Athlone's cultural shortcomings should be addressed

Athlone as one of the main (if not the key) towns in the Midlands needs to continue to build and develop its range of services and facilities in order to continue to attract both industrial and commercial investment as well as population growth. The town is superbly served in many respects. Its retail offering is strong. Its leisure facilities, including the natural majesty of the Shannon and Lough Ree, are also of high quality. And its sporting facilities are top class, and soon-to-be added to by the new indoor sports arena at Athlone IT. The town has also shown its capacity to host significant events, including the European Triathlon Championships and the National Community Games. However, Athlone suffers from a shortage of cultural events and facilities. That is despite the fine work of people who volunteer and work in the arts and culture fields. The RTE Amateur Drama Festival is a flagship event in Athlone, whilst the art gallery at the Fr Mathew Hall will also contribute to the diversity of artistic pursuits available locally. In this vein, Westmeath County Council is to be commended for employing a new manager for its expanded suite of arts facilities in Athlone. However, there is no denying that the town's art and culture world lacks the vibrancy of some other locations. Venues in towns such as Mullingar and Birr continue to attract big name acts who do not perform in Athlone and neighbouring counties such as Offaly and Roscommon have particularly vibrant arts and culture scenes. Maybe, it's time for a major cultural festival to help establish Athlone as a venue for the arts. Similar festivals in Galway (arts), Kilkenny (comedy), Cork (jazz) and Wexford (opera) have become major events. And whilst it would require many years before a new festival in Athlone could reach such heights, there's nothing to be gained from shying away from the challenge. The town's central location and excellent array of hotels means a major cultural festival would draw significant crowds, if the artistic offering was of sufficient quality. Athlone as one of the main (if not the key) towns in the Midlands needs to continue to build and develop its range of services and facilities in order to continue to attract both industrial and commercial investment as well as population growth. The town is superbly served in many respects. Its retail offering is strong. Its leisure facilities, including the natural majesty of the Shannon and Lough Ree, are also of high quality. And its sporting facilities are top class, and soon-to-be added to by the new indoor sports arena at Athlone IT. The town has also shown its capacity to host significant events, including the European Triathlon Championships and the National Community Games. However, Athlone suffers from a shortage of cultural events and facilities. That is despite the fine work of people who volunteer and work in the arts and culture fields. The RTE Amateur Drama Festival is a flagship event in Athlone, whilst the art gallery at the Fr Mathew Hall will also contribute to the diversity of artistic pursuits available locally. In this vein, Westmeath County Council is to be commended for employing a new manager for its expanded suite of arts facilities in Athlone. However, there is no denying that the town's art and culture world lacks the vibrancy of some other locations. Venues in towns such as Mullingar and Birr continue to attract big name acts who do not perform in Athlone and neighbouring counties such as Offaly and Roscommon have particularly vibrant arts and culture scenes. Maybe, it's time for a major cultural festival to help establish Athlone as a venue for the arts. Similar festivals in Galway (arts), Kilkenny (comedy), Cork (jazz) and Wexford (opera) have become major events. And whilst it would require many years before a new festival in Athlone could reach such heights, there's nothing to be gained from shying away from the challenge. The town's central location and excellent array of hotels means a major cultural festival would draw significant crowds, if the artistic offering was of sufficient quality.