The drive to rebuild Ballinrobe Town Hall has passed a number of milestones, including €130,000 collected locally.
A target of €400,000 has been set for local donations and the next wave of the campaign will see a number of fund-raising events taking place.
The committee, local elected representatives and other supporters are working on a number of fronts to advance the campaign, including interacting with various Government agencies and departments to secure funding.
“A number of elements must come together to ensure that the Town Hall becomes a reality for Ballinrobe,” said Ballinrobe Town Hall chairperson Michael Sweeney.
“We are confident of getting support from various funds and a great deal of our focus now is on talking to key people in agencies and departments. We are making a strong case that Ballinrobe badly needs this facility and that there is a high level of support among the local community, as demonstrated by the donations we have received to date.
“We are also watching the constituency boundary review currently underway. As everybody knows, there has been uncertainty due to Ballinrobe being placed in the new Galway West/South Mayo constituency for the last General Election, and there is speculation that it will be returned to a full-blown Mayo constituency very soon.
“This, too, may have an impact on our campaign and where we focus our efforts. We estimate that we will receive between €800,000 and €900,000 in local and central Government and agency funding. The overall cost has been independently costed at just short of €1.3m.”
Anyone interested in supporting this major project should contact Chairperson Michael Sweeney (087 2588 615) or Secretary Siobhan O’Malley (087 207 2307).
Committee: Chairperson Michael Sweeney, Secretary Siobhan O’Malley, Treasurer Sean O’Connell, PRO Liam Horan, Michael Burke (Vice-chairperson), Rory O’Neill, Tony Walkin, Margot O’Shea, Mary Jackson, Marie O’Haire, Gwen Costello, Des May, Sheena Duddy, Clare O’Neill, Aidrienne Gleeson, Liz Kelleher, Cllr Damien Ryan, Cllr Patsy O’Brien.
