By 
FOR what was once described as a ‘super ballroom’, the clatter of shoes has long since fallen silent by the roadside.
More than 60 years after it first opened, the Gap Ballroom at Mullaslin, just outside Carrickmore, has succumbed to the passage of time, standing today as a reminder of a vanished era of entertainment and social life. In its heyday, however, the Gap was very much the place to be.
The ballroom officially opened on August 23, 1960, billed at the time as ‘one of the biggest ballrooms in the North’.
That claim was well founded. Inside was a 3,500-square-foot dancefloor, fitted with sprung Canadian maple wood and surrounded by raised seating.
The décor was bold and contemporary, dominated by pastel shades and subdued lighting, described in newspaper reports of the day as creating a ‘most attractive picture’.
One of the venue’s most distinctive features was its balcony, complete with its own bar, overlooking the dancefloor and allowing patrons to take in the night’s entertainment from above, whilst enjoying a break at the mineral bar.
Behind the venture was local man Frank Nugent, who had already spent a decade in the entertainment business. He was also known locally for his involvement in politics and as treasurer of the Loughmacrory handball club.
A venue of that scale required an equally big opening act, and on its first night dancers took to the floor to the sounds of the Capitol Showband, then one of the most popular touring bands in Ireland.
In the years that followed, the Gap became a popular part of Carrickmore life, a place where many friendships were formed and where more than a few future families could trace their beginnings.
It also hosted sporting and community events, including celebrations following Carrickmore’s senior football championship success in 1961. A carnival held there later that summer featured, among other attractions, a well-attended beard competition!
While most nights were filled with music and craic, darker moments emerged during the Troubles.
On July 22, 1972, armed men entered the hall and shot Michael Thomas Ward, who was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. Another man was also injured.
The Carrickmore and Beragh Civil Rights Association condemned the attack as ‘disgraceful’, noting that Mr Ward had no political connections.
The following year the hall was again targeted, this time in an armed robbery in which £50 was taken from the night’s takings.
Those incidents were the exception, however. Entertainment remained the norm, with acts such as The Wolfe Tones, Frankie McBride and the Polka Dots all appearing on its stage.
As the showband era waned, so too did the Gap’s role. In later years the building served as a furniture shop, a print works and, for a time, an ironmongers. Today it stands empty, yet in the minds of many The Gap still conjures fond memories of a different time.
