[1] The building was designed by John Murray in the Italianate style, built in red brick with stone dressings at a cost of £7,045 and was completed in 1859.
[3] The development company got into financial difficulties during construction, and the town commissioners, who had been appointed in 1855,[4] agreed to acquire the building for £4,000 from the liquidators once it was complete.
[7] The town hall started showing silent films in August 1912 and operated as a cinema known as the Picture Palace until 1946 when a major fire destroyed much of the interior.
[9] In the evening of 19 December 1975, Jack Rooney, who was walking past the town hall was struck in the head by flying shrapnel from a car bomb explosion outside Kay's Tavern on the opposite side of the street and died three days later.
An extensive programme of refurbishment works, involving a large extension to the rear of the town hall, new offices for the town council and the creation of a 350-seat theatre, was carried out at a cost of £30 million to a design by Van Dijk Architects, and was completed in 2006.