Esker Hall

Esker Hall in Killoe was once home to a school, a cinema, a dance hall and a theatre all in one. It was a place of music, song and dance, and travelling entertainment from film to circus acts. It was also a place for meetings of potential debate and action.

History of Esker Hall

Opened in 1869, Esker School was a place of learning for boys and girls from the local community for its first 46 years. 

Esker then passed to the trust of the parish. A stage and kitchen were added for the grand opening of the Killoe Temperance Hall on 11 June 1915. Over the next 75 years, the Hall provided a centre for the rural social and cultural life.

Even before 1915, Esker Hall was a place of entertainment, as well as learning. The Killoe Brass Band was based there and held their annual concert and variety show. The Spinners and Weavers also used it as their base.

After 1916, the local Irish Volunteers met and carried out their drills there. At the hall, they were addressed by leading political figures, including Countess Markiewicz, General Seán MacEoin and Sean Connolly.

In 1921, the Black and Tans attempted to burn the Hall. It survived the Irish War of Independence and was reinstated as a thriving centre for the local community.

From the 1950s, the Hall was an important local venue for dances, a travelling cinema, local amateur drama, entertainment acts, Wren Day celebrations, election polling and GAA meetings.

It was also a place for Muintir na Tíre rallies, the national association for the promotion of community development in Ireland. The founder of Muintir na Tíre, Canon John Hayes, addressed a gathering at Esker Hall. 

It was also a base for the Killoe Show and, for many years, drew crowds from far and wide. 

However, by the early 1980s, the building was no longer in use and fell into disrepair. By 1987, a new community centre was constructed on the site of the old school in Enybegs.

Local people remember Esker Hall with great fondness as an invaluable place of belonging, culture and entertainment for the people of a rural parish.

Today, the derelict remains of Esker Hall were reduced for conservation, and its surroundings landscaped. At the site, you can view the engraved stone, which was a window sill from Esker Hall.