An outlet for the arts and heritage

We believe the Loughrea Town Hall can act as a venue for both locally produced, national and international music, theatre, exhibitions, heritage displays and other cultural events and could provide an important outlet for people in Loughrea and its hinterland, revitalising the town centre and contributing to a growing, living society. Increasing community engagement in cultural development means creative, healthy and active citizens.

A space for the community

There are many existing community groups in Loughrea that have outlined their interest in using a multifunctional space in the Town hall for a variety of purposes, from a rehearsal space, meeting room, recital venue, community development hub, as well as for social activities. We want to integrate these interests into our business plan aimed at opening the building as a sustainable thriving community space.

Education and training

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young" (Henry Ford) - More and more, education and training is a lifelong process. A multifunctional space in the Town hall would provide a venue for education, training and seminars, making Loughrea both a destination  and a resource space for people looking to learn.

Promoting youth and social inclusion

"Praise the youth and they will prosper" (Irish Proverb) - A society is built on its future generations. The Loughrea Town Hall building can offer a space for young people of Loughrea to engage with one another, learn and exchange. It can also offer an alcohol-free venue for youth events and act as a space where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together on an equal footing to improve social inclusion and develop inter-cultural understanding.

A hub for tourism and local development

Loughrea currently has no tourist office, a function which would be easily integrated into a redevelopment of the Town hall. This space could also double-up as a local community hub showing what's happening locally, what courses and events are on and available, and acting as a catalyst for community enterprise and development.​

Social enterprise and the local economy

Social enterprise has been shown to rejuvenate local economies - Loughrea has a largely rural hinterland and is surrounded by a rural economy. Meeting the challenges of the future means developing the urban and rural economy together, adding value, increasing community resilience and developing and enhancing activities in the local economy. Loughrea Town Hall has an important role to play in this process.

Photos of the hall

​History of the hall

The Loughrea Town Hall was built in 1862 by the architect Samuel Usher Roberts under the patronage of Lord Clan Ricard. It was gifted to the town of Loughrea in the 1920s by a Lord of the Clan Ricard estate at a ceremony which took place in Portumna County Galway which was attended by Princess Anne. It was refurbished in 1931 for use as a cinema on the ground floor and a ballroom on the first floor. It remained in use until the late 1980s but has since been closed. It was sold to the Galway County Council at the beginning of the millennium by members of the Loughrea community for a price of 110,000 Euro. We believe the Town Hall building should be preserved and restored as a vibrant cultural and community space in the heart of Loughrea.