Athlone School of Music is forced to shut its doors

The founder of the Athlone School of Music - which is to close this week - has strongly criticised the government for failing to support small businesses. The Monksland-based school was founded in 2005 and provided musical education to several hundred students. However, at an emergency meeting last week, the school's instructors accepted that the toll taken by the recession was too much to bear. As a result its founder Tadhg Kelleher announced that the school is to close this Friday. In a message posted on its website, Mr Kelleher said the decision to shut the school was the toughest of his life to date. "Our staff have always been like a close family and this has been the hardest decision of my life so far. I am heartbroken to disappoint our students," he wrote. "As we saw student numbers drop we introduced fund raising, discounts and a scholarship programme to tackle the recession. "Unfortunately rent, rates and taxes stayed the same and have made it impossible for our teachers and me to make a basic living doing what we love." Mr Kelleher said 300 students were enrolled at the school in one year and the average number of students had been around 200 per year. The school employed 14 instructors at one stage but this had decreased to six and "the signs were coming for the last two years" that it would have to close. Mr Kelleher hit out at the government over its handling of the recession. "I cannot express my anger and sense of hurt at how our government put so many billions into our banks, but have let so many small businesses like ours close up," he stated. Speaking to the Westmeath Independent this week, he said the school's financial position meant he hadn't been able to pay himself a wage for some time and this reduced him to "living in poverty." "I couldn't go on social welfare and I had to give up my flat," he said. "We couldn't get any help (from the government). Even a small cash injection of 10 or 20 thousand could have helped us withstand this and keep the school going." He stated that he and other instructors at the school hoped to continue providing music lessons privately but that his immediate priority was facing the school's liabilities in a responsible manner. In his online message he thanked everyone who helped the school over the years and said: "Over the next few weeks and months I am personally going to be under a large amount of financial pressure as I try to wind down the business in a responsible way. "I apologise unreservedly to those who will be affected by this and to anyone who feels let down by the school. "The only saving grace for me is to know that music is eternal. It inspires us, it comforts us and brings us together. Although we have been silenced the music stays the same. "I hope that our students will remember us as they grow up to become great musicians and future creators. I wish them all the best and hope that nobody puts down an instrument because of this."