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Dances in Orange Halls
Throughout my many years of research on fiddle playing and dancing in County Down the aspect that surprised me the most was the enormous number of Orange Halls, dotted throughout the County Down countryside, that had held regular dances in the period up to World War II. Up to the late 1920s there are records of traditional dances in over seventy Orange Halls. The dances consisted of the various figure dances, square dances and two-hand dances and step dances. The music in this period was played, in the main, on fiddles. By the late 1920s melodeons and accordions had begun to appear.
From the fiddle player's perspective, Jimmy Savage (Postman Johnnie's James) jokingly claimed to be the most travelled fiddler in Ulster. When I asked him where his travels had taken him, he replied that he had played in 26 Orange Halls over the years. And these were not merely sporadic instances. In April 1988 Jimmy was made a presentation for having played the fiddle for the regular dance in Carrickmannon Orange Hall for fifty years.
In 2009 I asked John Jess, who was then aged 100, what had got him interested in playing the fiddle at the early age of 7. He replied that his father was a steward at the Orange Hall nearby (Drumiller LOL No 582) and that his mother would have made the tea at any social functions. Being the eldest child he would accompany her and he was put in the corner. He said there were always fiddles being played, by a number of players, and he just had to play one.
In 1988 fiddle player Jimmy Savage celebrated playing at the dance in Carrickmannon Orange Hall for 50 years.
Benraw Orange Hall
Benraw Orange Hall is situated in the quiet rural area south-east of the Windy Gap on the road to Leitrim Village.
The following fiddlers regularly played for numerous dances in Benraw Hall;
Willie, James & Ivor Herron,
Arthur Annett,
Joe Cinnamond
John Redmond,
John Seawright,
Thomas Henry Gibson,
Bertie McIlroy.
Above;
Benraw Orange Hall on the Slievenaboley Road. 2012
Benraw Orange Hall (circled) from the Windy Gap looking towards Leitrim Village and the Mourne Mountains. Legananny Orange Hall is in close proximity being less than a mile to the north (left), 2012.
Legananny Orange Hall
Legananny Orange Hall is situated in the quiet rural area east of the Windy Gap on the road to Leitrim Village.
The following fiddlers all played regularly for various dances in Legananny Hall;
Willie Herron,
Arthur Annett,
Joe Cinnamond
Thomas Henry Gibson,
Bertie McIlroy.
Above;
Legananny Orange Hall on Legananny Hall Road, 2012.
Legananny Dolmen, a megalithic dolmen, is estimated to be 5,000 years old. Legananny Orange Hall is about six fields downhill on the left, 2012
Aughnaskeagh Orange Hall
Aughnaskeagh Orange Hall is situated in the quiet rural area between the villages of Kinallen and Dromara.
The following fiddlers all played regularly for various dances in Aughnaskeagh Hall;
Willie & John Wallace,
Sammy Thompson,
John Jess,
Walter Stronge,
David Cherry.
Right;
Ticket for a Soiree & Ball at Aughnaskeagh Orange Hall on Friday 27th November 1903.
Waringsford Orange Hall
Waringsford Orange Hall is situated in Tullynisky Road in the village of Waringsford, which is itself between the villages of Kinallen and Dromara.
The following fiddlers all played regularly for various dances in Waringsford Hall;
Willie & John Wallace,
Thomas Rodgers,
William Corbett,
Bob Graham,
David Cherry,
William Cherry,
Howard Martin
R. J. McMillan.
Above;
Waringsford Orange Hall on Tullyniskey Road, 2012.
Above;
Tickets for a Socials & Balls at Waringsford Orange Hall for Waringsford Golden Star RBP and Waringsford Rising Star, all on Friday evenings; 28th February 1919, 17th December 1920, 3rd February 1928 and 25th January 1929.
Listooder Orange Hall
Listooder Orange Hall, which was built in 1871, is situated on the edge of Listooder, a hamlet which lies approximately midway between the village of Crossgar and the town of Ballynahinch.
The following fiddlers played regularly for various dances in Listooder Hall;
Robert McVeigh,
Henry Harris,
Hugh Hunter,
Toye William & young Willie Savage
Bobby Geddis.
Above;
Listooder Orange Hall, 2012.
Pikestone Orange Hall
Pikestone Orange Hall is situated approximately midway between the towns of Killyleagh and Downpatrick. It is situated close to the main Killyleagh Road at the junction of the Greystown Road. It was built in the mid 1860s and is home to Ballygawley Standard LOL and Ballygawley Olive Leaf RBP. Initially single storey a second floor was added in 1932.
The following fiddlers played regularly for various dances at the Pikestone;
John Duff,
Willie McCloy,
Betty McIlroy (nee Donnan),
William John & Samuel Crawford.
Above;
Pikestone Orange Hall, 2012.
Pikestone derives its name from the period of the 1798 rebellion. Pikes were legal, as long as they were not sharp - being caught by the authorities with a sharpened pike was a hanging offence. A local blacksmith made the pikes; these were then sharpened and hidden beneath a large stone in the locality, hence the name the "Pikestone".
Toye Orange Hall
Toye Orange Hall is situated a couple of miles north of the town of Killyleagh, on the Comber Road.
The following fiddlers played regularly for various dances at the Pikestone;
Toye William & young Willie Savage,
Jimmy Bonar,
Betty McIlroy (nee Donnan),
Jackie Donnan.
Right;
Toye Orange Hall 2017.
Fiddle player Toye Willie Savage was Worshipful Master of the Toye Lodge for many years. He was involved in the building of the current hall in 1935 and was caretaker there after he retired from work.
Raffrey Orange Hall
Raffrey Orange Hall is situated a half mile north of the hamlet of Raffrey, on the Carrickmannon Road.
The following fiddlers played regularly for various dances at Raffrey;
Willie McCloy,
May McVeigh (nee McCloy)
Willie, Johnnie & Jimmy Hayes
Tom Miskelly.
Above;
Raffrey Orange Hall on the Carrickmannon Road, 2012.
The Magzenna Waltz.
Raffrey OH, 2012
The Dancers in the foreground are Ivan & Jean Wilson
Accordionist - Sammy Miskelly
16 Steps - the 5th Figure of the Caledonians. Raffrey OH, 2012
Accordionist - Sammy Miskelly
Raffrey OH, 2012
The dancer in the centre is fiddle player Jim Moore from Dromara still enjoying dancing at 92.
Some of the Orange Halls with traditional Dances to Fiddle Music
East Down
Ardmillan
Ballymacreely
Carrickmannon
Crossgar
Drumreagh
Killinchy
Killyleagh
Listooder
Pikestone
Raffrey
Toye
Ards
Kircubbin
Newtownards
Portavogie True Blues
Volunteer's
Lecale
Ballyclander
Ballykilbeg
Central Ballynahinch
Ballykine
Ballylone
Ballymaglave
Ballynahinch
Burren
Cumberbridge
Glassdrumman
Legacurry
Magheraknock
Spa
Upper Crossgare
Central West
Blackscull
Clogher
Donaghcloney
Drumnaferry
Islandderry
Magherally
Central Dromara
Annahilt
Aughnaskeagh
Ballaney
Ballygowan
Ballykeel
Ballyknock
Ballymacormick
Ballyroney
Ballyvicknakelly
Benraw
Carnew
Closkelt
Derryneill
Drumiller
Dromara
Dromore
Drumlough
Drumnavaddy
Finnis
Gransha
Kilmacrew
Central Dromara
Kilntown
Kilwarlin
Kinallen
Halliday's Bridge
Legananny
Lisnaward
Listullycurran
Magherabeg
Moneyslane
Mount Ida
Quilly
Skeagh
Taughblane
Tullynisky
Tullynore
Waringsford
Whitehill
Map showing the Locations of the above named Orange Halls
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