Loughrea Town Hall and Cinema Complete RESTORATION

Our aim is to convince the Galway County Council, the legal owners of this historic and protected structure, situated on the corner of Barrack Street and Church Street in Loughrea Co. Galway, to set aside their part 8 planning application ref: LA0613 to redevelop the structure as "Start up offices and Heritage Museum" and instead RESTORE the structure for use as a Cinema and multi-functional Arts Centre for the use of the community as a whole. The building is a protected structure and is in the Architectural Conservation Area for Loughrea. The building was designed by Samuel Roberts Ussher in 1862 for the Marquess of Clanricarde on the site of the old Linen Hall. The building was donated to the townspeople in 1928 by Lord Lascelles accompanied by Royal Highness, Princess Mary in a ceremony in Portumna. During the years of 1931 and 1939 the building was converted to a cinema and ballroom for the Loughrea Town Hall Co. designed by Ralph Henry Byrne. The Contractor was John McNally and Co. Though the building has been unused since the late 1980s, according to architectural reports, much of the original fixtures and fittings from the 1930s and before remain intact and the building itself is in relatively good condition. The protected structure was sold to the Galway County Council by shareholders for a reported sum of 110,000 Eur under the guise that they would have appropriate funding to restore the building. We hope that this petition will convince the Galway County Council that the desires of the people of Loughrea and the surrounding area should be fulfilled in regards to this structure. We, as a community wish to RESTORE the Loughrea Town Hall and Cinema to its former glory for teh benefit of the community as a whole. More information concerning the part 8 application can be found on http://www.galway.ie/PlanningSearch/ by inserting the reference LA0613