Dinner in the Hall

It’s been a great Easter weekend of catching up and making merry with family and friends. I’m just sharing a few of the highlights here with you today.

As you know I started preparing last week by making a hazel sculpture to hang in the hallway. My idea was to host a special dinner party among the books for Martha and Christian (home for the weekend from Italy).

Little did I know at the time that this was putting me in touch with my pagan roots and the ancient pagan holiday Eostre. I should have known! You can read more about this tradition in a great post by fellow blogger Mama Dynamite click HERE.

Next I hung colourful Easter decorations on it and placed a round table beneath…

Look up…

Good Friday was beautifully sunny but freezing cold. I kept the fires burning all day…

In keeping with the book theme I used a duvet cover printed with handwriting and some old books to decorate the table…

We had a fabulous time. Great food and chat in lovely surroundings. Even I felt I’d gone somewhere else for the night :)

On Saturday my sister Brenda and her family joined us from Kildare and on Sunday we had the all important egg hunt. Of course the hunt itself and not the eggs is the most exciting part!

Meanwhile… Adrian took Christian farming and I cooked a laid back roast dinner of chicken and duck for eleven.I waited for Adrian to carve though, that’s definitely not my thing! Caoilfhionn made the beautiful Easter cake…that’s not my thing either : )

After dinner we had to rush to make the Easter 1916 Rising commemoration, yet another opportunity to catch up with friends we haven’t seen in ages then back to Ballinamore then where the April Spraoi festival was in full swing. Spraoi photographs by Eunan Sweeney click HERE

spraoi 2

Lovely Ballinamore by local photographer Eunan Sweeney

Spraoi 1

Cold…what cold? Ballinamore, a town that knows how to throw a festival! Pic by Eunan Sweeney

I stayed in town to have dinner with my siblings in Smyths which is such a treat because it’s rare enough that we have a chance to all be together…

Easter with the fam

Thanks Cathy Smyth for taking this picture : )

Such a brilliant and fun weekend. Couldn’t have been any better : ) Wherever you are I hope you had a lovely Easter or Eostre too…

Click HERE for more information on Smyths Bar, Main St, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim

Posted on April 1, 2026 by Jane in FAMILY, In My Kitchen, THE YEAR IN EVENTS, PARTIES & SPRAOI'S 8 Comments

8 Responses to Dinner in the Hall

  1. Emily April 1, 2026

    You are my style goddess ms Gilheaney Barry !! Looks utterly fabulous, loved the photos! X

     
    • Jane April 1, 2026

      I could live with that : ) Thank you Ms Rainsford Ryan : ))

       
  2. AMY VICKERS April 1, 2026

    Love it, love it, love it!

    You’re pagan and you didn’t realise it!

    Thanks for the link too xxx

     
    • Jane April 1, 2026

      Oh I think I realised it! Just don’t always recognise in how many ways you know : ) More than welcome, my pleasure : )

       
  3. Christine April 1, 2026

    What a lovely weekend. And your round room with the bookshelves is absolutely beautiful! What a great inspiration!

     
    • Jane April 1, 2026

      Thanks Christine : ) It’s so miserable here (weather wise) I need all the inspiration I can get..

       
  4. Kerry McClernon April 5, 2026

    Wow, a veritable whirlygig of sociableness (not sure that’s even a word).. I love that booky table setting and your house is gorgeous!! Want to swap? Kids look like they’re having a wonderful time! xo

     
  5. Susie April 5, 2026

    Ballinamore is THEEEE town for throwing a party!!

     

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