Ballina Town Council agrees funding for Chamber of Commerce

Ballina Town Council agree funding for Chamber


Ciara Galvin

AT their last town council meeting ever, Ballina Town Council agreed to fund the Ballina Chamber of Commerce to the tune of €20,000.
Speaking at the final meeting, Chamber President Kevin Connolly said the chamber had put together an entire calendar of events for Ballina, including the three day St Patrick’s festival, the Mayo Rally Festival and plans for this year’s In Humbert’s Footsteps.
The chamber president told the meeting that 20,000 people had attended Ballina’s Christmas festivities which included an ice rink and grotto and said that with the calendar of events on offer, Ballina was now on the same level as Westport and Carrick-on-Shannon.  Cllr Gerry Ginty (Ind|) proposed the funding and said he would be available in future as a county councillor to help the chamber.
Cllr Mary Kelly (Ind) saidChamber projects had brought a lot of people into the town.
Cllr Willie Nolan said the concern by the chamber used to be the level of rates and they used to lobby the council. “I’m glad they are now focusing on how rates are spent in order to promote Ballina,” said Cathaoirleach Johnnie O’Malley.
Funding amounting to €45,000 was also passed for organisations including Ballina Community Centre, Ballina Boxing Club, the Senior Citizens’ Bus Service, The River Moy Search and Rescue, among others.