Freemasons to meet with theatre group today

The possibility of Athlone"s Passionfruit Theatre Company returning to its former home at the Freemasons" premises on Northgate Street appeared to be growing this week after a representative of the Freemasons said the theatre company would be offered 'first refusal' on the venue"s lease, which is currently up for renewal. Bernard Corcoran, Secretary of the Athlone Lodge of the Freemasons, stated that he would be meeting with Fiona Ducke, Secretary of Passionfruit Theatre Company, to discuss the renewal of the lease today (Wednesday). 'It was me who got (the Passionfruit Theatre Company) in there in the first place so they will be offered first refusal on it as a common courtesy,' he said. 'I wouldn"t be in the practice of kicking people out.' When asked by the Westmeath Independent if an agreement could be reached which would allow the Passionfruit Company return to the venue, he said: 'I don"t see why not.' Mr Corcoran was also asked if the Freemasons had been satisfied with the original tenancy of the premises by the Passionfruit group. He replied that he wasn"t there all of the time, but if there had been any issues it was now 'water under the bridge.' Ms Ducke said she was 'delighted' to have been contacted by Mr Corcoran on Monday and added that today"s meeting was 'a positive first step.' The organisers of the theatre and live music venue, which was opened in March 2008, said they were told on Easter Sunday last that the lease on the Northgate Street venue was finished and that they would have to move out. The locks at the building were subsequently changed and the "Passionfruit Theatre Company" lettering on its exterior was removed. Representatives of the Freemasons said the lease was finished because one of the two people on the lease - Passionfruit founder Joe Ducke - died in January, and the other individual was no longer involved with the theatre group. Last Thursday, over 150 people attended a public meeting in The Bounty, which was convened by Passionfruit Theatre Company to discuss issues surrounding the ending of the lease. Ms Ducke, daughter of the late Joe, said that establishing the venue had been her father"s dream, and that his dream 'was not supposed to last just one year.' Among the many members of the public who spoke at the meeting was Morgan Fallon, who said: 'It"s places like Passionfruit Theatre that make a community a community. They make a town worth living in. If they"re going to put a chipper, or a pub or another shopping centre in there it"s not really going to add to the town. 'Something like the Passionfruit, and the vibrancy it creates, really adds to the town. If the town loses that then we will have lost something special.' Local TD Mary O"Rourke said that because the venue had received a €40,000 grant from the Government, she became involved in efforts to resolve the matter as a 'guardian of the public purse.' Speaking yesterday, Deputy O"Rourke welcomed the fact that today"s meeting between the representatives of the Passionfruit company and the Freemasons was taking place. She said she was hopeful that the matter would be brought to a swift conclusion. 'That was the overwhelming wish of those who attended the very packed public meeting in The Bounty last week,' she said. 'Nobody wants squabbles, least of all a small company like Passionfruit, which is keen to get started on its very creative and packed programme of events for the months ahead. 'It was one of the happier days of my life as a backbench TD when I was able to secure the €40,000 grant from Minister Eamon O"Cuiv for the theatre. I remember Eamon O"Cuiv commenting that the Passionfruit Theatre Company was a lovely name and I told him it was going to be an intimate and interactive venue, somewhere that wouldn"t be stuffy. Somewhere people could go to have a good time. 'So hopefully this matter will soon be resolved. Fingers crossed for the meeting on Wednesday,' concluded Deputy O"Rourke.