The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen TD, visited the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar and McHale Park on Friday last together with Fianna Fáil TD Beverley Flynn.
The Minister toured the centre and met Marie Farrell, Curator, and staff to discuss future Arts Council funding for the Linenhall. He assured Deputy Flynn that he would support the centre, adding that he was hugely impressed by the scope of artistic activities taking place at the Linenhall and at the professional way the centre was being run and managed.
The Minister reiterated the importance of centres such as the Linenhall in making the arts more accessible and more relevant to the community in general, and congratulated the management on its progress to date.
At McHale Park Deputy Flynn introduced the Minister to Mayo GAA County Board officials PJ McGrath, Sean Feeney, Paddy Muldoon and John Surdival, as well as Mr Tony McHugh, Mountain View Securities, main developers for the major reconstruction works taking place there.
Minister Cullen was given details of the €16 million development, €5 million of which will be funded from GAA central funds. An application will also be made shortly to the Government for enabling funding under the Capital Sports Programme for Regional Projects.
Dep Flynn said that the project would ensure that McHale Park will be developed into one of the country’s leading provincial grounds.
Minister Cullen assured the County Board officials that the request for sports programme funding would be viewed favourably, and he commended Dep Flynn on her ongoing representations on the matter.
