Ballinasloe Area Community Development (BACD) held its 26th Annual General Meeting on 30th October 2025 in the Ballinasloe Enterprise Hub, where members, directors, and stakeholders gathered to reflect on a year of continued progress, strong organisational performance, and deepening community engagement. Chairperson Seamus Duffy opened the meeting by welcoming attendees and emphasising the positive position of BACD’s core projects. Both the Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre (BEC) and Enterprise Hub (BEH) remain close to full occupancy, demonstrating continued demand for enterprise space and supports.
Ballinasloe Life Magazine also celebrated a significant milestone — 88 editions over 16 years — remaining fully self-sustaining thanks to the dedication of volunteers and strong local business advertising support. Seamus highlighted a year rich in community-focused initiatives, from the success of the Pulse business networking club to the ABCD forums, and the standout Mid-Summer Multicultural Festival. He also acknowledged the appointment of a new contractor for the Christmas Lights and praised long-standing business sponsors whose support ensures these projects continue each year, with special mention to Ballinasloe Credit Union, who, as a key partner, are always behind so many of the projects carried out. BACD’s advocacy work remains a core focus, with ongoing engagement on key local issues including the Greenway, dereliction, St. Brigid’s Campus, and town centre revitalisation. Seamus expressed gratitude to the Board, volunteers, funders, and staff — particularly recognising the commitment of the Staff Team of Lyn Donnelly and Martina Flanagan. Auditor James Coyle gave an extensive overview of the Charitable Company’s Annual Returns for the 12 months to end of June 2025. James reported it was a clean audit and the companies accounts were healthy, but it was prudent of the board to ensure there remains enough cashflow to cover the existing debts. During director elections, Seamus Duffy and Brian King were re-elected, while thanks were extended to outgoing director Anita Killeen for her significant contribution, especially in the area of sustainable energy.
The board for the forthcoming year was ratified as: Seamus Duffy (Chairperson), Brian King (Vice Chair), Joe Lyons, Dan Dowling, Marina Downey, Claire Gibbons, Alan Harney, Michael Connolly, Sean Kelly, Eoghan Kenny, John McKenna, and Pearse Keller. Operational updates showcased a busy and productive year across BACD’s programmes, including People and Planet First verification, facilities upgrades, active hub programming, tourism development through the new Ballinasloe.ie website, and the ongoing evolution of Ballinasloe Life’s distribution and reach. In AOB, members emphasised the importance of rural magazine distribution within the common bond area of the Ballinasloe Credit Union, concerns over access to St. Brigid’s lands, and frustration regarding the lack of major government investment in Ballinasloe compared with other towns.
The meeting concluded with a vote of sympathy to the Kelly family on the passing of Ken Kelly, a long-standing pioneering contributor to the magazine.
