local history book for all special occasions available at The Novel Idea Bookshop Ballyshannon, Ballyshannon and District Museum and The Four Masters Bookshop Donegal Town.
50% Reduction on postage for orders for this book to all destinations. Genuine special offer from author. Signed hard back and soft back books available at special price for postal delivery or collection. Book Available from Anthony Begley West Rock Ballyshannon. anthonyrbegley@hotmail.com Enquiries welcome for postal and other details
