Mary Robinson Centre building is deteriorating as future remains 'in limbo'

The Mayo Robinson Centre building in Ballina is deteriorating and something needs to be done to secure its future according to a Mayo councillor.

The future of the Mary Robinsons Centre, which is to be located in Victoria House in Ballina, the childhood home of the former President of Ireland, was once again raised by councillors at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council.

The meeting heard that the Local Government Auditors Report 2024 revealed that Mayo County Council spent approximately €125,000 on the Mary Robinson Centre and allocated funding of €730,000 from reserves to this project.

Westport-based councillor Peter Flynn questioned where the funding Mayo County Council was providing was going to and where it was going to come from.

“The Mary Robinson Centre still lingers and we still don't have any solution on that. We have asked for clarification on points and hope to get a better understanding of where the project is going and where the funding is going to come from. Right now it is still sitting in limbo land and it is not good for anybody the way the situation is at the moment,” he said.

It is proposed to turn the building into a US-style presidential library to include an interactive visitor centre, an events space and an academic research facility. The plan for the centre was originally proposed by Mary Robinson herself and a charitable foundation, the Victoria House Foundation, was set up to drive the idea.

When the building was purchased by Mayo County Council in 2019 it was hoped the centre would be open in 2022 but in recent years the centre has been dogged by problems regarding funding to fit out the centre.

READ: Muredach's secure hard-earned ticket to Connacht A semi-final

As a result, the building has remained idle for close to three years and Crossmolina-based councillor Michael Loftus asked for something to be done to resolve the issue.

“Something needs to be done with the Mary Robinson Centre. I see the building in Ballina and it is just deteriorating and it will cost so much more if we don't do something in the future,” he said.

The overall cost of this project is expected to amount to approximately €5.3m, excluding fit out costs. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Gaeltacht (DCHG) has committed funding for €2m, of which €1.74m has been received to date towards the construction phase while €1.1m is committed from the Mary Robinson Foundation/Community Group of which €300,000 has been received to date. The remaining €250,000 from the DCHG grant is allocated towards the fit-out.

Chief Executive of Mayo County Council, Kevin Kelly stated that the council remains in dialogue with the Mary Robinson Foundation in respect of the funding and fit-out and efforts will continue in this regard to facilitate the opening of the facility.