SHANNONSIDE, MAY 22ND, 2009

Up to 200 people attended a public meeting in Athlone last night to discuss the situation facing the local Passion fruit theatre company which has found itself homeless in recent weeks.

The company had been leasing a hall at 9 Northgate Street for the past two years and it's understood there are another couple of years still left on that lease.

A couple of weeks ago, the locks on the Hall were changed and the sign for the theatre was taken down from the building.

A sign has since been placed in the window advertising the premises for rent or lease, but the theatre company say they still have a claim on the site, particularly since up to €100,000 euro worth of grants and public money was spent on major refurbishment of the hall.

Fiona Ducke who's Secretary of the Theatre Company says there was a lot of public support at last nights meeting and she's hopeful the situation can be resolved.

She says local Fianna Fail Deputy Mary O Rourke is also trying to assist matters.