THE Burntonport Community Centre has played a major part in the parish’s good and bad days throughout the past 30 years.
The centre has been the venue for celebrations, sports, classes, parties, funerals and even a supporting hand during the tough times for the people of Burtonport and the surrounding areas.
On Thursday, the centre celebrated its 30th anniversary with a big family fun day.
In addition to the celebration of the anniversary, Nora Houston performed the official opening of the new community garden.
The community garden, directly behind the community centre, has been rejuvenated with flower boxes and picnic benches to create a stunning peaceful area to be used by the public.
The centre was officially opened on July 11, 1993 by Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher, but the idea began four or five years beforehand.
Founding member David Alcorn explained: “Burtonport was always a very vibrant area – it was a fishing village with all the boats coming in.
David Alcorn at the Community Centre Garden at Acres Burtonport as they prepare to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Photo: Brian McDaid.
“It has always been a very good community but we did not have any accommodation for social events or activities such as marching bands, plenty of talent and our festival.
“We used to have our meetings in the small school around 100 yards from here.
“The band, Burtonport Junior Band, would have practiced there and the leader would have been at one wall and the drummer at another wall and there was no space in-between.
“We always thought it would be great if we had a big hall and all the different bands in the area could come in and use it.
“We had a couple of public meetings and we started out calling it Burtonport/ Kincasslagh.
“We were trying to keep it within our own parish but of course Dungloe and every other place around us supported us and helped us in any way they could,” said Mr Alcorn.
With a lot of fundraising, donations, community spirit and the help of some famous faces, the dream of a community centre slowly became a reality.
“We were very fortunate having stars from the area, a couple of them within the parish.
“We had Daniel and Margo O’Donnell from Kincasslagh and we had Packie Bonner.
“We were able to call upon them to promote it and then on the GAA front, we had Tony Boyle who only lived down the road,” said Mr Alcorn.
The committee then looked for a site and explored a few different options before the site within the church grounds at Acres was agreed upon.
At the time, the Parish Priest in the area was Fr Dan O’Doherty and he was well aware of the need for the community centre.
The architect was Denis Bonner, Packie’s twin brother, who is still involved in the community group today.
The first block for the centre was laid in 1990.
Margaret Bonner manager at St Columba’s Community Centre in Burtonport.
To help with the cost of construction, The Burtonport Variety Group was founded with Mary McGee and Margaret O’Reilly at the helm. The committee also applied for grant aid and was given £45,000.
The centre cost £245,000 with majority of that money coming from fundraising and donations, and by December 1994, the centre’s debt was cleared.
In the 30 years, the centre has become the backbone of the area.
Mr Alcorn continued, “We have worked hard continuously since and some of the people who were very close to us have now passed on which is one of the sad parts of the celebrations.
“We have a group of very hard workers with around 10 people in the committee.
“One of our policies has always been to cater for all age groups so we do christening and birthday parties right up to events for the oldest people in the community.
“We have people who are 98, coming up to 100 in our area so we are able to cater for all ages.
“The centre is the backbone of the area for the centre’s activities, the Burtonport railway walk and the Burtonport festival.
“I don’t know what we would do without the centre now,” said Mr Alcorn.
The old rectory on the site where the community centre is now built on.
Unfortunately due to the rising costs of heat, light and insurance, the centre’s costs have continued to increase.
Local woman Nora Houston came up with the idea of a bargain rail market which also contributes to covering the cost of the centre.
The centre is currently run by people on community employment schemes with Margaret Bonner who also works in the centre.
The committee would love to get more volunteers on board to help with the future of the centre.
Mr Alcorn said, “I would like to see this place continuing on with the same standards that it has always been at.
“We have always been very clean, tidy and freshly painted so we need to get more people interested in the centre.
“People think there is a gang there already from day one and they will always be there but I would be very hopeful that we could bring more people on board.
“It is great to have younger people with young families involved in the governing and expanding of the centre,” said Mr Alcorn.
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