Murphy’s Town Hall Athenry 23 14th June 1936 – Messrs Carron Brothers Travelling Picture Company screened Shadows of Sing Sing, a 1933 Gangster movie starring Mary Brian, Bruce Cabot, and Grant Mitchell. 8th July 1936 – Unfortunately we have no info on activities in the Hall at this time but the Evening Echo of this date reported as follows on page 5: “Mr. O. Maher, postmaster, Bantry, has been appointed Postmaster, Ballina. He was postmaster in Athenry for 10 years, and nine months postmaster in Bantry.” 43 3rd August 1936 – Unfortunately we have no info on activities in the Hall at this time but page 13 of the Irish Independent of this date reported that Athenry hosted a meeting attended by Maude Gonne MacBride, at which she criticised de Valera’s government: 44 “Madame MacBride, at Athenry said that Mr de Valera did well when he withheld the annuities... Before Mr. de Valera took office he said he was opposed to the Coercion Act introduced by the Cosgrave Government, but now he was using the same Act against Republicans...” 3rd to 6th September 1936 – Metropolitan Players (Louis D’alton’s Travelling Play Company) performed 4 nights in the Hall (source: Hall Journal): Unmasked, by Louis D’alton Love’s Sacrifice, by Louis D’alton Gates of Doom Paying The Price 13th September 1936 – Athenry Agricultural Show Grand Dance with music from Stephen Garvey’s Splendid Orchestra (source: Ticket for the Dance, see also Connacht Tribune 5th September 1936, page 12). 14th to 20th September 1936 – Paul Terry’s People’s Popular Players performed 7 nights in the Hall with a different play on each night, including the following (source: Hall Journal): The Golden Bird, 45 by Paul Terry A Mother’s Love, by J Wild The Manxman, by Sir Hall Caine Forbidden Love, by Paul Terry East Lynne, by Mrs Henry Wood (Ellen Wood) The Joker, by (author’s name illegible) Green Goddess, by Paul Terry & John Dunphy 9th October 1936 – Messrs Carron Brothers Travelling Picture Company screened Now and Forever in the Hall, a 1934 movie starring Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard, and Shirley Temple (source: Hall Journal) 23rd to 25th October 1936 – William L Dobell Travelling Company performed 3 plays in the Hall, across 3 successive nights (source: Hall Journal, see also Connacht Tribune 24th October 1936, page 5): The Case of the Frightened Lady Smiling Thru’ The Earl and the Girl 1st November 1936 – A Dance was held in the Hall (source: Hall Journal, no further info available). 31st December 1936 – Unfortunately we have no info on activities in the Hall at this time but page 10 of the Irish Independent of this date reported that Athenry had been approved for public lighting: “Mr RW Powell BE, assistant surveyor, notified Athenry Development Committee that the LGD have sanctioned the public lighting of the town.” 6th January 1937 – Billy Walsh’s Talkies, a Travelling Picture Company, screened Bulldog Drummond in the Hall, a 1929 movie, produced by Samuel Goldwyn and starring Ronald Colman and Montagu Love (source: Hall Journal). 43 NB: Mr Maher had written The Honour of an Old Soldier, the Five Act Play performed by Athenry Dramatic Club in the Hall in March 1932 44 This meeting may have been held in the Hall but the report doesn’t say where it was held and the Hall Journal doesn’t reference it 45 Script in the Journal is difficult to read here unfortunately, but is most likely Golden Bird.
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