Castle and art gallery work "is 90% complete"

Work on two of the most high-profile developments in Athlone's recent history - the art gallery at Fr Mathew Hall and the redevelopment of the Castle - is "90% complete" according to Town Clerk Hugh O'Reilly. Mr O'Reilly said the main work on site would be finished by the end of September, but he could not provide an opening date for either facility at this stage. While the first exhibition in the art gallery is scheduled to take place in November, a decision has not yet been reached on whether it will open before then. "The first exhibition will feature a major collection from the gallery of modern art in Dublin, and we have a November date negotiated for that. We haven't made a decision on whether or not we will hold an interim opening of the gallery before then." The Town Clerk said both projects were making good progress and were at the fit-out stage, where artefacts were being installed and electrical and computer systems put in place. "We're quite pleased that both projects are progressing well and on schedule. We've made some changes (to the projects) along the way and I think those changes have been beneficial." When asked if an October date could be expected for the castle opening, he replied that no date had been set at this point and the process of deciding one was ongoing. "We have no pinned-down date for the opening as yet... the major work will be finished by the end of September but there are a lot of film and audio visual elements to the castle that have to be installed," he said. The castle and art gallery developments have cost in the region of €3m each. The castle has been closed to the public since 2010, and it was originally due to reopen later that year. However, the project was plagued by a series of delays. When completed, the castle is due to feature a number of modern displays for visitors. The art gallery will aim to attract national and international projects, while also placing an emphasis on "meeting local audience needs".