Tom and Michael Corrigan were two brothers who left Cavan for America and England and upon their return home
wanted to open a ballroom. It was 1963 and the showband business was booming. When then Erne Cinema came on the market
they jumped at the chance and bought it.
The Erne Cinema had a troubled beginning as the land to build it was purchased by William Stewart in 1942 and work began on the
building in early 1944. Six months into the build he sold the unfinished building for £2,000. The Erne Cinema Ltd company was
then brought to court over excessive use of wood in the cinema contrary to the permission it was given. Eventually this was
solved and the cinema opened in 1947. For the next 16 years the cinema was going well, but in 1963 went up for sale and was
purchased by the Corrigans. They spent a further £10,000 to install a Canadian Maple floor and bring the building up to modern
ballroom standards. The ballroom opened on Thursday, 10th October 1963 with music by The Mighty Avons. It was not the biggest of
ballroom with a dance floor that measured 2500 sq. ft. For the next 16 years, the ballroom/cinema hosted the biggest bands
and was a mecca for dancers. In 1979, the building was put up for sale (see below) as dancing was moving out of halls
and into more luxurious hotels and nite clubs. It seems that the ballroom then became a community centre as dancers were
held through the 1980's but often quoted as being in the Palais Community Centre. At one point the ballroom was home to
Erne Tool and Die company. Our photos (bottom) were taken in 2009 and 2012 by Google Earth and although we were told it was
scheduled to be demolished in 2007, apparently it sell stands, as it has for the last 70 plus years.