Ballinrobe Town Hall plans progressing

Ciara Galvin

PLANS to build a town hall in Ballinrobe are well on their way, according to the chairman of Ballinrobe Town Hall Committee, Michael Sweeney. Mr Sweeney said he hoped community funding would reach €300,000 by next month. A target of €400,000 in business and private contributions has been set in order to rebuild the town hall which closed in 1996.
Ballinrobe Musical Society recently handed over a €1,400 cheque to the ‘Campaign to Rebuild Ballinrobe Town Hall’. The cheque was made up of the proceeds of a raffle on one of the nights that the society staged ‘9 to 5, The Musical’, earlier this year.
“Plans are progressing well, said Mr Sweeney. “We’d hope to make an application to Leader in three weeks’ time, and reaction has been positive from central government and the council. People have committed to a second tranche of donations, and we’re still optimistic. We expect to hear more positive news shortly.”  
Commenting on the campaign, Cllr Damien Ryan said Mayo County Council Chief Executive Peter Hynes has committed €200,000 to the project, subject to the Council’s budget.  Cllr Ryan also voiced concerns about future hall occupancy. “The problem is there are facilities in other buildings around the town. The hall needs a working business model that is sustainable, it can’t just be used 20 nights of the year,” he said.
Potential for the town
Speaking about revitalising the town, Cllr Ryan referred to recent news of €100,000 for the upgrade of the roof of Ballinrobe Courthouse. Cllr Ryan believes the location would be ideal for a ‘Museum of Mayo’.
“A museum of all things Mayo like football, horse racing, it would be the place for it and it could be linked with the National Museum in Turlough. Ballinrobe needs it,” said Ryan. He added that bus companies running tours to the west would see the location as an ideal stop off.
“Bus companies coming to Cong stop off in Ballintubber Abbey and stopping again in Ballinrobe would suit. With clientele coming through you can build your town. This €100,000 funding could go a long way.”