Old school given new lease of life in west Clare community

Halla Eoin, Kilbaha, which served as the parish national school until 1962, has been given a new lease of life and is set for an official reopening this Sunday, writes Mary Keane.

The hall has been transformed into a local community hall which incorporates a heritage display.

Following a public meeting, held in a dilapidated hall in Halla Eoin in 2018, a committee of dedicated volunteers, with Krystyna Pomeroy as chairperson, was set up to progress the dream and bring it to fruition.

It was most certainly the support given by the local Fine Gael county councillor Gabriel Keating along with his pledge of funds from the General Municipal Fund which helped to make the dream a reality. This money, together with a substantial grant from the Town and Village Renewal Scheme enabled the work to begin.

The refurbishments were carried out over a period of three years. Most of the work took place during the Covid 19 pandemic.

Halla Eoin now proudly stands as testament to the committee who used the slogan ‘thinking big in a small place’ in their ‘Go Fund Me’ campaign which was generously supported by donors near and far.

The building now has a bright new entrance, a modern fully equipped kitchen, an expansive stage and hall which can cater for up to 200 people.

The heritage display, which will be open from 11am -4pm Fridays -Mondays for the summer season, acknowledges the central role of the Little Ark in the community and also incorporates features of local history, geology and wildlife.

Artefacts of interest, memorabilia and a range of publications and historical accounts will be on display and available to all visitors to the hall. In addition, a number of events and activities have been held in the hall since the renovations have been completed. Upcoming events include a table quiz, social dancing, drama and a Christmas fair.

Halla Eoin is now ready to serve the needs of the local community into the future and the heritage display will be a source of information and interest to enrich visitors’ experiences.

For further information please contact hallaeoinkilbaha@gmail.com. Follow us on facebook at ‘Halla Eoin Kilbaha’.