Rathkenny Hall at 75: In 1951, the hall was officially opened by Seán MacBride, then Minister for External Affairs

Aishling Monaghan

The story of Rathkenny Hall can be traced back to a conversation following a performance by Creewood Dramatic Class in Creewood National School more than 90 years ago.

Among those discussing the production afterwards were William Blackburne of Tankardstown House and James Reilly.

Five members of Mr Blackburne's staff had taken part in the play, and Reilly asked him what he thought of their performance.

“They're great Jim but are very cramped for space and I will build a hall on the football field.”

It was a remark that might easily have been forgotten. But William Blackburne had an idea, and although he would never live to see it realised, that conversation would eventually lead to the building of Rathkenny Hall.

Following his death, the idea appeared to have been lost until his two sisters, Miss Amabel Blackburne and Mrs Elena Townshend, discovered his intentions among his papers.

The sisters were determined to honour their brother's wishes.

Miss Amabel Blackburne approached Peter Halligan (who was Farm Manager at Tankardstown House at the time), explaining that William had wanted a hall built in what was locally known as the Kill Field. It was the beginning of a project that would require considerable fundraising, organisation and the support of the surrounding parishes.

The first committee was formed with Fr Caffrey as chairman and Thomas P. Carty, principal of Rathkenny National School, as honorary secretary. James Reilly and Peter Halligan were appointed honorary treasurers, with Thomas Rowan, Ray Cogan and Christopher Govern also serving on the committee. The three trustees were Patsy Meade, Eddie Drew and Mrs Townshend.

Mrs Townshend donated half an acre of land on the football field at Tankardstown, providing a site for the proposed hall.

The generosity of the Blackburne and Townshend families had given the project its beginning. The next challenge was finding the money to build it.

An appeal published in the Drogheda Independent on 5 August 1949 gives a fascinating insight into just how much work had already been done.

Collections had taken place throughout Rathkenny, Rushwee and Grangegeeth, while sports and races at Tankardstown had helped swell the building fund to £476.

It was a respectable sum, but nowhere near what was needed.

Drogheda architect Turlough Lynch had been engaged to design the building and had gone to the trouble of making a scale model at his own expense.

The model was displayed in shops throughout the three parishes, giving local people an opportunity to see what their proposed hall would look like.

It even made its way to Dublin, where it was accepted for exhibition by the Royal Hibernian Academy.

There was clearly considerable ambition behind the project, even if the finances were proving difficult.

Four tenders had been received from building contractors, with prices ranging from £3,000 to £6,000.

The committee had applied to the Carnegie Trust for assistance, hoping for a grant of £1,000, but by the summer of 1949 there was still no decision.

The Hibernian Bank in Drogheda was prepared to advance £2,000, repayable with interest over ten years. That left another £1,000 to be raised locally.

Rather than simply asking parishioners for further subscriptions, the committee proposed that they invest in the hall as shareholders, receiving annual interest and having their capital repaid over time.

It was a considerable undertaking for a rural community.

On Friday, 12th August 1949, a public meeting was called for Rathkenny NS. The time was given as 8pm, with the words “Old Time” included in brackets on the notice.

The appeal, signed by Thomas P. Carty, invited parishioners to come along and express their views, whether for or against the proposal.

The committee outlined its hopes for the building. It would provide a social centre for young and old, somewhere for local organisations to meet and where new groups, including a Young Farmers' Club and a branch of Muintir na Tíre, might be established.

There was a practical need for such a place.

The dramatic class had already demonstrated the difficulties of staging productions in limited accommodation. Other organisations faced similar problems when it came to finding somewhere suitable to hold meetings, social gatherings and activities.

The proposed hall would give them a permanent home. Despite the financial difficulties, the project went ahead.

John McCabe of Wilkinstown was appointed contractor, working from the plans prepared by Turlough Lynch.

By Christmas 1950, Rathkenny Hall was completed.

It had taken years to reach that point, from William Blackburne's original suggestion to the efforts of his sisters, the formation of the committee, the fundraising and the eventual construction.

In 1951, the hall was officially opened by Seán MacBride, then Minister for External Affairs.

For the people of Rathkenny, Rushwee, Grangegeeth and the surrounding districts, there was now somewhere to hold their dances, meetings, concerts and plays.

The building was relatively modest in appearance, with its main hall and stage. It stood along a quiet country road beneath Tankardstown Wood, beside the football field where William Blackburne had first suggested it should be built.

The committee's work did not end with the opening. Loans still had to be repaid, the building maintained and money found for improvements. But the hall was there, ready for use. And in the years that followed, people would find plenty of reasons to use it.