A Brief Bit of History
The building of the Town Hall (known as St. Joseph’s Hall and Reading Rooms) was started in 1908 and was completed in 1910. The main energy behind the proposal was canon McAlpine Parish Priest of Clifden at that time, who organised both the construction of the house and hall which were built at the same time. The Architect commissioned for this piece of work was R.M. Butler Esq., whose practice was based in Dublin and the builder was Thomas McWilliams. Canon McAlpine felt so passionately about the project he went to America to raise funds, returning with a considerable amount of money and American oak folding chairs that he purchased for the new hall.
The timber for the roof was made of pitch pine beams which had come in on the tide from shipwrecks off the coast of Connemara, the walls were built from sandstone and random rubble. A two-storey annex at the western end of the building was constructed with large shuttered windows some of which can still be seen on the north wall today. The main hall floor was made of maple timbers which lead into the entrance porch secured by double wooden doors and windows either side. Joe Devlin, Falls Road, Belfast an Irish Parliamentary Party officially opened the hall and reading rooms in 1910. Local workers helped to build the community venue such as Michael Keady, father of Gabriel Keady, they attended opening ceremonies separated by 100 years for the hall. In 1971 Paul Hughes constructed a major extension to the east of the building under the direction of Fr Peter Waldron.
The Town Hall remained the focus for all types of activity, providing the only public venue in the town and district. In the 1970s the local curate managed the hall with assistance from an informal committee notably Matt & Mena Ryan and May & Eugene Sullivan who held income generating events to cover repairs and expenses.
