In January 1831, Mr Kyle, self-styled Professor of Dancing and Composer to the Irish Court, published an invitation to a Grand Ball at the Great Rooms in Castlebar Courthouse on the Green.
The invitation was addressed to the 'Nobility and Gentry.' This was not an occasion for the lower classes. The ball was planned for Thursday January 20. To avoid confusion outside the venue on the night, patrons were encouraged to instruct their coachmen to drive with their horses' heads 'towards the Jail'. Today, the former jail site is occupied by the Motor Tax Office.
Balls were immensely popular and important social occasions during the nineteenth century in Castlebar. Venues included the Military Barracks, the Courthouse (see image ), the Splendid Rooms at Sheridan's Hotel (later the Imperial ), and the drawing rooms of private homes.
The pedigree of the attendees ranged from the major and minor aristocracy to military men and men of the higher professions and their wives. Castlebar's status as a garrison town meant that military balls were the most common, but there were also debutant balls, charity balls, post-race meeting balls, costume balls, and balls arranged for profit by men like Kyle.
Every aspect of the planning and the event, including the guest list, invitation, food, dress, dancing, conversation, and ballroom etiquette, was governed by a set of rules. It was essential to ensure that enough invitations were issued. Where there was no commercial imperative, ensuring the dance floor was filled and that society perceived the ball to be a success were the primary considerations. Kyle noted in his invitation that he hoped there would be no private parties that would interfere with his ball. The ticket price was 7s 6d (including refreshments – tea, coffee, and cold supper ).
Dress, hairstyles, music, and dancing style were informed by trends in London, Dublin, and on the Continent. In the days before his ball, Kyle offered instruction in the most fashionable Parisian and Italian dancing styles and the styles popular at Dublin Castle. The cost was one guinea for six lessons at Foy's Hotel (likely to the left of Burleigh House ). At Castlebar, music was typically provided by one of the military bands. Kyle secured permission from Major Patrickson for the band of the 66th (Berkshire ) Regiment of Foot to provide the music at his soiree.
Ensuring the venue was elegantly and brightly decorated was essential. In 1844, when the non-commissioned officers of the 69th (South Lincolnshire ) Regiment of Foot gave a ball at the Military Barracks, the regiment's colours were displayed in a prominent position, and transparencies were placed in the windows. On the floor were inscribed the words 'Java', 'Bourbon', 'Waterloo', and 'India'. The symbolism of dancing on the conquered was likely not lost on those present.
This was a celebration of Empire and subjugation. The words 'Céad Mílle Fáilte' were painted over the door. Captain O'Halloran came dressed in the costume of an Indian Chief. This jumble of victories, subjugated nations, and costumes ceremoniously laid out beneath the standards of the conquering regiment, was a recurring feature of such events. Men who served at Castlebar could, in a few months, find themselves at similarly themed gatherings at Up-Park-Camp, the British Military Headquarters in Jamaica, at Shimla Hill Station, the summer capital of British India, or at Malacca in the East. Shortly after the ball, the 69th Regiment sailed for St Vincent, then one of Britain's many former slave colonies in the Caribbean.
Balls also provided an opportunity for parents to parade their unmarried daughters before eligible gentlemen. A common element of the many post-ball newspaper reports in Castlebar is the lengthy lists of attendees, including the many 'Misses' escorted by their parents. Generations of Misses Higgins of Westport, Garvey of Murrisk, Laramie, Knott, and Bourke of Castlebar, were presented at these balls. For the second military ball of the season in September 1869, the 89th (Princess Victoria's ) Regiment of Foot decorated the mess hall with banners and evergreens. The gentlemen and ladies of the county attended in significant numbers with their daughters. After a long night of dancing, the newspapers confirmed that everyone went home happy in the small hours.
