THE GALTYMORE IS CLOSING!
| Category: Articles, Local News Sport | 0 Comments
Some sad news from London reached us during the week. The famed Galtymore Ballroom in Cricklewood is due to close later this month, to make way for a grand hotel, a luxury apartment complex and various high-class retail outlets.
The Galtymore first opened its doors on St Patrick’s Day 1952. It quickly gained popularity with Irish emigrants who were then leaving these shores in their thousands to seek jobs in England.
It used to be said that if you wanted work, a wife, or a place to stay, you could call to the Galtymore on a Saturday night and, by Monday morning, you might very well have been fixed up with all three!
The showband era which started in the late fifties and continued into the sixties was a boon time for the venue with all the best bands travelling over to perform. The biggest occasion of all was said to be in 1967 when an estimated 6,800 paying customers queued four-deep all the way up Cricklewood Broadway and into Kilburn to see Larry Cunningham and the Mighty Avons. Larry’s “Tribute To Jim Reeves” had broken into the British Top Forty and was receiving extensive air plays on Luxembourg and Radio Caroline. “Lovely Leitrim” spent over a year in the Irish charts at the same time.
Others who drew record crowds at that time included Joe Dolan, Dickie Rock, Margo, Butch Moore, Philomena Begley and the cream of Irish traditional and showband talent. British groups yearned to play The Palladium. Ireland’s finest preferred the good old Galtymore.
And on any given Saturday night there would always be a fair sprinkling of Abbeyfeale people out on the dance floor strutting their stuff and making the usual eejits of themselves in public. (I include myself in all of this.)
And I recall a night when Philomena Begley and her Rambling Men were the star attraction. Philomena was a regular visitor to Abbeyfeale. She played in Tom Tobin’s Hall and often stayed at Leen’s Hotel. She would call in to Tade Browne’s bar for a game of pool. We occasionaly crossed cues and, of course, I always let her win!
Anyway, that night in the Galtymore, coming away from the mineral bar with a couple of bottles of red lemonade with straws sticking out of them, I bumped into a fellow from Knocknagoshel that I knew slightly back in Ireland. We chatted briefly and exchanged news from home. He hadn’t been back in three years, he said, and wasn’t a great warrant for the letter-writing. I told him I was going home to spend a few days in Abbeyfeale at the end of the month.
“If you‘re above in The Mall at all,” he said, “and if you should happen to see my mother, would you tell her I was asking for her?” And with that he disappeared back into the crowd.
Despite our reputation as the Fighting Irish, there was rarely any serious trouble in the Galtymore, and the bouncers were very good at diffusing potentially explosive situations.
Of course, the odd scuffle did occur. This was mostly between the lads from Mayo and Galway and usually concerned land, football or women. The Kerry lads rarely fought, but they were experts in provoking fierce arguments between other counties, and particularly between the Dubs and the Cork men.
And one night up in the balcony during a Fury Brothers concert, a dispute arose between a chippy from Rockchapel and a block layer from Finglas. Nobody could remember the cause of the altercation, only that it was instigated by a devious and conniving little caffler from Brosna. Anyway the two protagonists removed their coats and rolled up their sleeves and were about to engage in fisticuffs when, whatever look they gave down from the balcony, there was the Brosna man heading for the door. And, hanging off of each arm, were two girlfriends - THEIR girlfriends!”
That was the night that the term “Cute Kerry Hoor” was first invented.
The curtain finally comes down in the Galtymore on Sunday 25th May. It is fitting that the legendary Big Tom and the Mainliners will be the closing act on the last night. Big Tom has been a regular and popular performer at the venue for over thirty years and always attracted huge crowds. It will be a night filled with nostalgia, lots of memories, and probably a few tears.
If anyone has any memories or stories from The Galtymore, or indeed any old photographs, we would be delighted to hear from you.
“From Hammersmith and Ealing, Shepherds Bush and Camden Town.
Through Maida Vale and Kilburn, on the tube we travelled down.
And we all joined in with Dicky as he sang The Candy Store
On that night we still remember in the dear old Galtymore.”
FLEADH
The 14th Annual Fleadh by the Feale Festival attracted large crowds to the town over the bank holiday weekend. All of the various events, sessions and workshops were well supported, and the highlight of the weekend was undoubtedly the Sharon Shannon Concert in the Convent Hall on Sunday night which played to a sell-out crowd. There was entertainment in The Square each night, while the traditional busking competitions also drew crowds out onto the streets. The Van Trapp family performed in Jack O’Rourke’s and were very well received. We will hopefully have more on the fleadh next week. (When we sober up)
TALENT:
An RTE camera crew visited Meenkilly National School last week to film local twelve year old musician, Laura Dillon, who has reached the final of the Den TV Ice Talent Search. Laura and her classmates were filmed playing music, singing and taking part in other school activities for the final programme which is due to be broadcast on 25th May.
SOCCER;
Abbeyfeale Utd A defeated Shanagolden 4-0 in the final of the Premier Division League Cup last week. They drew 2-2 with Kildimo Utd in the premiership on Sunday. Abbeyfeale Utd B drew 2-2 with Athea Utd in division one.
RACES
Abbeyfeale Horse and Pony Races are holding their 3rd Annual races on Sunday June 29th in Relihan’s Inch Kilcarra.
RUGBY
Abbeyfeale added the U/13 Cup to their U/18 Cup victory with a good win in the final against Tralee in Cullinagh at the weekend. Well done to all concerned.