Mary from Dungloe cost just £6,200 to run 50 years ago - Donegal Democrat Archives

Dancing with the Stars fans may be amused to read that the Ballintra correspondent was flummoxed by the ‘Foxtrot’ a century ago, describing it as being “imported from the immoral, heathenish dance of London’s under-world”.

In 1934, you could also look forward to an extra half crown in the pension if you spoke only Irish, and in 1954 a “wee drop” for a cold could land you in Mountjoy.

Ten years later St Mary’s NS in Ardara were getting funds to send the widowed Jacqueline Kennedy a painting for her kids nursery and 50 years ago, £6,200 was enough to cover a 10 day Mary from Dungloe Festival, as we read in this week's delve into the Donegal Democrat archives, writes Michael McHugh.

February 1st, 1974 - 50 years ago  - ‘Mary’ Festival cost £6,200

The Mary from Dungloe Festival was the best insurance that business people and those involved in tourism in West Donegal could have, said Senator P. McGowan when he spoke at the annual meeting of the Festival Committee in Sweeney’s Hotel.

Through the publicity for the area which came out of the festival not only Dungloe, but the whole of the Rosses and West Donegal had become better known and had benefited accordingly.

In his annual report on the sixth festival, Director Daniel Gallagher said that it was difficult for the committee to gauge the impact of the event and they must leave judgement on this to the local community and especially to the business sector.

The duration of the festival had last year been shortened to ten days, as in addition to other factors, a fortnight-long event had imposed severe strain on members of the committee, many of whom were very busy in their ordinary occupations at that time of year.

ABOVE: Feb 12 1954 Bord na Mona machine cut turf was a blessing in the Donegal of the fifties

The treasurer Joe Joyce, revealed that the festival had cost almost £6,200 to run but this would be covered by income and contributions from all sources and should be increased this year to make up for the inflationary situation arising in recent months.

Proposing the adoption of the report, Mr Vincent McElwee chairman of Dungloe Development Association said that in spite of difficult conditions in tourism last year they had bumper crowds in Dungloe for the festival and a welcome aspect was the increase in visitors from the South.

Mr McElwee presided during the election of officers which resulted in the return of outgoing Director Daniel Gallagher, Joe Joyve (treasurer), Mary H. O’Donnell (secretary). Mr David Edwards was appointed assistant treasurer and the appointment of P.R.O. was left over.

Democrat February 9, 1924 - 100 years ago - Foreign Dances

On Monday night last, we in Ballintra were treated to an extraordinary and singular spectacle. It was not a wild animal; not a menagerie nor a circus. No, it was a “fox-trot’ dance! You may exclaim, but let me explain.

There were two other dances on the programme; but they were for the time being, converted into a combination of trotting, heaving and jousting. It is not my purpose to describe the foxtrot as it is done here. For the information, however, of those (the great majority) who sat spellbound, supporting the walls, I will give a brief description, for after all, it is very simple.

ABOVE: Democrat of Feb 12 1954 Opening of Astoria Ballroom Bundoran advert

You take your partner, off you go at a quicker rate than fast walking, with the partner before you. It is very important that you keep her there, else you lose her when in high seas. By high seas I mean ‘the gathering of the clans’ in the middle of the floor.

There is an advantage here in having your partner in the proper place, for then she gets the ‘beastly bump’, not you.

The article continues in a similar being . . . but finishes:-

Lastly, even though I have given a description, I strongly advise Irish men and women to abstain from this kind of dance, imported from the immoral, heathenish dance of London’s under-world. In ‘Our Boys’ we see a vigorous campaign against England’s filthy literature. Why not organise one against filthy dances?

Does he intimidate us? If our ‘shoneens went over there, would they find English people reading Irish literature or dancing Irish dances? Not likely!’

February 10, 1934 - 90 years ago - Irish speaking pensioners

Old-age pensioners in the Gaeltacht are having their pensions increased by 2s 6d per week provided they speak only Irish.

The Government should lose no time in tacking on the extra half crown for the sake of the preservation of the language and for no other reason, and those antagonistic to the proposal should recollect that England spend much hard earned Irish money in the equipping of an army to subordinate the irish and compel them to speak English.

ABOVE: What looks like a Fire Brigade buffet dance in Bundoran in the 1970s. From what I can gather they include some of the following. Drop me a line if you can identify them all to michael.mchugh@iconicnews.ie  Standing at back: Mickey McNulty, Frank O’Kelly, Joe Chapman; Middle row includes in no order, Denis Porter, Denis McManus, Whitey Gilbride, Sylvia Hassard.  Sitting at front: Jim Connors.  (Photo: Late Willie John Duffy Photo Archive)

Those who were banished to “hell or Connaught” by Cromwell have been referred to as “not up to much,” and many of those who thus spake are enjoying what was once the property of the Connaught Gaels.

February 12, 1954 - 70 years ago - He took “a wee drop” - and may go to Mountjoy

“I took a wee drop as I had a bad cold”, a Ballyshannon man told Justice O’Hanrahan at the local court when charged by Garda F. O’Donnell, with being drunk on the public street on 2nd January.

There was also an adjourned summons for a similar offence.

Justice - Where do you get the money to pay the fines?

Defendant - Goodness knows.

Justice - What about a couple of months in jail?

Defendant - I have a bad cold.

ABOVE: A Boxing tourney from 1934

Justice - There are a number of adjourned cases and I will ask Garda Garvey to have the complete list for the next Court when I will see about sending you to Mountjoy and in the meantime you can see all your friends and say goodbye to them.

February 7, 1964 - 60 years ago

Ardara

To mark the occasion of their moving into their new home in Washington, a hand painting of Randalstown with the Blacksod mountains in the background is being sent to Mrs Jacqueline Kennedy, widow of the late President Kennedy (pictured below), and family, by the children of St. Mary’s N.S. Ardara.

The painting, which was executed by the well known artist, Mr Brendan McCarthy, at the request of Mrs Honora F. Smith, CB.Agr.Sc. and subscribed to by the children of St Mary’s is intended to be hung in the nursery of the new Kennedy home.

The painting, which is now on view at the Wood Hill Guests House, is to be sent to Mrs Kennedy and her two children Caroline and John Jnr., through the American Embassy in Dublin, and presented by Mr McCloskey the former Ambassador to Ireland.