Mayo's Royal Ballroom celebrates diamond anniversary

By Tom Gillespie

SIXTY years ago this month the official opening of the Royal Ballroom, at the Travellers’ Friend Hotel, Castlebar, took place, when the venue was described as the ‘biggest and greatest in Ireland’.

The ballroom, which was erected by Patrick (Paddy) and Mary B. Jennings, enterprising and go-ahead proprietors of the Travellers’ Friend and Imperial Hotels Group, had every modern amenity to meet the needs of modern dance fans, and it was officially opened by the Minister for Lands, Michael O’Morain.

The spacious building, which was erected by Mr. Paddy McDonnell, another progressive and enterprising local man, in what must be a record time - three months - had one of the most spacious floor areas in Ireland.

For the opening on Friday, December 20, 1963, Butch Moore and the Capital Showband were on stage and the admission was 10/-. And on that St. Stephen’s night The Bachelors were the big attraction with the Swinging Commandos and dancing was from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The following night (December 27) Mick Delahunty and his big band produced the music. Masie McDaniels was the star attraction on December 29, when the fee the was 6s 6d, and hackney drivers were admitted free on production of their hackney licence.

The month of January 1964 saw The Swingtime Aces, Melody Aces, and the Cadets playing to packed houses.

On the 15th of that month Johnny Quigley provided the music for the Castlebar District Post Office Workers Union's 15th annual dance.

On January 19 the Dixielanders from Cork (later Brendan O’Brien and Joe Mac and The Dixies) made their first appearance at the Royal Ballroom and over the next 10 years along with Joe Dolan and the Drifters were the most booked bands over that period.

The Claremorris-based Doc Carroll and the Royal Blues graced the stage on January 22 and seven nights later the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were guests at the Mayo Press Ball.

The power of the Church was witnessed back then as all dancing was suspended for the period of Lent, forcing the hundreds of showband musicians around the country to embark on UK and American tours to earn a bob.

The exception was St. Patrick’s night and in 1964 the Dixielanders were top of the bill at the ballroom. On July 20, Dominic Behan, of 'Liverpool Loe’ fame, visited the venue.

In September The Swinging Blue Jeans from Liverpool were in Castlebar and one of their hits of the day was 'Hippy Hippy Shake’. In mid-November the Bachelors were back on stage and on December 20 Ronnie Drew and the Dubliners appeared.

January 1, 1965, saw Brendan Bowyer and the Royal Showband on stage, a date they retained for several years.

The Searchers, the English Merseybeat group, were guests on January 31, and one of their big hits was ‘Don’t Throw Your Love Away’.

Again Lent kicked in, but the proprietors staged bingo sessions when £2,000 prize money was on offer.

On May 27, Val Doonican of ‘Walk Tall’ and ‘Special Years’ fame made his first appearance at the Royal Ballroom. His second visit was on May 6, 1966. Many years earlier he was drummer with the local Stephen Garvey Orchestra.

The Drifters from Mullingar first appeared at the Royal Ballroom on June 24, 1965, and on that occasion special busses ran from Westport, Ballina and Ballyhaunis for the dance.

July 25, 1965, saw international star Roy Orbison on stage, with Mick Delahunty (pictured) providing the dancing music.

On August 2, Donovan, on his only Irish appearance, was on stage where he sang many of his hits, including ‘Catch the Wind’ and ‘Colours’. The Nevada Showband provided the music and the admission was 7/6.

The following year (1966) saw Sandi Shaw, the British singer who had three UK number one singles with ‘Always Something There to Remind Me, ‘Long Live Love and ‘Puppet on a String’, grace the Royal.

Later in the year a local outfit, Kevin Bourke’s Royal Chords and the Leaders, got gigs at the ballroom.

On June 18, 1967, international singing sensation Tom Jones was the star attraction and he signed autographs at the ballroom from 9.30 to 10.30 p.m.

Later in September the UK group The Tremeloes appeared and one of their top hits was ‘Silence is Golden’.

Again, local bands Frank Hastings and the Royal Chords and Brose Walsh’s Rockaways got dates at the ballroom in 1968 and ‘69.

Dana appeared on July 27, 1969, and Hank Lochlin on November 22.

In December of that year the Royal Ballroom’s advertisement in The Connaught Telegraph showed the winds of change were on the way as on the 8th of the month they held a discotheque, stating it was the ‘new type of entertainment sweeping the country’.

1970 saw Rex Ritter from Nashville at the venue; the Tremeloes were back in January 1971, and later that month Bridie Gallagher and Tex Withers, Joe Frazier and Sandi Shaw guested.

And 10 years on (December 28, 1973) Brendan Bowyer and the Big 8 ended the year.

When the Royal Chords first played at the Royal in 1967, one of the family members was Tom Bourke who played trumpet. He went on to become musical director with the Big 8 when they were based in Las Vegas.

Over the previous 10 years bands from all parts of the 32 counties were regular entertainers at the Royal Ballroom.

These included Jack Ruane, Clipper Carlton, Donnie Collins, Freshmen, Monarchs, Ohio, Green Beats, Miami, Graduates, Jim Farley, Pacific, Johnny Flynn, Victors, Hoedowners, Kings, Regal, Mighty Avons, Dermot O’Brien, Earl Gill, Big Tom and Sands.

All through the 1960s and ‘70s the country’s top showbands played at the Royal Ballroom, which was also the venue for the Castlebar International Song Contest.

The ballroom has since been transformed into the 2,500-seater Royal Theatre, which is run by Pat Jennings, son of the late Paddy and Mary B. Jennings, and is still the entertainment Mecca of the west.