Hooley
A noisy party, a lively gathering, or an evening of traditional music and drink. Bigger than a get-together, friendlier than a do, more domestic than a rave. The kind of night where someone has the fiddle out by midnight.
Etymology
Origin uncertain. One theory connects it to Orkney Scots 'hool(an)', a strong wind, ultimately from Old Norse 'ýla' (to howl) - the metaphor being that a good hooley sounds like one. Another suggestion ties it to Irish 'céilí' (music-and-dance gathering) reshaped in English mouths; this is more popular in informal sources than in lexicographic ones. The Hiberno-English use is unambiguous regardless of where the word came from.
In a sentence
"There was a right hooley up at McGrath's on Saturday - half the parish there until four."
Historical notes
Hooley sits between two other Hiberno-English party-words. It is bigger and louder than a 'session' (which can be a quiet music night in a pub) and warmer than a 'do' (which can be a flat office function). A hooley implies stamina: it goes on. Richard Flanagan in 2023 used the word for a gathering of family and friends; Andrew Greig in 2010 for a wild evening. Both readings are right - the word stretches across the register.
Alternate spellings
hoolie
Sources
- Oxford English Dictionary, entry hooley n. · dictionary