Dundalk Town Hall

The town hall started showing [[silent film]]s in August 1912 and operated as a cinema known as the Picture Palace until 1946 when a major fire destroyed much of the interior. The red brick work on the first floor was faced with [[cement render]] at that time.{{cite web|url= https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/57532 |title= An Táin Arts Centre|publisher=Cinema Treasures| access-date=23 October 2023}} The town hall also served as a venue for concerts and theatrical performances: the [[tenor]] singer, [[Luciano Pavarotti]], undertook his first performance outside Italy at the town hall on 12 May 1963.{{cite news|url=https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2021/10/21/when-pavarotti-came-to-dundalk/ |title=When Pavarotti came to Dundalk|date=21 October 2021|newspaper=Meath Chronicle|access-date=23 October 2023}}

The town hall started showing [[silent film]]s in August 1912 and operated as a cinema known as the Picture Palace until 1946 when a major fire destroyed much of the interior. The red brick work on the first floor was faced with [[cement render]] at that time.{{cite web|url= https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/57532 |title= An Táin Arts Centre|publisher=Cinema Treasures| access-date=23 October 2023}} The town hall also served as a venue for concerts and theatrical performances: the [[tenor]] singer, [[Luciano Pavarotti]], undertook his first performance outside Italy at the town hall on 12 May 1963.{{cite news|url=https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2021/10/21/when-pavarotti-came-to-dundalk/ |title=When Pavarotti came to Dundalk|date=21 October 2021|newspaper=Meath Chronicle|access-date=23 October 2023}}

In the evening of 19 December 1975, Jack Rooney, who was walking past the town hall was struck in the head by flying shrapnel from a [[Donnelly's Bar and Kay's Tavern attacks|car bomb explosion]] outside Kay's Tavern on the opposite side of the street and died three days later. The blast also killed a tailor, High Watters, who had been making a delivery to Kay's Tavern. A plaque was subsequently installed outside the town to commemorate the two men.{{cite news|url= https://www.independent.ie/regionals/louth/dundalk-news/families-would-welcome-an-inquiry/26925533.html |title= Families would welcome an inquiry|date=29 December 2000|newspaper=The Irish Independent| access-date=23 October 2023}}

In the evening of 19 December 1975, Jack Rooney, who was walking past the town hall was struck in the head by flying shrapnel from a [[Donnelly's Bar and Kay's Tavern attacks|car bomb explosion]] outside Kay's Tavern on the opposite side of the street and died three days later. The blast also killed a tailor, High Watters, who had been making a delivery to Kay's Tavern. A plaque was subsequently installed outside the town hall to commemorate the two men.{{cite news|url= https://www.independent.ie/regionals/louth/dundalk-news/families-would-welcome-an-inquiry/26925533.html |title= Families would welcome an inquiry|date=29 December 2000|newspaper=The Irish Independent| access-date=23 October 2023}}

The building continued to be used as the offices of the urban district council until 2002, and then as the offices of the successor town council. An extensive programme of refurbishment works, involving a large extension to the rear of the town hall, new offices for the town council and the creation of a 350-seat theatre, was carried out at a cost of £30 million to a design by Van Dijk Architects, and was completed in 2006.{{cite web|url= https://www.archilovers.com/projects/145263/town-hall-and-an-tain-theatre.html |title=Town Hall and An Táin Theatre: van Dijk Architects|publisher=Archilovers| access-date=23 October 2023}} In 2014, the council was dissolved and administration of the town was amalgamated with [[Louth County Council]] in accordance with the [[Local Government Reform Act 2014]].{{cite web|url=https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/act/1/enacted/en/print |title= Local Government Reform Act 2014|publisher=Irish Statute Book| access-date=4 November 2023}} An art gallery was subsequently established in the basement and the [[Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport|Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht]], [[Heather Humphreys]], visited the town hall, saw an exhibition of paintings by [[Ciaran O'Sullivan (painter)|Ciaran O'Sullivan]] in the basement and opened An Táin Arts Centre on 29 August 2014.{{cite news|url= https://www.independent.ie/regionals/louth/lifestyle/minister-to-attend-tain-triple-launch/30521927.html |title= Minister to attend Tain triple launch|date=23 August 2014|newspaper=The Irish Independent| access-date=23 October 2023}} The arts centre was named after [[Táin Bó Cúailnge]], (English: the Cattle raid of Cooley), a legendary story from early Irish literature which is believed to have been set on the [[Cooley Peninsula]].{{cite web|url= https://www.antain.ie/about/ |title=About us|publisher= An Táin Arts Centre | access-date=23 October 2023}}

The building continued to be used as the offices of the urban district council until 2002, and then as the offices of the successor town council. An extensive programme of refurbishment works, involving a large extension to the rear of the town hall, new offices for the town council and the creation of a 350-seat theatre, was carried out at a cost of £30 million to a design by Van Dijk Architects, and was completed in 2006.{{cite web|url= https://www.archilovers.com/projects/145263/town-hall-and-an-tain-theatre.html |title=Town Hall and An Táin Theatre: van Dijk Architects|publisher=Archilovers| access-date=23 October 2023}} In 2014, the council was dissolved and administration of the town was amalgamated with [[Louth County Council]] in accordance with the [[Local Government Reform Act 2014]].{{cite web|url=https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/act/1/enacted/en/print |title= Local Government Reform Act 2014|publisher=Irish Statute Book| access-date=4 November 2023}} An art gallery was subsequently established in the basement and the [[Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport|Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht]], [[Heather Humphreys]], visited the town hall, saw an exhibition of paintings by [[Ciaran O'Sullivan (painter)|Ciaran O'Sullivan]] in the basement and opened An Táin Arts Centre on 29 August 2014.{{cite news|url= https://www.independent.ie/regionals/louth/lifestyle/minister-to-attend-tain-triple-launch/30521927.html |title= Minister to attend Tain triple launch|date=23 August 2014|newspaper=The Irish Independent| access-date=23 October 2023}} The arts centre was named after [[Táin Bó Cúailnge]], (English: the Cattle raid of Cooley), a legendary story from early Irish literature which is believed to have been set on the [[Cooley Peninsula]].{{cite web|url= https://www.antain.ie/about/ |title=About us|publisher= An Táin Arts Centre | access-date=23 October 2023}}