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29 Dec 2025
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29 Dec 2025
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The Mayflower Ballroom in Drumshanbo will host ‘The Devil's in the Dance Hall’ dance in April.
The dance is inspired by the burning of Gralton’s Hall in the 1930s. Jimmy Gralton (1886–1945) was a farmer from Effrinagh in south Leitrim who built a dance hall on his land in 1921 with some help from his neighbours.
READ MORE: PICTURES: New to the Leitrim market - 4-bed house in much-loved Carrick estate
The hall quickly became a centre for music, dancing, debate and learning, and offered young people in rural Leitrim a place to gather freely and socialise.
NEWS! The first night for The Devil’s in the Dance Hall of 2026 is…
— Edwina Guckian (@EdwinaGuckian) December 26, 2025
The Mayflower Ballroom, Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim
4th April 2026
Dancing 8pm ‘til late
Tickets on sale now: https://t.co/xuhsmW5b2d
Step back into 1930s Ireland as The Gralton Big Band and Edwina… pic.twitter.com/py3jN1mm7E
This was against the wishes of the Catholic Church, who led a campaign against the hall, and the Gralton dance hall was burned to the ground on Christmas Eve 1932.
Gralton became the only Irishman ever to be exiled from the state since it gained independence.
READ MORE: RIP: Leitrim drama group leads tributes to 'truly unique man who wore many hats'
A campaign was launched earlier this month to rebuild Gralton’s hall.
Today, 97 years later, nearly to the day, it was announced that the Devil's in the Dance Hall dance will take place on the 4th of April from 8 pm until late, with tickets available online.
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