Six people with strong Donegal connections have prominent stories featured in a nostalgic new book from Ireland’s Showband Era.
The book recalling the halcyon days of the showband era was launched this week, chronicling tales of music, love and adventure from locals and stars including Margo O’Donnell.
From The Candy Store to the Galtymore chronicles the 1950s to the 1970s in rural and urban Ireland through the stories of the young men and women who religiously went to their local Ballroom of Romance each weekend.
The book echoes an era of social and cultural uprising in Ireland as the country began dancing the weekends away to the sounds of showbands in newly-built ballrooms.
It was the time of Larry Cunningham, Joe Dolan, Brendan Bowyer, Dickie Rock and Butch Moore and wherever they played, the crowds followed.
Queen of Country and Irish Margo O’Donnell, writes a harrowing account of how she met a down-and-out before a show in London and became great friends with him as he battled against drink before his death.
It is a story of sadness but full also of pride in how he turned his life around to die a proud man.
Retired bank official, Collette Bonnar from Stranorlar, recalls the dance-floor battles to get noticed and how her Running Bear met Little White Dove and ended up walking down the aisle.
Londoner Brendan Moran was a sailor in the Royal Navy when he sailed up the River Foyle into Derry in 1965.
The following Sunday they ended up traversing the border in pursuit of entertainment and ended up in Muff, Co Donegal at a dance and recently celebrated his marriage to a girl he met there over half a century ago. He now lives in Donegal.
Victor Sandilands left his native Ramelton as a young man of 19 to live and work in London and writes hilariously about a farmer’s wife hiding a dancer’s shoes so he couldn’t go out on a Saturday while also detailing where skeletons unearthed in tunnel digs in the English capital ended up.
Moira Gallagher’s story is told in poetic form – the only one in the anthology – and details preparing for and experiencing a night on the tiles.
Co-editors PJ Cunningham and Dr Joe Kearney trawled the country over the past year to bring Ireland’s showband stories together in one book.
In all, there are 70 contributions contained in this social and cultural review of the time.
From The Candy Store To The Galtymore is a collection with twists in every turn – stories of romance, of chance meetings and tales that are funny and maybe even mischievous,” said PJ.
“All human life gathered for the weekly dances in what was a cultural shift away from the more formal céilís which held sway up until then.
“The showband dances were modern and slightly more brash occasions than the country had been used to but, if anything, the number of stories of love and loss, rows and ructions, fun and games grew in the new environment.
“The book looks at this era from left of centre and collects the forgotten, overlooked or rarely-told stories of that time.”
The sources are mainly ordinary folk with some interesting insights from singers, musicians and band managers as well.
From The Candy Store To The Galtymore is available to buy all over the country from this week (priced €14.99) and is published by Ballpoint Press and co-edited by PJ Cunningham and Dr Joe Kearney.
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