From this week’s Galway City Tribune – A landlord’s dying wish has secured a forever home for the Blue Teapot Theatre.

Brian Silke had rented his family’s former fruit and vegetable shop on Munster Avenue since 2008 to the only theatre company in the West of Ireland dedicated to people with intellectual disabilities.

When he died in March 2020, his vast array of friends, neighbours and golfing fraternity hailed his legendary kindness behind the counter and then in later years as a golfing fanatic and organiser of seniors’ competitions at the Galway Golf Club.

But what they didn’t know is that contained in his last will and testament was a wish that the Blue Teapot would not become homeless.

He instructed his family to offer the company first refusal when the property was put up for sale.

It turned out to be a very generous request indeed, explained artistic director Petal Pilley.

“In 2017 we let it be known that it was our intention to find a permanent home so we had a fundraising film gala for the premiere of the film Sanctuary in the Eye Cinema for that end,” she recalled.

“A committee of ten was set up to pursue it but then the Capital of Culture kind of took over and then of course Covid so it was parked. The next we heard that Brian died. Then we got a call from his family last summer that it was his final wish that we would get first refusal.

“We couldn’t believe it. So, we scrambled to the get the money together. We got a loan from Clann Credo, which supports social enterprises, and we had the original fundraising in the pot. We signed the deal on September 30. It’s just so exciting to have our own place. It really steps up everything and secures our future.

“We are forever grateful to Brian Silke and to his family for sticking to his wishes.”
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, and support our journalism, see the October 21 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.