This event will be a celebration of Kinny Cally Hall, a one-room stone structure located in St. Johnston, Donegal, which was popular for miles around as a social gathering place and music-and-dance venue in the 1920s, ‘30s, and ‘40s. The currently ivy-covered Hall is in a state of disrepair and in danger of ultimately tumbling, which has led a group of local volunteers to initiate efforts to preserve and restore it.
The event will feature speakers discussing the historical and cultural significance of the Hall plus music by local Irish traditional fiddle players whose ancestors would have played for dances in the Hall. The event will also feature the launch of a Heritage Council-funded architectural conservation report about the Hall which includes recommendations regarding the works needed to preserve and restore it. The event will finish with a community consultation during which participants will be able to share their own stories about the Hall as well as their views about which of the report recommendations they would be most interested in seeing pursued. The event organisers envision that preserving the Hall as a heritage site will enable members of the local community to reconnect with their personal family histories and, by extension, the rich social and cultural history of the area.
Location:
St. Johnston and Carrigans Family Resource Centre
Chapel Lane, St. Johnston, Co. Donegal
Co. Donegal
As part of National Heritage Week. For more information visit www.heritageweek.ie
General Info