Skip to content

Wasn’t that a St. Patrick’s party in Aldergrove!

A full house enjoyed the Irish Ceilidh style St. Patrick’s Day party at the historic Coghlan Hall

In the words of the immortal Irish poets, The Irish Rovers, “Wasn’t that a party!”

A full house enjoyed the Irish Ceilidh style St. Patrick’s Day party at the historic Coghlan Hall Saturday night.

Everyone got dolled up in the green finery for the party hosted by the Aldergrove Fair Days Committee, enjoying some Irish whiskey and Guinness along with traditional songs and dance from the Emerald Isle.

The evening started out with a bowl of Irish stew served to all the guests, and the traditional tunes of the Navvies duo, then the Pipes and drums of the Correction Services Canada Pipe n’ Drums band, and the grand finale of members of the Sionnaine Irish Dance Academy dancing to traditional jigs and reels.

For the Sionnaine (pronounced Shannon) Irish Dance Academy dancers it was their seventh performance that day, before performing at the Aldergrove Legion Sunday afternoon. The dancers put the nearly 100 year old solid maple wood floor of Coghlan Hall to the test and the dancers agreed that it was the best-feeling and best-sounding dance floor to be found anywhere.

The volunteers of the Aldergrove Fair committee worked together to make it a memorable night for all the guests. Thanks and kudos go to the evening’s host-MC Bob Long, and workers Robin and Susan McIntosh, Mike and Suzanne Robinson, Glenda Reid, Gary and Regina Bailey, Robin Bandenieks, Libby Thornton, Wayne Lockhart and Karen Long.

Aldergrove Fair Days operates and maintains the venerable old Coghlan Hall, and books meetings and events at the hall to help fund its ongoing service to the community. Various organizations meet there regularly and the Ceilidh was the third fundraising event hosted by the Fair Days Committee in recent months.

For more than 80 years Coghlan Hall has been the centre of social life for the area. It served the community well under the auspices of the all-volunteer Coghlan Community Association. Like other community halls around Langley, the Coghlan Hall was the site for countless community celebrations such as Burns suppers, Christmas parties, Scouts and Guide meetings, Women’s Institute gatherings, community suppers, card parties, box socials and country fairs. It was often the site for polling stations, local government open houses and stewardship meetings. Individuals often rented the Hall for weddings, funerals and anniversary parties as well as religious services. As a result, Coghlan Hall’s ties into the lives of many local families run deep.

Upcoming events include a monthly ceilidh or music party in a circle, hosted by local musician Nancy Gleason. For information and rental details see the website: http://aldergrovefair.ca/fair-days-society/coghlan-hall-rental/