Click here to see a 3D reconstruction of the Town Hall.
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Click here to see a 3D reconstruction of the Town Hall. |
| The Town Hall was originally built as St.Bridget's Industrial Hall in 1909 under the leadership of Fr.Conway, following an Industrial revival to boost prosperity in the country after the great famine. It was built on the Creggs road on the edge of the town. Money to build the hall was gathered in the form of grants from the department of agriculture and the Congested Districts Board and from a Bizarre, Sports Days and Raffles organised by Fr.Conway. The hall was mainly used as a place for dances and concerts and became a key dancing venue in the 30's 40's and 50's. It was often a venue for the more popular groups of the time. The Hall also became a venue for travelling theatres and many famous families and groups played there including the Carrigfords and the Daltons. The hall was also used for "the pictures" during the early days of cinema. The hall was burned during "The Troubles" but was rebuilt later in peacetime. In its later years the Hall also held the local courts up until the 1980's when they moved to the newly built Community Centre. After this the Hall closed and it fell into disrepair. |
(Above: Town Hall before restoration) |
In 1992 the Arts and Historical Society in co-ordination with FÁS began a restoration on the Hall. The reason for this was that many people felt that the hall should not be left in such a state because of its importance in the community in the past. The newly founded Arts and Historical Society saw the need for this project to be carried out and they also say it as a wonderful "first challenge" for the society to undertake.
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(Above: Town Hall after Restoration) |
They began the restoration in 1992 and the restored Town Hall was reopened on the 13th of May 1994 with the Glenamaddy Player's Production of "The King of Friday's Men". Since finished the Hall has once again come to the fore in the cultural life of Glenamaddy, it has been used to stage productions by the Musical Society and Glenamaddy Players and is the base for the Conway Museum and the new library. |
No doubt this building, steeped in history will remain a central focal-point in Glenamaddy as we enter the new millennium.
