The Sligo Champion

Ballintogh­er is now the location for film shoots

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A film crew of 20 people has descended on Ballintogh­er where they are using an industrial unit to shoot a film.

Thanks to funding from the Community Enhancemen­t Programme, disused industrial units have now been fitted out and brought up to standard to be used for a host of activities.

Currently it is being used as a filming location for the film ‘Winter Lake’.

Speaking to The Sligo Champion about the funding and it’s positive impact on the community and local economy, Seamus McCormack of Ballintogh­er Community Enterprise­s said it has made a huge difference locally.

Mr McCormack explained that the initiative received a total of €17,000 from Sligo County Council which allowed them to revamp two of the units which lay empty following the economic downturn.

“Now we have 1,500 to 2,000 square foot of unit, fully kitted out, carpeted, painted, insulated, heated and now we have a group out there who are making a film and they are taking the whole lot of it.”

The crew will be using the unit for the next six to eight weeks, according to Mr McCormack and the local economy is already benefittin­g.

“It’s a film called ‘Winter Lake’. There’s 20 of them there. The film is making a difference already. They’re all buying stuff in the shop and the local publican is supplying meals. Already you have that little bit of a spin-off.”

With high speed broadband Seamus and wife Teresa see a bright future for the units.

“Hopefully it will be bringing people in and will support local pubs and the shop who will benefit from it,” said Teresa.

Seamus cited Ballintogh­er’s close proximity to Sligo town as a credible way of attracting people to use the upgraded space.

“It could be a place for training. We have car parking there and it’s only ten minutes away from Sligo town and it will be a state of the art conference centre. We have a state of the art kitchen put in and it’s wheelchair accessible.”

Describing the tangible difference the money and subsequent works on the units has meant to the community, Seamus enthusiast­ically said,

“It has made a huge difference, it has uplifted the whole area.”

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 ??  ?? Teresa and Seamus McCormack at City Hall.
Teresa and Seamus McCormack at City Hall.

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