Mayo community group’s petition to save hall gathers momentum amid lease row
An online petition calling for the transfer of ownership of the Straide Davitt Community Hall to the Straide Community Development Group has gathered more than 650 signatures.
Local residents have raised concerns over the potential loss of €50,000 in CLÁR funding as the current owners of the hall, the Michael Davitt National Memorial Company, have indicated they are unwilling to extend the existing lease.
The petition urges that ownership of the hall be transferred to the community group, which “on behalf of the community via fundraising and with the help of government funding organisations, [has] invested almost €300,000 in the refurbishment of the building and upgrading of services”.
The group says it is now “stymied” by the Michael Davitt National Memorial Company, as in order to avail of the CLÁR funding they need an unaltered extension of the lease.
The issue was raised at the April meeting of Mayo County Council by Cllr Adrian Forkan, who, along with councillors Neil Cruise and Ger Deere, sits on the board of the Michael Davitt Museum.
Cllr Forkan explained that the community group has operated under a rolling lease for the past 15 years, at a cost of €1 per year.
He added that the lease is essential to access the funding, which is earmarked for upgrades to car parking facilities and improvements to the community centre. The deadline to draw down the funding is the end of June.
“There seems to be a breakdown in communication between the Straide Community Development Group and the Michael Davitt Museum,” Cllr Forkan explained.
He also queried the role of councillors on the museum board, asking whether they are full members or acting members.
Cllr Michael Kilcoyne, who served on the board for 10 years, said councillors on the Michael Davitt Museum board have a duty to act in its best interests.
Cllr Harry Barrett said he attended a meeting at the hall and was “struck by the level of concern” among local residents.
“They believe they are going to lose control of their community hall, something they have maintained over the past 30 years,
“We heard communication from the legal team hired by the museum, and they say they are open to further dialogue and that a new lease has been offered with the same protections,
“If that is so, that is great. But if it comes to pass that the people of Straide lose control of the hall and are presented with a lease that offers weaker protections, I would fight against that.
“They [the Straide Community] have lost their pub, they have lost some amenities in the last while there - they need that space,” he said.
“The hall is precious to them, and we need to protect it.”
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.