No, it's not going to Kinnegad. The suggestion, a few years ago, that the new arts centre for the midlands should nestle in this particular hamlet, along with Jack's Roadhouse and its competitors, had its supporters. The village was described as "the gateway to the West" by one enthusiastic proponent, who failed to add that it is a gateway through which people seek to pass with some urgency. It is true, however, that this desire is nearly always frustrated and a whole new type of arts appreciation might have been developed during traffic-jams - "out-of-car entertainment", to paraphrase the car hi-fi ads.

The VEC, who were running the Midlands Resource Centre in Mullingar, had a suitable building in Kinnegad. But now the stewardship of the midlands' new centre has passed to the County Council, and the old county hall in Mullingar has been refurbished to house it. The Midlands Resource Centre will close tomorrow week, and the new Mullingar Arts Centre will take its place.

The new board has advertised for a director, but Albert Higgins, who has been running the Midlands Resource Centre, will not be a candidate. Nearly five years is enough time for any arts manager to be working on any one project, he says, and he wants to move on: "I have no definite plans," he says - "but I'm optimistic. Actually, I'd like to spend a month in bed with books."