Bishop Donates Site For Sligo Theatre

A major step towards the establishment of a permanent theatre in Sligo was taken at the weekend, when a site for the building was donated to Sligo Drama Circle by His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Dominic Conway, Bishop of Elphin. The site, on which it is proposed to build a three hundred seat theatre, consists of approximately one third of an acre, and was formerly the garden of the Retreat House. Although spokesmen for the Drama Circle, Liam Mc Kinney and Lionel Gallagher, admitted the design for the theatre has not been finalised, owing to the lack of a site up to now, it will probably include, apart from the auditorium and staging facilities, club rooms, a lounge, workshop, rehearsal rooms, bar and a scenery dock for storage. “We are very conscious that the building will have to blend with its surroundings, and that it will be situated between two cathedrals”, remarked Mr. Mc Kinney. “We have been working on a model based on a modern theatre in Albany, near London, but before any final decision is made, members of the Circle will visit various other modern theatres to get an idea of what is required.

Next move for the Drama Circle is a fund-raising campaign to finance the building of the theatre, the cost of which is estimated at £80,000 approximately. It is hoped that certain grants will be available, and it’s planned to set up a broadly-based committee, comprised of various interested parties, to raise the balance of the money. Mr. Mc Kinney pointed out that the theatre will be a civic amenity for the entire North-West area. “We owe a deep debt of gratitude to Bishop Conway for his generosity”, he added. “When the theatre is built, Sligo will be one of the only centres, outside Dublin and Cork, to have such a facility, and it can be regarded as a tremendous leap forward”. At present, Sligo is not included in circuits made by theatre companies, because of the absence of proper staging facilities. The spokesman felt this would be rectified by the establishment of the theatre. “We hope to stay open all the year round, and to attract National drama groups here”, said Mr. Gallagher.

For the Drama Circle themselves, now 120 members strong, the theatre will be a major aid to development and diversification, not just because of the acting facilities it offers, but because for the first time, the group will have a permanent “home” where they can meet regularly. Props and scenery can be made, stored there and accumulated. Branching into Youth Theatre is an important development which will become possible. It is envisaged also that other local drama groups will be able to make use of the theatre, and the Drama Circle are planning to invite top amateur clubs to give performances here. The theatre will not be used solely for drama. It will be available to groups connected with all branches of the arts. The Drama Circle itself has been going from strength to strength. The annually staged Summer Theatre has become increasingly popular, and for the first time last summer the group played to packed houses on several occasions, and seldom had audiences smaller than 80% capacity. “We had faith in Sligo, now Sligo must have faith in itself”, says Mr. Mc Kinney.

from The Sligo Champion, January 18th, 1974