The announcement on November 10 of almost €4.6 million funding for the redevelopment of Ballinrobe Town Hall under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) scheme was the undoubted highlight of the year just gone by, chairperson Michael Sweeney told the organisation’s annual general meeting last week.
Michael thanked South West Mayo Development Company (SWMDC) for having the courage to lead the application, and Mayo County Council for acting as partners and technical advisors. He acknowledged the support of local councillors and TDs, particularly Deputy Michael Ring, who has presented the town hall case to various government departments over many years.
“Our committee also played a major role in ensuring that the challenging RRDF application was of the highest quality. The expertise and skill set within the group contributed substantially to the quality of the application,” said Michael.
“I am certain that the quality of the application along with the community video produced to accompany it, convinced Minister Heather Humphreys that the project to repurpose the Valkenburg as a town hall justified the funding.
“It is envisaged that the development will play a major part in arresting Ballinrobe’s decline and stand as a beacon of hope for a bright new future for the town and its community.”
Michael thanked his directors for their dedication to the project. “As a company, we must continue to service the ongoing cost i.e., utilities, insurance etc. associated with the building and some fundraising may have to be considered. We are grateful for the support received from the Ballinrobe community to date and look forward to that support continuing,” he said.
It’s expected that the redevelopment will commence in 2023. Details of the funding allocated are available here: https://www.ballinrobetownhall.com/rrdf-funding/. You can also view the community video on that page.
The following are the directors and officers for the coming year:
Chairperson, Michael Sweeney; Vice-do, Michael Burke; Secretary, Siobhan O’Malley; Treasurer, Sean O’Connell; PRO, Liam Horan. Directors: Des May, Margot O’Shea, Sheena Duddy.
