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The Fr. Mathew Hall
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Architect:
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William
A. Tanner |
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Date: |
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1897 |
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Location: |
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On
the corner of the Town Bridge and Grace Road,Townland of Ranelagh. |
Original
Function: Temperance Hall
This pretty hall which is built in the style of the Victorian
Arts-and-Crafts movement was designed by William A. Tanner as
a Temperance Hall. It was built by local industrialist William
Smith in an effort to promote a sober workforce for Athlone
Woollen Mills. It has won its place in the heart of the people
of Athlone as evidence by the ground-swell of public opinion
which was opposed to its demolition.
The Hall, despite several changes of use, has retained many
of its attractive features and the alterations (apart from some
of the extensions, especially the public toilet block) have
been in good taste. The use of the red-brick dressings around
the window openings, doors and tall chimney-stack add character
to what is essentially a rather simple building. Of the two
doorways on the front elevation of the building the projecting
entrance porch to the north-end of the building was the original
entrance. Probably during its days as a cinema the second entrance
was added. Whoever designed this entrance fitted it in cleverly
between two sets of window openings.
From 1897 to c1920 this was a mixed use Temperance Hall which
had a reading room and a cafe and was used for political meetings,
concerts, theatricals, musicals, slide-shows, boxing matches
and the first local film screenings. As a Temperance Hall it
was the venue for the earliest concert in which John MacCormack
appeared on stage with his future wife, the soprano, Lily Foley
in 1903. Percy French also appeared on stage here. It later
became The Shannon Cinema (c1920), Athlone’s first designated
cinema and later changed its name to The Savoy. The coming of
the first purpose built cinema, The Ritz, in 1940 saw the decline
in fortunes of the Fr Mathew Hall.
In 1947 the building was gifted to the people of Athlone. The
following year the Town Hall and administrative offices of Athlone
U.D.C. moved here from Northgate Street. The following year
the first public library in Athlone opened. In 1979 Athlone
U.D.C. moved to purpose built accommodation at the old Rectory
in Church Street and the Library took over both floors. In 2004
the Library moved to the new Civic Centre and the Fr. Mathew
Hall has been vacant ever since. The threat that this little
gem, an integral part of the architectural and cultural heritage
of Athlone, could face demolition was the catalyst for the formation
of the Athlone Architectural Heritage Group.
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