I've heard the cowfolks around here talk about a "hooley" in terms of a raucous party, but I've only heard them speak of a houlihan as a roping term.

Different sections of the West use different words -- and differrent things, too. Wooly chaps (and that's pronounced "shaps," not "chaps") might be used in Montana but they'll get you laughed at in Tucson. A double barreled saddle rig, also used around here quite a bit, is thought effeminate in other sections.

This can lead to confusion.