St Johnston community urged to input on Kinny Call Hall plans

The community in St Johnston are being encouraged to have their say in works to preserve Kinny Cally Hall.

The hall, just 3km from the east Donegal village, was a thriving entertainment venue in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, but fell into a disuse and disrepair.

Locals feared that the building was so decrepit that it was in danger of collapse, but moves to preserve and restore it begun in earnest.

In 2022, the Heritage Council granted €3,690 in funding to the project and work started on the ivy-covered building.

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A massive volunteer effort removed the foliage that covered over the hall, which was practically hidden from public sight.

An architectural report has been undertaken by Dedalus Architecture, who have previously worked on other conservation projects in Donegal such as Lifford Old Courthouse, Rathmullan Friary, Pettigo Mill and the John Colgan Memorial Hall in Carndonagh.

Locals are now being invited to a meeting at the St Johnston & Carrigans Family Resource Centre on Thursday, August 17 from 7-8.30pm.

“Now it is time to consider the works needed to preserve this hugely important part of our local heritage and to brainstorm ways of making these works possible,” says the group spearheading the project.

One of the founder members of Kinny Cally Hall was Jimmy Peoples, the grandfather of world-renowned fiddler Tommy Peoples. Born in Kinny Cally in 1948, Tommy Peoples was a member of the famous Bothy Band in the 1970s whose works are known and revered across the globe.

Kinny Cally Hall was, in its heyday, a popular venue for music and dance. In later years, traditional music was taught while the hall also played host to community meetings, fundraisers and football training.