Sligo To have £¼m Theatre By Next Summer

A plan to establish a quarter million pounds theatre/conference centre in Sligo by the end of next summer is likely to get the “green light” from Sligo Corporation at a special meeting on Monday next. A total of £206,000 has already been committed for the project by the Arts Council and Tourism Organisation interest, and a request by Donegal/Leitrim/Sligo Tourism for a Local Authority contribution of the shortfall of £55,000 is likely to be accepted by the elected representatives at the earliest opportunity. The Corporation is due to meet next week to review the workings of the past year. but already Mayor, Tony Mc Loughlin and former Mayor, Ald. Seán Mc Manus have tabled a motion asking that Standing Orders be suspended so that members can discuss the Theatre Project on Monday.

County Manager, Mr. Paul Byrne, has already recommended to members that they provide the required £55,000 and it’s confidently expected that there will be unanimous agreement from the councillors. The theatre which will be the first custom-built in this country since the construction of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in the late sixties, will be one of the most modern in the country. It will be situated at the Retreat House grounds, where site work is already well advanced. It’s expected that the conference centre will add in the region of £300,000 to £400,000 to Sligo’s economy annually. The Arts Council has already committed £85,000 to the project, while a sum of £121,000 has been committed by tourism sources. New regional tourism offices will be incorporated in the complex.

It is expected that if the Corporation agree to contribute £55,000 it will be raised from rates over the next ten years. The Tourism Organisation has offered the Corporation three seats on a nine-member Board of Directors to be set up to control the centre. Welcoming the development yesterday, Mayor, Tony Mc Loughlin, said he would be urging his colleagues to support the venture. He tabled a motion asking for the matter to be discussed on Monday because he believes the Corporation should waste no time in giving the project their unanimous approval. “£55,000 might seem like a lot of money, but over ten years, it’s just over £5,000 a year. I can’t see members of the Corporation turning down a chance to establish a theatre and conference centre for the sake of £5,000 a year”, he said.

Cllr. Mc Loughlin said the value of a theatre and conference centre in Sligo couldn’t be over emphasised. “It will create employment, it will boost our local economy, and it will make us the cultural centre of the North West. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’ll certainly be giving it my full support”, he said. The Mayor’s enthusiasm for the project was shared by his fellow members contacted over the weekend. Ald. Mc Manus said it was an opportunity not to be missed. “As elected representatives of the public, we’re in the business of development and progress and it’s our duty to provide for he people of Sligo. If we don’t take this opportunity, somebody else will. Seventy nine per cent of the total cost has already been committed. I’m sure Sligo Corporation will not be found wanting for the shortfall”, he said.

Cllr. Michael Carroll who had earlier objected to the site for the centre, confirmed that he, too, will be supporting the request for financial assistance. “I still have some reservations about the site, but anybody who would not see this project as a positive step forward would be a fool. I am particularly pleased for Sligo Drama Circle, who have kept drama alive in the town without adequate facilities for so long. They, more than any other group, deserve this sort of development”, said Cllr. Carroll.

Ald. Pat Curley, who recently headed the campaign for financial assistance for the Sports Complex, told us he would be equally committed to supporting the theatre plan. “Sligo has an important theatre tradition and I’m surprised that it’s taken so long to have a proper theatre established. It’s a leisure-type pursuit, and in that way, it has an important role to play both now and in the future. For that reason, and for many others, I will be giving it my full support”, said Ald. Curley.

Cllr. Bill Monaghan will also be voting in favour of making the money available. “A theatre for Sligo was one of the points I raised during my election campaign, so I’m naturally delighted to see it’s now almost a reality. There’s tremendous talent in Sligo that has not had the opportunity for development and a modern theatre would solve that problem. I feel the financial assistance we are being requested to make available is very small in comparison to the amounts already made available for the project”, he said.

from The Western Journal, by Jim Gray, September 26th, 1980