Local contribution being sought for Westport Town Hall

Local contribution being sought for Westport Town Hall


Neill O’Neill

A MEETING was held in the Wyatt Hotel last week, to set up a committee to assist with raising the local contribution required in order to renovate and refurbish Westport Town Hall.
The very-well attended meeting was informed by Chairman of the Town Hall Restoration Committee, Mr Noel Kavanagh, that the local contribution needed in order to bring the project to fruition is in the region of €250,000. This will make up approximately one-eighth of the estimated €2 million cost of the refurbishment – for which planning permission has already been granted and tenders will be sought early next year.
Already, Westport Town Council and Mayo County Council have pledged financial support to the project, while an anonymous benefactor has generously pledged €250,000 towards the costs.
Westport Town Hall is owned by the parish and held in trust by the Diocese of Tuam, and Father Denis Carney – Diocesan Trustee of the hall – pledged at last week’s meeting that Westport Town Hall will remain a community resource.
In the past the building has served as the home of Westport Town Band, St Patrick’s Drama Group, Westport Country Markets and Westport Youth Activities Club – to name a few. It has been closed since earlier this year but once reopened it will include a theatre for visual arts, meeting rooms, youth facilities and a café.
During last week’s meeting, community activist Mel Kenny was elected as director of the  fund-raising campaign, while an executive committee was also appointed.
Mr Kenny outlined some of what people can expect in coming months.
“We will be planning and conducting a house to house collection similar to what was done when St Mary’s Church was being renovated,” he said. “This will commence in early Spring and I am appealing to everybody to be as generous as possible for this very worthy cause.
He also paid tribute to Noel Kavanagh, and his renovation committee for all their hard work  over the past five years.
“They have all done Trojan work behind the scenes,” he said, “and it is thanks to them that this project is very much alive and entering this new stage.”