Crossroads Dancing & Outdoor Events
Step Dancing to fiddle music, c.1874
This cottage is about a mile inland from Glassdrumman, near Annalong on the eastern coast of County Down. The mountain in the background is Spence's Mountain in the Mourne's. The dancer would appear to be stepping it out on the half-door (many cottages had the door in two halves so that the bottom half could remain closed, whilst the top half could be opened). On occasion the top half would be removed and laid on the ground allowing a flat surface for dancing on.
Two-hand Dancing on the Bangor Boat, 1906
The Belfast to Bangor boat was a regular run bringing day-trippers from Belfast and back.
Crossroads Dancing in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains, c. 1920
Walter Love, the well-known BBC presenter, interviewed Mick, Kitty and Bridie Matthews who live in the townland of Leitrim close to Hilltown, and among other stories of long ago they discussed crossroads dancing;
“People came from far and near to the flax-pulling dances. They were held in barns and went on all night. Often the set dances were accompanied by a lilter, known as the “timer”, who kept his foot going all the time. And what were called American wakes were held for anyone emigrating to America. These were big dances held in the home of the person who was leaving or in a neighbour’s house.
With no other entertainments, and certainly no public places to hold dances, the phenomenon of “crossroads dancing” was a particularly strong on in the locality. These were held on Sunday evenings in the summertime, and attracted hundreds from the surrounding parishes. A popular venue was Biddy Doyle’s corner in the townland of Ballyvally, and the musicians would probably have accompanied the dances with a mouth-organ, melodion or fiddle.
In 1923 Canon Rooney, the parish priest at Clonduff, opened a parochial hall, and the dances continued indoors from then on. From that time, crossroads dancing gradually disappeared.”
(The Times of Our Lives – Recollections of Town and Country, Walter Love, 1990: Page 39).
Crossroads Dancing at Ballyridley, near Portaferry, Ards Peninsula, c.1920.
​Crossroads dancing regularly took place at Ballyridley - the junction of the Portaferry Road, Lough Cowey Road and Dunevly Road - in the 1920s/30s. The Lough corner refers to Lough Cowey, whilst the "mountain", as it is still known locally, refers to the high ground roughly two miles due north of Portaferry village, which whilst only about 300 feet above sea level is significantly higher that neighbouring areas. After all the Ards Peninsula is generally known as the "Low Country".
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Celia Lee recounts;
My aunt Kate Breen of Ballyridley was born in 1900. Aunt Kate could recall dancing at the crossroads at the lough corner, Ballyridley, in her young day. Her earliest recollections dated from the First World War years. Throughout the 20s and 30s a group of young people would assemble at the crossroads, among them Kate’s sister, Lizzie, my father, Jim, Annie Lynas, Hessie and Jenny Savage, Lily Bone, Hugh James McGrath, Jim McDonnell (of the mountain who married Hessy Savage, Hugh McManus and Jimmy Bone (Lily’s brother). Hugh McManus and Jim McDonnell played the melodeon and Jimmy Bone was a great singer. Hands joined they would all swing round in a circle laughing and singing to the music of the melodeon. Popular dances were “The Haymaker’s Jig” and the old time waltz…….
Miss Mary Catherine Dorrian and Mrs Elsie Pucci of Deerpark Road, Ardkeen and Mr Harry Coulter of Ballybryan (who formerly lived at Ardminnan) went dancing on Saturday nights at the home of Tom Ennis and his half sister Susan Burns in Ballywallon. Mary Catherine, who as a young girl was in service to the Lyttle family, says so popular was dancing at Ballywallon that a crowd came to it from Portaferry. Popular dances included “The Military Two Step” to the tune of “Wee Dock An Dorris” and “Marching through Georgia”……..
There was dancing at the Park Corner under the elm tree (where Deerpark Road joins Abbacy Road). Kate McGrattan who was known affectionately as Kate Speed, lived in a little house, the side gate of which opened onto the corner…… The melodian players at these dances were Kate herself, Johnny Breen, Eddie McGrattan, Hugh McManus, and Eddy McKeating…….
One evening Eddy McKeating was playing Kate’s new melodeon. Kate thought he was pulling it out too far and said in a loud voice: “You’re not going to pull my article outside in, Eddy McKeating”. There were gales of laughter from the dancers and Kate’s remarks became a great joke of the time……
At Priestown, William George Collins (Collie as he was known) played the melodeon at dances. Mary Catherine remembers parties being held outside and they all sat round on forms and drank tea…..
There were great nights at Buttony where Collie and Dick Roddy obliged with the music. Mary Catherine remembers that Patrick McEvoy crossed the sticks on the kitchen floor and danced “Maggie Pickens”…..
There was dancing too at Mary Alice Mason’s (Mrs Morgan). Hugh Smith of Ballyward played the melodeon. My mother, Ellen Anne Breen remembers Maggie Finnegan (Mary Catherine’s sister) playing the mouth organ with one hand and dancing at the same time.
(Celia Lee, Journal of the Upper Ards Historical Society No17, 1993, p.7).
Lambeg Irish Folk Dancing Society c. 1930.
​Lambeg is a Civil Parish in the north west of County Down. It lies on the River Lagan between Lisburn and Belfast. In the period 1925 - 1939 it was the regular meeting place for the Lambeg Irish Folk Dancing Society.
The dancers below are thought to include; Dorothy Beattie, Patricia Mulholland, Roy Lillie and Joe Stewart (thought to be the gentleman in the top hat). The fiddlers are thought to be Paddy O'Rafferty and his daughter.
[From discussions with Vera McCrory, who attended the dances in the late 1930s.]
Drumaroad & Clanvaraghan Aeridheacht, Garden Party & Céilí, 1936
This description of an aeridheacht, garden party, ceilidhe and general soiree was reported in the Dromore Leader in 1936;
“An aeridheacht and garden party was held in the Parochial Grounds, Drumaroad, on Sunday last, and was attended by a very large number of people. The success of the function was directly due to Rev. Father D. Cahill, P.P.,and his capable band of officials.
The final of the forty-fives was played and the first prize of a heifer, or £15…… (James Rice, Annsborough won a share of the £10 prize.)
Father Cahill, in thanking all present, mentioned that the forty-fives had made £300, which would strongly augment the Drumaroad and Clanvaraghan Church Building Fund.
The special Slieve Croob Silver Cup for the best eight-hand reel presented by any P.E. School in Co. Down was won by Downpatrick B team.
The rest of the dancing competitions were open, and the results were as follows:-
Jig – 1, B. Judge; 2, A. McAleer (miss J. Judge’s pupils)
Reel – 1, A. McAleer; 2, B. Judge.
Set dance – 1, B. Judge; 2, T. Kelly.
Figure dance – 1, Richie “A” Team; Judge “A” Team and Convery Team tied for second.
Mr. P. O’Rafferty (adjudicator) said the standard of dancing was extremely high and reflected credit on the teachers……
A ceilidhe was held in the marquee at the close of the proceedings. A larger crowd danced until midnight.”
(Dromore Leader, 4th July 1936.)
Matthew's Farm, Wallace Hill, Maghercranmoney
Although dancing continued continuously for generations there was a period in the 1930s when dancing stopped in many of the local halls. This was due to the depression – when there wasn’t the money to run dances.
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Regardless of the cessation of public dances during the depression, dancing continued in houses, barns etc. The occasional dance was held publicly at established holidays ie the harvest “churn”, Christmas and New Year.
Good examples of farm dances in bygone years were the dances at the Matthews’ farm between Cluntagh and Magheracranmoney, Wallace Hill near Crossgar. There were three ladies living at the farm and usually three times a year they held a dance at the farm. The dance was held in the yard outside the barn, and the dancing carried out to fiddle music – Davy and Robbie Gray, and Hugh Wade were amongst the fiddlers who played there. Harry Matthews, whose aunts organised the dances, was an avid dancer, and is noted for his simple "rolley" way of dancing mazurkas.
Map showing Locations of;
(a) Crossroads Dancing & Outdoor Events
(b) Various Local Dances
