Carrick-on-Shannon is the one town in the area without a proper community facility

At the final Carrick-on- Shannon Municipal district meeting before the local elections on June 7, Cllr Enda Stenson said there “is a major outcry at the moment, in Carrick-on-Shannon for the provision of a proper community facility to cater for local drama, music and dance lessons.
“Carrick-on-Shannon is the one area, in the district, without such a centre. May I ask what can be done to alleviate this situation?”
A report by the Director of Services, Housing and Community, Corporate Services, Cultural and Emergency Services said the council is “keenly aware of the lack of community facilities to cater for local drama, music and dance lessons.
“To address this deficit the council last year purchased the property which was previously Coleman's bookshop on Main Street and appointed architects to manage the project.
“A funding application under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to undertake the renovations required to make it a premises fit for purpose, was recently approved.”
Cllr Stenson responded that, “we are punching way above our weight in the arts in this county but we don't have a facility in Carrick- on-Shannon and we have the biggest population within the county.
“We should make a recommendation that this is something that is needed within the town, sooner rather than later; we need a whole community area in the town and I think we have the sites.”
He noted that just over €2.6 million was recently allocated to Ballymote Community Centre and added, “surely, we can get something like that in Carrick-on-Shannon.”
Cllr Finola Armstrong- McGuire supported the motion as did Cllr Paddy Farrell, Cllr Des Guckian and Cllr Sean McGowan.
Justin Fannon, Acting Director of Services, Leitrim County Council, said of the property which was previously Coleman's bookshop on Main Street, “it goes back a long way and you'd be surprised when you knock through and have money to develop a decent building, how many people you can get into it.
“It's a good news story because we have secured the funds and it will be developed and it will be beneficial for the arts and for smaller groups,” he said.
Cllr Stenson said he believed there “is another place where you can get 30 or 40 young children coming into a dance class, and not in the middle of town, and where there is suitable parking.”