It’s feared the Shannon Venue will never proceed unless the government supports the project.
A public meeting held in the town last night has heard that two budget announcements have passed without the €5 million previously promised to them being confirmed.
But despite this, there’s renewed confidence in its future.
Over 150 people packed into the Oakwood Hotel last night, to share their concerns on the future of the Shannon Venue.
The multi-functional civic and arts space has been in the works since 2012 and in that time, a site has been bought, planning permission secured and the building has been designed.
But late last year, the near-€11 million project hit a wall when the government committed just €100,000 for “a masterplan for the area”.
Despite this, a lot of positivity emerged from last night’s meeting – local man Gerry Murphy says it can happen if they get the support that’s needed.
One of the key things that emerged from the fiery debate at the meeting was the fact that Shannon is lacking in terms of a community space.
The town sprung up in the 1960s and in the decades that followed, two civic spaces were put in place; both of which have since closed.
Shannon resident Ann Garvey feels the loss of these have been huge and the Shannon Venue could fill that gap.
Focus now is switching towards the next steps in terms of getting the project back on its feet.
Kevin Thompstone is one of those who has been on board since Day One and wants to see a solid commitment from the Minister for Finance on following through with the previously committed funding.
But he feels Clare County Council must also take a leading role in managing the Venue.
