Corpo Asked To Contribute £55,000 For New Theatre

Sligo Corporation has been asked to contribute £55,000 towards the cost of providing a new tourism centre for Sligo, incorporating a theatre and conference facility. The request has come from Donegal/Leitrim/Sligo Tourism Organisation, who have already secured financial commitments from the Arts Council and tourism sources to the tune of £206,000. The overall project is estimated to cost £261,000 and the Tourism Organisation’s request to the Corporation for the shortfall of £55,000 is likely to be favourably received. In fact County Manager, Mr. Paul Byrne, in a letter to members of the Corporation, has recommended that they agree to provide the money under the Arts Act 1973. “The Corporation is empowered under the Arts Act 1973 to contribute to a project of this nature, and in view of the benefit which will accrue to the citizens of Sligo in social, cultural, tourist and economic terms by the provision of such a facility, and that such benefit can be achieved for a contribution of little over a fifth of the total cost, I am recommending to the members that they agree to provide £55,000 towards the cost, and that this sum be raised by way of rates over a ten year period”, the Manager said.

It is not certain, of course, that the members will agree to the Manager’s recommendation, but with such widespread public support for the project, it is unlikely that there will be much opposition from public representatives. It is envisaged that the theatre will have a seating capacity for 328 persons, and if built, it would provide Sligo with the first custom-built theatre since the construction of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in the early sixties. It will also provide badly needed conference facilities for Sligo and the surrounding region. It is intended that the operation of the facility will be placed in the hands of a special company and that the Board of such a company would have equal representation from the Arts Council, the Corporation and Tourism interests. It is likely, therefore, that on a nine-member Board, Sligo Corporation would have three seats.

In a lengthy submission to the Corporation the Tourism Organisation points out the advantages of a theatre conference facility for Sligo, not the least of which would be to make Sligo a more competitive centre as a large conference location. The Tourism Organisation estimates an income from tourism in this way of between £250,000 and £300,000. They estimate, too, that the theatre could provide the people of Sligo and its visitors with fifty two weeks of professional and amateur cultural activity of the highest standard. Sligo Drama Circle, of course, would provide much of this material, but it is also envisaged that the local Feiseanna, choral recitals, orchestral performances, literary evenings, variety shows, and educational workshops together with conferences, would all be held at the theatre.

The theatre would be one of the most modern in the country, making Sligo the cultural capital of the Western seaboard. “The provision of a modern and fully-equipped theatre, professionally and efficiently run, can only enhance Sligo’s image and reputation in fostering a place for the arts. Such a facility will provide a cultural outlet for all time, and in that way an opportunity to foster the cultural expression of Sligo’s past, present and future will be guaranteed”, said the Tourism Organisation’s submission. Detailing the benefits of the theatre conference facility to tourism the Organisation says, “In terms of a contribution to the local economy, we can confidently predict that the project will contribute in a major way towards increasing tourism revenue. Specifically, in terms of overnights we would be aiming to attract a minimum of an additional 15,000 to 20,000 overnights to the city in co-operation with all interests which would result in a minimum contribution to the local economy of between £300,000 and £400,000 annually”.

The Tourism organisation also believes that the addition of a major cultural/conference centre to the already well established development base of Sligo will enhance the town’s attractiveness as an industrial centre. “The theatre will underline Sligo’s growing status as a major regional centre possessing a cultural amenity in keeping with its status. This will be of interest to industrialists considering Sligo as a location for investment and could help convince them that Sligo is the right location for their investment”, they maintain. They also expect the theatre to make a major impact in cultural and educational activities. The Arts Council has already committed a sum of £85,000 to the project while £121,000 will come from tourism sources. It is hoped to have the project completed by mid-summer 1981.

from The Western Journal, by Jim Gray, September 26th, 1980