Hundreds of people came to the Linenhall to sign a Book of Support and sympathise with the former FAS employees, and on the following day to join in with the surreal funeral procession as the Linenhall FAS Scheme’s coffin was carried up Castlebar’s Main Street to the sound of drums. After pausing for a minute in silence outside the local FAS office, the entourage then proceeded to Market Square, where the coffin lid was opened to release 15 balloons, each symbolising one of the lost positions from the erstwhile scheme.

The events were an intentionally upbeat expression of loss, celebrating the success that the FAS scheme had been over a 10-year period, a scheme that had allowed the Linenhall to develop and deliver a first-rate arts service for Mayo. The scheme has had an impressive record, receiving commendations for the past six years and last year winning the FAS Regional Award for Excellence and reaching the National finals.

And what for the future? Arts Centre Director Marie Farrell summed up the current situation. "We are still in a state of shock here at the Linenhall. There was no forewarning that our award-winning Community Employment scheme was going to disappear overnight. We are currently considering our options, but it looks certain that to keep things running we are going to have to reduce our level of arts programming. Our emphasis, be it in the shows we present or the workshops we run, will continue to be on maintaining the highest quality while keeping our admission prices within the reach of all sectors of the community. However, this development is a serious challenge to our current level of activity. And ultimately it will be the community that will lose out."