This week members of Loughrea Arts Recreation and Culture (LARC ) were given a tour along with members of Galway Co Co, facilitated by the site manager from Finna Construction. Although the Town Hall is still a building site, the emerging layout is already becoming quite apparent.
One of the most obvious changes is the entrance layout. It is still located at the Church Street end of the building, but it has been opened into a much larger, more spacious foyer — far more befitting for a theatre entrance.
The Town Hall’s original building has been completely stripped back, exposing rough, aged stone walls and layers of peeling paint that reveal the grand sweep of its history.
The contrast between the historic fabric and the newly introduced surfaces is particularly striking. Metal stud ceiling grids, cable trays, metal decking, and partition studs—along with drywalls stacked and ready for installation—clearly signal the building’s preparation for the next phase of development.
The ground floor, once ramped to give the tiered seating previously enjoyed by all cinema goers, has been levelled, currently with a sub floor awaiting the installation of underfloor heating.
While the building is currently lit with temporary construction lighting, the amount of available natural light from the numerous windows throughout gave a real insight of where the light will fall through this south facing building.
Upstairs, what was once a ballroom, with the best sprung floor in Connacht, also awaits a refit. The original wooden ceiling and red structural steel are in perfect condition having stood the test of their 164 years. This will remain completely exposed giving the ultimate industrial aesthetic. New timber windows designed to replicate the original sash that had fallen into disrepair have been installed.
The old, rotting and dilapidated annex is gone – demolished- and in its place now stand three new floors of spaces to accommodate and complement the theatre and enterprise space. Each floor will be serviced with a lift and stairs, toilet and canteen facilities, some storage and a fire escape.
But the big win for all in rebuilding the annex is the additional “Mezzanine floor” a wonderful spacious room, with two large windows looking up Church Street which could accommodate smaller intimate gatherings and meetings.
With just seven months of construction remaining, the vision for Loughrea Town Hall is rapidly becoming a reality. This project is more than just a renovation; it is the careful stitching together of the town’s storied past with a vibrant, modern future.
From the industrial charm of the original ballroom to the light-filled potential of the new annex, this building is preparing to resume its role as the beating heart of our community. Backers look forward to the day the scaffolding falls away, revealing a space where the next generation of Loughrea’s stories will be told.
