News that funding of €1.45 million has been awarded to the town council towards the conversion of the Fr Matthew Hall into an art gallery sparked fresh debate this week on the merits of the project.
Councillors heard at Monday’s meeting of Athlone Town Council that a total of €2.15m is now available for the art gallery project, following the allocation of €1.45m under the European Regional Development Fund coupled with a previous allocation of €650,000 from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.
Architect Keith Williams is currently preparing design and contract documents for the gallery, to be completed by November, while the council are hoping to appoint contractors early next year. The art gallery is expected to be up and running by early 2011.
Prior to the meeting, a small group of protesters staged a demonstration against the renovation of the Fr Matthew Hall building, claiming the cost of converting the building was not morally justified.
And while broadly welcomed in the chamber, the news of the funding prompted a clash between Cllrs Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran and Gabrielle McFadden, when the latter stated her opposition to changing the building.
“I just want it to be noted that I am not in favour of this. I am in favour of contributing to the arts, but it is not a good time to be spending €3.2 million on an art gallery, particularly when it is not what the people of the town want,” said Cllr McFadden, who also objected to the removal of trees on the promenade.
However, Cllr Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran said he was “sick of people telling me I’m not doing my job” by supporting the project. “In the 10 years I’ve been a councillor, people have been coming to me about providing buildings for the very talented artists in the town. To come in here and hear we are wasting public money - we will never build an art gallery as cheaply as in the current climate. I do not want to see this town slowing down; while we have the money let’s use it. The general public have been asked to submit their opinions, and the majority are in favour of the gallery. It has been agreed by us all. Think of the jobs it will create and what it will do for the west side of the town,” he said, adding that those who were protesting against the project were “talking garbage”.
Addressing Cllr Moran, Cllr McFadden countered that she was not against an art gallery for the town. “I take enormous exception to your attitude to those who are not in favour of this. I am not against having an art gallery in the town, or in Fr Matthew Hall. But I am against changing the face of the building, and the fact that it will only be an art gallery and not used for community meetings. I object to you saying people who are against it are talking garbage.”
Meanwhile mayor of Athlone, Cllr Mark Cooney, strongly welcomed the funding, saying it “guarantees the financial means to bring the work to completion”.
“The gallery will help Athlone to achieve its potential as a Gateway town and will make a very significant contribution to the arts and the cultural life of the town and the greater midlands area,” he added.
Cllr Kieran Molloy felt that arguments that the money could be spent on other projects were irrelevant. “The €2.1 million in funding will not be coming to the council for anything else, we have to spend it on Fr Matthew Hall,” he pointed out.
“Recession or no recession, we need to ensure that Athlone keeps progressing,” added Cllr Aengus O’Rourke. “Great credit must go to the council executive for securing the grant aid. The council will only be spending €800,000 for the huge boost it will give to the town.”
