Causeway succeeds in mission to transform Old Shannon Ballroom
FOLLOWING a campaign of just five months’ duration, this village succeeded in raising the funds to buy one of its most cherished historic spaces, proving that where there’s a will there’s not only a way, but – in this particular case – a ‘Causeway!’
Launching its mission to purchase the Old Shannon Ballroom in October of last year via a night of locally produced film homages, Causeway Community Action Group had, by March 7, raised the €80,000 price of the premises.
That was all down to its massive Night at the Oskars in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel on March 6 – just a week before the curtains came down on life as we knew it.
Over 100 local actors brought seven shorts paying homage to seven classic movies to life, with help from Kevin Rowe events, on the big screen in the Ballyroe before an audience of over 600 that night.
It was one of the biggest non-sporting events for Causeway in its recent history, and – along with a number of smaller fundraisers preceding it – brought home the bacon.
So much so that the group just recently took the keys to the building; the site of so many warm memories for so many.
“We’re just thrilled, it has been fantastic,” Chairperson of the Action Group Fiona Casey told The Kerryman.
“The Oskars night was packed to the rafters, and I think it was the uniqueness of it that really drew people in as no one knew what to expect,” Fiona said. They got in there in the nick of time: “Somebody was praying for us, because it was pure fluke we went for it before St Patrick’s Day. Another week and it would have been all over.”
Now, the village is sitting on a communal space full of promise.
“There’s a lot of work required to get it ready, and all that will be subject to grant allocations into the future, but at least the Government seems to be recognising the need for projects of this type for rural communities more, so we’re very hopeful.
“Hard as the pandemic has been, there might be a renewed focus on rural living as a result, so that will hopefully be to our benefit too. In fact we got the results of a survey this week of what people in the area would like to see the building used for, and many suggested having ‘ hot’ desks in there – places where people could work remotely and enjoy some semblance of a social work environment.
“A lot of that came from young people who returned home for the lockdown and are working remotely from Causeway at present.
“People also said they would love to see it as a venue for holding events, as a large meeting space for everyone from the Social Care Group to organisations for young people, as a location for after-school programmes and much more.
“We’re also hoping to provide a playground outside as there’s a lot of space on the three-quarter acre site,” Fiona explained.
The plans are now being formulated as the committee meets regularly via Zoom, hopeful of a bright post-COVID future for the North Kerry village now that they have accomplished the first key step in the campaign.