The AGM of Claregalway Leisure was held in the Centre on March 5th at 9pm. The following committee was elected, and is comprised of representatives of the various groups using the hall on a regular basis, as well as ordinary members: Carol Steven (chairman), Tony Clarke (vice-chairman), Siobhán Lynskey (secretary), Gerry Mooney, Hugh Farrell, Mary Forde (badminton), Maura Harte (basketball), Patricia Carton (representing Claregalway National School), Ann King and Gabriel Kearney (Youth Club), Ger Brett and Paddy Barry.
In her Chairman’s address, Carol Steven thanked all the committee members for their hard work during the year. Special thanks were noted to outgoing members Mary Reidy, Hubert Newell, Margaret Kearney and Ita O’Reilly (outgoing treasurer). At a subsequent meeting Helen O’Connell joined the committee and has agreed to act as treasurer. The Centre has gone from strength to strength over the past year. It is in a healthy financial position,, largely due to the fact there is almost full uptake on the usage. Groups using the hall in the past year include basketball, badminton, indoor soccer, indoor cricket, karate, indoor training for undr tens in Gaelic football (community games), scouts, and various meetings in the upstairs meeting room. The local national school also has the use of the Centre. Over the summer several summer camps are based there also. The local Drama Festival takes place there, as also do several feiseanna during the year. The centre has also been maintained to a high standard, thanks to the committee, and also to the FÁS team.
It has been an ongoing aim of the committee to update and refurbish the showers/toilets and kitchen area. A sub-committee comprising of Carol Steven, Tony Clarke, Siobhán Lynskey, Hugh Farrell, Hubert Newell, and Peter Lynskey have been working for some months putting together a refurbishment plan, in conjuction with the committee itself. This plan has now been submitted to Roinn na Gaeltachta, and the committee are awaiting the outcome. No matter what grant may be given, the committee are aware that it will not cover the whole cost of the project, and fundraising has been ongoing throughout the year.
A table quiz was held, and the local calendar which the committee brought out was extremely succcessful. Thanks to Gerry Mooney’s great talents as a photographer, it has been much in demand, with ove 850 copies being sold. Thanks are due to all the sponsors who contributed so generously, to all the retail outlets who stocked the calendars, and to the various people who sold it. The other major fundraisers, bag packing, and the annual Craft Fair made a major contribution to the running costs of the hall, which are considerable.
An update on the progress of the refurbishments will be given in future Nuacht Chláirs.
Siobhán Lynskey
