Council see inside new look Town Hall

DECEMBER 2003

DUNDALK town council meets for the first time in the refurbished town hall.

Councillors are impressed when they view the building prior to meeting in the new council chamber.

It is eighteen months since they vacate the premises and everything with the work goes to plan.

The landmark building benefits from a €10.45m re-vamp. The project includes a three-storey office extension to the rear, and opening on to Market Street, as well as two new wings in Crowe Street.

One of the most controversial aspects of the refurbishment is the decision to rake the seating in the auditorium, reducing the capacity from approximately 700 to 400.

Lighting and sound equipment is upgraded, as have backstage facilities, including dressing-rooms and the creation of a ‘Green Room’ for performers.

One of the most impressive aspects of the work is the light-filled foyer, where old oak beams are discovered during the renovation.

They make a striking feature as they provide support for a staircase leading to the relocated council chamber and offices on the upper floors.

For staff it represents a great improvement in working conditions and chairman, Cllr Séamus Byrne is confident the public will be pleased.

‘All in all, Dundalk now has a civic headquarters befitting its status as the premier town in the northeast,’ he adds.

Cllr Séamus Keelan takes the opportunity to recall being in the town hall immediately after the bomb in Crowe Street and points out that while public enquiries look into bombings in Dublin and Monaghan, there is none in relation to the Dundalk bomb.