Where does The Booley House name come from?
In ancient Ireland a booley house was a single room dwelling built of stone in remote mountain areas. It was a simple dwelling with a heather roof, a small window and a doorway. Small farmers who had herded their cattle from the lowlands to avail of the Summer grazing occupied these dwellings in the Summer months. Our ancestors built many of these booley Houses on nearby mountain ranges such as the Knockmealdowns and the Galtees. The inhabitants of the booley houses would get together at night and pass the long Summer nights with a song, a story, and a tune. This was the perfect inspiration for the name of our show, reflecting the intimacy and spirit of the show.
So how did The Booley House begin?
In 1991, the local drama society along with Ballyduff Comhaltas decided to introduce a Summer show as a fundraiser to improve local amenities. The show included a strong element of traditional entertainment and so came to be christened “The Booley House”. Since then the show has gone from strength to strength, incorporating more variety and talent year after year.
