The Plaza Ballroom opened its doors on Whit Sunday, May 19th, 1929. Owned by the late musician Pat O'Hara (like many
of the earliest ballrooms in rural Ireland), his "No. 1 Band" featured in the hall on most nights. The ballroom
was, by modern standards, very simply with a concrete front, galvanized rounded roof and windows that opened out onto a
view of the Atlantic Ocean. However at the time of its opening it was described as the "best ballroom in Connaught" and
one of the bets in the "Free State." Like most of the early dance halls the Plaza was small, only 2500 sq ft. and had a minimum of
amenities. For thirty years, the Plaza was one of the main venues for dancing in Sligo, along with the Town Hall, Elsinore
Ballroom in Rosses Point and the Ritz Ballroom in O'Connell Street. It hosted many of the biggest bands in the country
in the late 1950's, but in 1960, a new, more modern facility was built just up the road when Sean Byrne opened his
Silver Slipper Room, so called because it had been built as a function room ("not a ballroom"). After being closed for Lent,
The Plaza held its last dances on Easter Sunday (April 17th) and Wednesday, April 19th and the Silver Slipper opened on the 22nd.
The Plaza closed immediately and never reopened. It was purchased by the late John Healy and for a while it functioned as an art
studio but after falling into disrepair it was purchased Patsy Byrne and demolished in September, 2002
to make way for 12 new apartments (see photo below).