Newly refurbished Ballinasloe Town Hall Theatre looks forward to whole new era

Covid may have brought the curtains down on stage and drama right across the country, but one Galway group has put the downtime to very good use – to re-emerge post-pandemic with one of the finest community theatres in the country.

The voluntary team behind Ballinasloe Town Hall Theatre has now unveiled its newly renovated foyer – as they celebrate a decade of stewardship of the building in style.

Works have been ongoing over a number of months to renovate the foyer which was last upgraded in the 1980’s. This has come at a cost of €15,000 – helped in no small way by grants from both the Department of Culture and Galway Rural Development along with the community fundraising since the onset of the pandemic.

The cost of works would also have been much higher were it not for the support of the local CE Scheme – and efforts of volunteers who were so giving of their time.

The upgrade has seen the bar replaced and new box office space installed. Along with a new colour scheme and new carpets, the foyer is now befitting of the magnificent theatre, with its 400-seat raked auditorium, divided between balcony and stalls.

And now that this part of the project has reached fruition, the Theatre committee is ready for the next task – to develop the Town Hall Theatre Society and further integrate the facility with the local community.

“Over the next decade, we hope to build on the status of the Theatre as a community hub at the centre of the Ballinasloe community. We are in the process of renovating office space which we will have available for lease early in the new year,” revealed Ballinasloe Town Hall Theatre chairperson, Máire Hughes.

“In addition to our auditorium we also have a number of other spaces in the building which are available for short term rental at competitive prices for various group activities including drama classes, dance classes, yoga, pilates and youth groups among others,” she added.

The voluntary committee – Máire Hughes, Frances Leahy, Gerry Sweeney, Eoin Croffy, Elaine O’Hanlon, Ben Parker, Mary Barber, Elizabeth Affolter and Alan Harney – took over the lease of the theatre from the Diocese of Clonfert in 2011.

And over the past ten years, they have been working tirelessly to safeguard the future of the building.

The first decade was largely focused on securing the structure; a new roof has been installed, the heating system and seats have been upgraded; the public toilets have been refurbished, and the dressing rooms and auditorium have been refreshed.

The building was originally constructed as an agricultural hall in 1845 and since then has served the community in many guises including a cinema, a dentist, a mortuary, two schools and laterally a theatre.

Now, the 400-seat theatre also boasts a massive fly-in room above a raised stage incorporating trap doors, lighting and spotlight gantries. It is a multifunctional space which can host theatrical productions, a cinema or conference space.

The space also hosts the Ballinasloe Country Market, which has recently moved to the artisan alley at the side of the building, each Friday morning.

But the volunteers aren’t resting on their laurels – and to that end they hope to launch a new strategic plan in the new year. Central to this will be developing the Town Hall Theatre Society with a new membership structure planned.

“We have achieved a lot over the last decade and are very pleased to have strong plans for the future,” said Máire.

“However, none of this would have been possible without the incredible support we have received from the local community, Galway County Council and State agencies all of whom who have contributed significantly.

“We are so appreciative of the support we have received particularly since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic which have been devastating for the theatre. We are very pleased to have used some of the money we have received from fundraising for our foyer renovation,” she added.

Máire also wanted to recognise the contribution to building of those now gone – including Brendan Tully, Pat Joe Guinnessy and Pat McGovern – and of Mary O’Connell, who has recently retired as Secretary after many years of dedication to the Theatre.

The Committee is always looking for new volunteers who may be willing to get involved with the theatre.

If you are interested in getting involved with the theatre or in renting some of the available space, get in touch with any member of the committee or email ballinasloetownhalltheatre@gmail.com