McHugh's Miscellany: the long road is ever shortening . . .

The long road is ever shortening, I was thinking to myself this week . . .

By Royal Command, my musings and mumblings are returning to the Democrat, where I started my scribbling voyage 30 years ago this April.

In those days the rattling typewriter of my good colleague Vera Cave is one of my long ago vivid memories of the then Ballyshannon office, now the location of the National Ambulance Centre in the region.

I should add that it was Vera who showed me the ropes of the newsroom and was most helpful. for which I am still grateful for, all these years later. 

Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon - the home of Ballyshannon Drama 

Eventually she was forced to put some padding underneath said typewriter as the authorities in the United States were registering seismic anomalies in the north west corner of this island, which they had traced to our office.

And talking of the Erne town leads me to say that I was delighted to see the fantastic Ballyshannon Drama society treading the boards again in a couple of weeks with an Arthur Miller presentation ‘All my Sons’.
And they are truly blessed with some of the finest actors in this country, who do it for the love of their craft.

Acting talent
As hosts of this year’s All Ireland Confined Drama Finals in April, the accolade is more than deserved and the people of the town are exceptionally educated in that field having hosted their annual drama festival for over half a century.

We are truly fortunate with the acting talent that abounds in this county and they are the heartbeat of many communities.
I was also sad to note the passing of Harry McGowan from Ballybofey who was one of the great people at the helm behind the successful Butt Circle Circle group.
Those that appear on stage are just part of a bigger team that are so essential in running any production.

St Patrick's Hall, Bundoran

The old St Patrick's Hall on the right which was later moved a short distance after a fire - Photo Michael McHugh

It also brought me to thinking about the St Patrick’s Hall in Bundoran, which was a wonderful place when I was growing up.
Drama and musical entertainment was part and parcel of the summer seasons in Bundoran stretching back to the early days of the seaside resort.
Fr McGourty was the young local curate at the time and he paid me the princely sum of one punt nightly for working there and goodness me, did I absolutely love it!
Be it selling goodies at the interval, helping with the tickets or checking the numbers on bingo nights.
The Ulster players were regular visitors and the performances to a young lad was mesmerising.
Of course some could be seen occasionally on BBC Northern Ireland or UTV, so I was amongst acting royalty I thought.
It was in the days that a youngster carried around an autograph book, not an iphone and a tablet was what you took when you were very sick.
Bundoran had a wealth of local acting talent as well and they had their dramas, musicals and pantomimes.
Entertainment there at the Hall that I recall included the legendary Christy Moore, tenor Frank Patterson to the famous Ulster fiddler Seán McGuire.

St Patrick's Hall today Photo: Michael McHugh

I remember Christy getting what I recall was £100 from Fr McGourty, which I thought was a King’s ransom at the time.
There may even have been a bit of haggling involved . . .
And I spent a full school year there as they were building the new St Macartan’s National school around the corner on Sheil Avenue.

We had the added luxury of Mr and Mrs Travers shop located beside the Hall and Mrs Travers always had a wee soft spot for any individual that was counting the pennies but might might have been one or two short of the price of the sweet.

I will touch on the fame of the Church Road Warriors, but that is another story for another day . . .

As for the shop, I am sure that there are still a few pennies still owed, but I always loved going into the shop, where even as a kid, you knew you were welcome.   

The humble little St Patrick's Hall on Church Road also hosted the very first National GAA Congress ever held in Donegal, back in 1975, a feat that was repeated years later in the Astoria ballroom, now but a fond memory.

Today’s the hall is a mirror of the past and I would like to think that it has a future as well.

I also remember the annual bazaar's with great local GAA men including the late Edward Quinn and the late Sean Meehan, who always had the best interests of the town at heart, under the mantra of a rising tide lifts all boats. 

Addendum: Another character that played the Hall was the legendary comedian Frank Carson, whom I only remembered after being reminded by Donegal Democrat photographer, who he remembers while attending his summer performances with his sister and late father Tom, whom he knew.

Frank's famous catchphrase, It's the way, I tell 'em" was known throughout the island.

Thomas remembers Frank calling a number of children including himself onto stage to sing, but he also had a funny competition of who could eat a dry cracker in the quickest time, no water, for a wee prize. 

And if Frank couldn't draw a tear of laughter from your eye, nobody else could . . . 

And finally I remember a heavily bearded and bespectacled Gerry Moriarty, who for many years was the Northern Ireland Editor of the The Irish Times.

But back then one of Gerry's beats was an Arts and Entertainment column for the Donegal Democrat called Third Ear, which he championed from its inception.

I think the Demo may have been one of his first newspaper jobs, before moving to wider pastures.