Constructed in 1849 under the direction of famed architect, James Kempster, County Surveyor for Galway East Riding, The Church Gallery served as the Convent Chapel for the Sisters of Mercy who provided Secondary Education at the site from 1919 to 2003. Following the relocating of the school to nearby Mackney, the Chapel had fallen somewhat into disrepair but its purchase by Galway County Council and a substantial monetary contribution from the disbanding Ballinasloe Town Council meant the whole site, including Chapel was renovated and re-imagined as a state of the art Public Library and gallery/performance space, now known as The Church Gallery.
The library has embraced recent advances in technology with high speed fibre broadband on 9 public PCs, Wi-Fi, self-service RFID machines and 'Surfbox' printing solution which means patrons can now print from home or mobile devices and collect their printouts at the library using a unique code. Membership of the library is free to all and patrons can avail of many free online resouces including eBooks and eAudiobooks, eZines, online newspapers including Irish News Archive, Mango Online Language Courses and over 500 online courses. The Church Gallery is fitted with state-of-the-art audio visual system including a HD projector with screen and P.A. system. 2017 saw the inaugural Ballinasloe Strings Festival held over two days in July at this impressive venue.
Galway County Council has provided a world class facility it hopes will be a focal point for the regeneration of Ballinasloe, a community place open and available to all symbolising the rebirth of this once thriving, bustling midlands town with an eye towards attracting new, large scale employers who may take advantage of the excellent infrastructure on the M6 Motorway and main rail line between Dublin and Galway.
Ballinasloe now has a community space to be proud of; an architectural wonder, styled for the 21st century while retaining much of its 19th century charm, including three spectacular fireplaces, stone entrance arch and impressive church spire and bell tower, restored to its original glory.