Fenaghville / Ivy Leaf Ballroom, Fenagh, Co. Leitrim
The "Fenaghville Center Dance Pavilion" was
opened on November 21st, 1947 and the first band that played there was
"The Famous Melville Broadcasting Band." The ballroom was built by Patrick
Conboy "at a cost of over
£5,000" (about €200,000
in today's money). At the time the Fenagh Hall (built in 1912) was also still
running dances, but was soon outstripped by
the much larger and more extravagant Fenaghville. In December, 1947, the
ballroom sought a license to serve alcohol as
at a dance with 1,000 patrons in December, "300 people complained and 495 people
were issued pass out tickets" in order to
go to Fenagh village for a drink. The license was refused. In 1950 the ballroom
was put up for sale by owner Patrick
Conboy and the advert stated it was licensed to hold 750 dancers. For over 20 years,
the hall ran the best of showbands, ceili bands,
and dramatic productions. In September, 1966, it appears Patrick Conboy was
retiring and selling his farm, which included the
ballroom. It appears the last dance was held in May, 1967. We think the ballroom
was sold and it re-opened its doors on
October 6th, 1967 with a new name, the Ivy Leaf Ballroom. The first band to play
the renovated ballroom was Kilkenny's
Black Aces Showband. The hall featured "a 3600 sq ft dance floor and a movable band stand" which could be adjusted to
suit the crowd." John Smith and Patrick
O'Connell were the proprietors. Based on our research, it would appear the last
dances were held in the ballroom in March, 1975. In 1981 planning
permission was sought by a Sligo-based company
to turn the ballroom into a factory, but this never happened and it sat empty
and now derelict.
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