By 
FROM playing host to booming showbands in the 1960s, to welcoming famous faces of the entertainment world, and presenting drama and music festivals to the local masses over the decades, history, culture and community breathes through the walls of The Patrician Hall in Carrickmore – and this year, the beloved build is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Indeed, during the late 1950s, the showband phenomenon was growing across Ireland. Live bands played American and international-influenced music to packed ballrooms and halls in all the major cities and towns.
And in 1960, local curate, Fr James Donnelly, along with Fr Charles Vallely PP, began to draw up a programme of building works for the whole Parish of Termonmaguirc, including the construction of new primary schools and a new secondary school.
Following on from the success of the Showbands in ‘the Gap Ballroom’ in Mullaslin, the Tyrone clergymen devised the idea that a brand-new community hall in Carrickmore village could also host showbands, as well as drama productions and other functions and activities to raise the money needed for their program of building works.
And so, in May 1961 two old buildings on Carrickmore Main Street were demolished and the site cleared to make way for the new venue, with the foundation stone being laid in July of that year.
Teams of voluntary workmen from throughout the parish gifted their time, skills, expertise, and machinery to complete the building in nine months.
Grand opening
The state-of-the-art Patrician Hall was officially opened for a variety concert on February 25, 1962, headlined by Irish Tenor Brenda O’Dowda.
A full programme of events were planned for the year ahead by a local committee led by Fr Donnelly. Voluntary labour built it and voluntary workers helped to run many functions with men stewarding, and on box-office duties and ladies for the ‘tea-making’, everyone pitched in with the cleaning.
The dedicated caretaker, Mickey Coyle, welcomed all patrons as he was the ‘’main man’ about the hall for decades.
On Easter Sunday night in 1962 the Patrician Hall, hosted its first showband, with the Galway-based ‘Capitol Showband’ undertaking entertainment duties.
During the bustling and brilliant night, 1,800 hundred patrons packed the venue for the fledgling event, and over the next few months, its popularity grew with up to ten free buses travelling to Carrickmore for Sunday night entertainment.
With Fr Donnelly expertly managing the bookings, all of the major showbands played the hall multiple times, with patrons coming from across Ireland to grace the venue.
During the 1960s and ‘70s the hall evolved to host a wide and varied range of events and activities, including wedding receptions; dinner dances; carnivals; whist drives; ceili dances; boxing tournaments; community rallies; bingo; indoor sports; a centre for Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann; and hosting Fleadh Cheoil Tir Eoghain – and, of course, with entertainment and socialising always at its core.
Home of drama and legends
The Mid-Ulster Drama Festival began in 1964, and the Patrician Hall has been its home since then, with dramatists and groups from the four provinces travelling to grace the stage.
Famous names of the arts who came to the hall include a young Liam Neeson and Stephen Rea, and poet Seamus Heaney and playwright Brian Friel. Over the years, other groups of parishioners became involved in the productions of pantomimes and plays.
Huge international stars of the time, including Roy Orbison; Sandy Shaw; ‘Smokin’ Joe’ Frazier; Slim Whitman; and Victor Silvester performed in the hall, as well as many famous national acts including The Dubliners; The Clancy Brothers; Tommy Makem; Doloes Keane, Liam Óg O’Flynn; and showband legends, such as Big Tom and the Mainliners; The Melody Aces; The Capitol; Brendan Boyer; and the Royal Showband to name a few.
Many of the events that took place in the Patrician Hall in those early years helped to pay for the construction of new educational facilities in the parish, and the maintenance of other buildings.
As the showband era declined, the hall continued to be used for theatrical productions; concerts; travelling shows; Scór; Irish dancing; bingo; charitable fundraising; and community activities.
As the new millennium approached and after almost 40 years of constant service, with some refurbishment work in between, there was a growing awareness the building needed major renovation works. A group of people from across the parish including representatives of local clubs and voluntary organisations came together to try and refurbish the venue and make it fit for the new century ahead.
Ready for the Millennium
With the full support and assistance of Monsignor Denis Faul PP and the parish authorities, the voluntary charitable group known as the Mid Ulster Community and Arts Trust (MUCAT for short) took out a long-term lease on the site in order to access funding and realise a full renovation of the venue.
In 2003, the hall hosted its final concert of that era including performances from Philomena Begley; Brian Coll; and Gene Stuart, with special guests of honour, Fr James Donnelly, and former caretaker, Mickey Coyle, in attendance.
As the renovation work commenced, it was once again substantial community contributions and voluntary labour that helped to create a fully revitalised venue, with a complete overhaul of the structure and internal works. The latest version of the Patrician Hall was officially opened in November 2005.
Since then, the famous faces have returned, including Ronnie Drew; Brendan Grace; Shane McGowan; and Francis Black.
Acts such as More Power to your Elbow; Bagatelle; The Whistlin’ Donkeys; Nathan Carter; and Derek Ryan have graced its valorous stage. The venue continues to host the Mid Ulster Drama Festival, as well as music festivals, and even a puppet theatre festival, while regular musicals, plays and stage shows, book launches, film screenings as well as weekly classes in health and fitness, dancing and arts and crafts ensure that its heart of creativity still beats strongly.
Loved dearly by the community
The biggest strength that the Patrician Hall has is the community from which it was built.
All members of the Carrickmore community, and the wider mid-Tyrone area, use the building for everything from sports training; birthday parties; presentation events; feiseanna; community theatre; fundraising events; teenage discos; activities for the older members of the area; stage productions by the local primary and secondary schools; and everything in between.
The building stands in the centre of Carrickmore and is a testament to voluntary work, combined effort and foresight, by each generation of local people who take on the responsibility to run and manage it.
This year, 2022, marks its special 60th anniversary, and, as the hallowed build emerges from a tough two years under the shadow of the pandemic, plans for celebrating six decades are well-advanced, so watch this space…
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