AT 100 years old, Derrygannon Community Hall has weathered the storm in more ways than one.

Built in 1912 using railway sleepers with galvanised sides and roof, it has served the rural community of South East Fermanagh for generations, and in so many ways.

From a dance hall, to a youth club hang out, a craft centre to a bingo hall, the building has been a hub of local life for a century now.

And as it prepares to mark it's centenary this June, members of it's Community Association are hoping for another 100 years of much the same!

The committee are compiling a book documenting the history of the hall, with personal anecdotes and pictures from the local people who have taken the building into their hearts over the years.

At 76 years of age, Dan Flynn is one of the oldest members sitting on the committee.

His first memories of Derrygannon Hall are being carried on his brother's back across fields near his home down to the building.

The hall sits across from the location of one of his other former stomping grounds -- Erne East School.

"The school is a family home now. It closed several decades ago. The hall has long outlived it now," he says.

Just a small cabin in its infancy, the community hall would have been a hotspot for dances every Sunday night for people in the locality.

"It was the ballroom of romance," says Dan, "Many's a marriage came out of it -- my own for one. The nearest dance hall from here would have been three miles into Roslea. So having the hall here was a great convenience for people. It was a local initiative to set it up." And indeed, it is local initiative which has kept it going strong ever since.

In the last year reminiscing classes have been held at the hall in order to collate information for the book.

According to committee member, Angela Tierney, plenty of yarns have already been shared by those who have used the hall over the years.

"One of the things that has come out of these reminiscing classes is that everyone going to the dances would meet on the road in. They all joined each other on the way down from the mountains and had as much craic coming to the dances and going home as they did when they were there!

"One of the older ladies who came to our classes remembered that in the earlier years, women weren't allowed out of the hall once they got in for the dance. And when the dance was over the cheers would go up and the parents at home would hear and be able to gauge how long it would take their daughter to get home!" A far cry from the late night partying of today, the Sunday night dances at Derrygannon would start at 6pm and finish at around 10pm.

"Times were hard back then," says Angela, "But this hall was a social outlet and it brought the community together to relax and enjoy each others' company." Besides the dances, Derrygannon Hall also played host to a number of other events over the years.

And although the original mahogany floor still remains in the hall today, the building has taken on many shapes and sizes over the years.

In the late 1980's the committee began fundraising to renovate it.

The culmination of their efforts, along with the help of grants, was finally realised in June 1992, meaning the hall was able to cater for a wealth of new activities including youth clubs. bingo nights, ceili dancing, guest teas, pony drives, sports days, women's groups and charity events.

"The hall seems to have evolved throughout the years," says Jimmy Reilly, "It has done so many people a turn. People were happy to be a part of it and they were pleased to be able to do their bit to keep it going too." Indeed, Caroline Cosgrove, a member of DAWN, (Derrygannon Adressing Women's Needs) group recalls going to youth discos in the hall in her earlier days.

"The hall may have been a little run down but it was only over the road from you, it was your local hall and you took pride in it," she says, "And you took pride in being form Derrygannon too, and still to this day. As a hall it has just grown. It is a credit to the community. It has moved with the times and gone through so many changes.

"I think it's a resilience in the people that live here -- a country way that is determined to keep things going has ensured this community hall is still going." In 2001 the Derrygannon Craft and Heritage Society was formed, based at the hall, to revive the old traditional ways of creel and basket making, and restoring carts, traps and turf barrows. Alongside the hall committee, the craft group has organised the annual St Patrick's Day parade in Rosslea in the past too.

In 2005, after securing funding through the Fermanagh Local Community Partnership NRRTI programme and Fermanagh District Council, Derrygannon hall committee built a Craft and Heritage Centre and workshop adjoining the main hall.

With an old open hearth fire, this centre has brought people together in a traditional setting for social evenings and provided workshops in traditional skills whilst targeting social needs, rural isolation and cultural and environmental issues.

"This place has always been a focal point," says Angela, "It has gone through so many generations and changes. There have been wedding parties, christenings, funerals and anniversaries. Derrygannon Hall has seen them all.

"With the youth clubs now, there is a new generation enjoying Derrygannon Hall again and we are hoping this means it can enjoy another 100 years in this community. She has stood the test of time this far!" To mark the centenary year, members of DAWN are working on a tapestry using pictures of days gone by at the hall.

The women are hoping to uncover old black and white pictures to add to the piece and are encouraging anyone with old prints to get in touch with them.

It is hoped that the book will be launched at the hall on Friday, June 29 along with the unveiling of the tapestry. A variety concert of music song and dance is also in the pipeline for this event.

The following day, an exhibition of photographs and a Craft and Heritage Display Dance is being organised. And on Sunday, July 1, members of the committee are hoping to hold a Family Fun Day.

Anyone with memorabilia from yesteryear is asked to contact Angela on 028 677 51826.