We’re delighted to share this piece from the Dargan Institute that connects some big ideas, from AI and European policy corridors to our own Ballinrobe Town Hall project.
In the article, Eoin Costello, Director of the Dargan Institute, reflects on a year of work that included his visit to Ballinrobe on 28 November, where he met with our chairperson Michael Sweeney and PRO Liam Horan to see firsthand the progress on the Ballinrobe Town Hall initiative at the Valkenburg.
He sees it a powerful example of grassroots regeneration, showing how a community can come together to transform a vacant historic space into something vibrant and vital for the future. “It is designed to generate footfall that will spill over into the surrounding businesses, reversing the vacancy that plagues many provincial towns,” writes Eoin.
Eoin brings a rich background in reimagining spaces in towns and a deep belief that projects like ours are about much more than bricks and mortar.
His vision sees the town hall not just as a civic building, but as a cultural and historical centre that will spark activity, attract people and help Ballinrobe thrive.
As one of our committee put it: “The idea of a ‘cultural and historical centre’ neatly imagines the development for a wide audience. It’s more than a town hall, it’s past, present and future.”
This piece really captures that spirit. Give it a read and share. This is the kind of story that shows how ambition and community can lead to real change.
Read more HERE (scroll down to get to the Ballinrobe part, though the various other elements of the article help to place Ballinrobe in context).
