The county Westmeath town of Athlone will become home to its first permanent mosque after plans to redevelop a fitness clinic were given the go-ahead by local authority planners.
Rumi Foundation Ireland, a registered charity based in the midlands town, tabled plans in June to repurpose two units at Golden Island’s Inish Carraig Business Centre as a place of “worship/religious instruction”.
The local body have been in the throes of a major fundraising drive to amass a targeted €200,000 total in a bid to finance the project.
It’s understood the group has raised in excess of €100,000 and is hoping to gather in the region of €300,000 owing to increased construction industry costs.
Westmeath County Council wrote to Rumi Foundation Ireland officials in August seeking further information over revised front elevation proposals for the facility as well as the mosque’s operating hours and likely numbers it intended to draw on a daily basis.
In its response, Rumi Foundation said it intended holding five prayers sessions each day, each lasting for 30 minutes and with no more than 40 worshippers in attendance at any one time.
Westmeath County Council approved the plans subject to four conditions.