Time, perhaps, for the community to step in

Westport Town Hall – the miracle of sharing


De Facto
Liamy MacNally

Celebrating Mass in St Mary’s Church in Westport last Sunday week, Fr Willie Spicer preached a wonderful sermon. Several people commented on it afterwards. The Gospel was the story of the feeding of the multitude with five loaves and two fish. The miracle of sharing, said Fr Willie.
He gave the ‘official’ Church line that accepts the literal meaning as told in the Gospel of Matthew (14:13-21). “Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.” He nodded to the exegetes who say that the message is what matters – people shared what they had with them. He developed the thinking to challenge us about sharing with each other whatever gifts God had given to each of us. And then he struck for gold. Why not share our gifts to redevelop Westport Town Hall? Why should we wait for the so-called knight in shining armour to appear, weighed down with a Government grant before we, as a community, leap into action? Why are we so dependent on the ‘fear an deontas’? Westport Town Hall could be re-developed by the community for the community if everyone shared the gifts they were given to make it happen. There is no need to wait on and depend upon assistance from the State.
In the commemorative programme published in 1973 (edited by a young man named Seán Staunton!) to celebrate the redevelopment of the 70-year-old Town Hall an article starts: “The hall of fame – the hall of memories – the hall that echoed the music of the greats – now silent! The hall that brought laughter and tears, joy and sadness – the hall of comedy and drama – the hall of a thousand ghosts and memories – now awakening again from the cradle of the past!”
The Town Hall, once known as the Old Hall, was originally a private home of Mr John Bourke, who was the tenant of Mr Charles McDonnell, the owner. It was bought in 1901 by Fr M McDonald, Administrator in Westport, for £500. Over the previous ten years there had been many ‘Town Hall debates’ in the hallowed halls of Westport Town Commissioners before the cleric took decisive action. Fr McDonald held various events in the Town Hall, including a ‘Monster Bazaar’ in 1903 to help pay off the debt.  Since its inception as the Town Hall it has hosted all kinds of shows and featured all types of music. Those walls have listened to the great and the good and the mediocre and not so good.  Thousands of handballs have bounced against its outside walls. Operas have vied with concerts, feiseanna have followed dances and travelling shows have made way for boxing matches. The Town Hall has seen it all before, from youth clubs to Club 21 to senior citizen clubs. Over the years it provided hours of fun and games for thousands of Covies and visitors – from its snooker and billiards room to table tennis and badminton. Meetings for various groups were hosted in between hops and Irish dancing lessons and the Meals on Wheels service. There were farmers’ markets, flower shows, fundraisers and fellowships. Silent films gave way to the talkies! 
A suffragette meeting took place in the Town Hall in 1913. In the commemorative programme Patsy Staunton wonders if this was the ‘forerunner of Women’s Lib’! In the 1920s it hosted Republican Courts. Éamon de Valera addressed an outside crowd from the balcony in 1925 (the year the balcony was removed.) Annual balls were held. They started at 10pm and finished at 5am! And we are critical of the youth for ‘staying out late’! The annual Mechanics’ Dance was a highlight to which people brought all kinds of goodies and savoury treats for the supper, which was part of the dance. Another dance, called the Scrap Dance, was held the following night to consume what was left over! The Shop Assistants’ Dance was another featured annual event. 
The real constant of the Town Hall since the mid-60s has been St Patrick’s Drama Club. It has been the lifeline for the Town Hall. When the oxygen of cash was in short supply St Patrick’s Drama Group delivered, not just once but on many occasions, to ensure that the portals of the Town Hall could always be crossed. Ironically, when it was formed in 1964 the drama group’s first public performance, ‘Daughter From Over The Water’, had to take place in the Pavilion because the Town Hall was leased as a cinema!
The first 70 years were celebrated in 1973 with a major redevelopment, supported by the local community. Thirty-five years on that miracle of sharing is needed again. Fr Willie Spicer can then preach about the 12 baskets of scraps collected after the miracle.