Minister Humphreys officially opens Ireland’s newest library and announces €25 million investment in our Public Library Service

• Minister officially unveils €7.2 million Mayfair Library in heart of Kilkenny City
• old ballroom transformed into a state-of-the-art library and community facility
• major investment of over €25 million in our Public Library Service
• funding to deliver 11 new public libraries and 12 new mobile library vehicles
• former church and priory, cinema and market house among the projects being developed

The Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has today officially unveiled Ireland’s newest library and announced a major investment of over €25 million in our Public Library Service.

The Minister made the announcement in Kilkenny City, where she opened the Mayfair Library, a €7.2 million project funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and Kilkenny County Council.

The ambitious project involves the transformation of the Old Ballroom in the Abbey Quarter of the city into a state-of-the-art library and community facility.

During the visit, Minister Humphreys announced an investment of over €25 million in our public library service.

The investment includes the delivery of 11 new library buildings across the country, along with 12 new Next Generation mobile library vehicles.

This represents one of the most investments in our library service in years.

Among projects that will be funded include:

• Drogheda Library, County Louth - €3 million: The Dominican Church and Priory along the riverfront will be turned into a state-of-the-art community library
• Fingal Library, County Dublin - €3 million: A new flagship library in the Cultural Centre of Fingal. Project will also include a 163 seat theatre, a gallery, café, a tourist information bureau and office space
• Ballymote Library, County Sligo - €1.31 million: This project will see a 75-year-old former cinema building transformed into a library and community facility
• Ballywaltrim Library, County Wicklow - €3 million: A new state-of-the-art two-storey building on the Boghall Road in Bray. Project will include a space for teenagers, public access PCs, study and remote working desks and break out work from home hubs
• Ballybay Library, County Monaghan - €1.25 million: The refurbishment of the Market House on the main street into a modern public community library facility
• Clane Library, County Kildare – €1.9 million: Kildare County Council has purchased a former childcare facility and retail outlet for the purpose of providing a new library facility in Clane

Also today, Minister Humphreys announced almost €2.7 million in funding for new mobile library vehicles.

These will be rolled out in Clare, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Louth, Roscommon, Sligo, Waterford and Wexford (Details below).

Speaking as she performed the official opening in Kilkenny, Minister Humphreys said:

Minister Humphreys added:

The impressive building will be an integral part of the Abbey Quarter Regeneration Plan in the heart of medieval Kilkenny City. The new building will provide library space of 1,800 square metres, comprising of flexible digital spaces for training and innovation with a dedicated makerspace providing access to 3D printers, 3D scanners and sewing machines.

It also features meeting room for workshops, lectures, training and events to enhance community engagement.

The Minister also acknowledged the role of Kilkenny County Council staff and commended the collaboration between local and central government that has ensured the successful delivery of the new facility.

Table 1 - Infrastructure projects

Table 2 – Next Generation Mobile Library Vehicles

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council – Ballyogan Library

Samuel Beckett Civic Campus, Ballyogan Ct, Ballyogan, Dublin D18 HT72

This project involved the construction of a campus to create a new vibrant focus for the community and to encourage and promote active lifestyles. The project was to be completed over two phases.

Phase One delivered a sports building with gym and changing facilities, provision of pitches, playground and skate park, a surface level car park and some landscaping works. A Crèche, temporary changing areas, Dance & Exercise Studios also operated in the building, as well as Barnardos, and Tusla basing offices there.

Phase 2 of the development now commencing was to further develop the site by providing a Library over 2 floors (1400sq metres approx.) following a change of use from Sports facility to Library facility.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council – Stillorgan Library

St Laurence’s Park A94 XT02

Development of a new multifunctional Library in St Laurence’s Park as a focal point and destination for the local community as part of the regeneration of St Laurence’s Park. The new Library will replace the existing library which was housed in an aging prefabricated structure built in the 1970s which has since been demolished.

Fingal County Council – Swords Library

Fingal County Council executive carpark. The location is the site of the Fingal County Council executive car park at the junction of North Street and Seatown Road.

This County Library will be the main tenant in a Civic Centre situated in the Swords Cultural Quarter. It will be the flagship library for the County and will replace the existing branch library in the town. The new County Library will also house the Local Studies and Archives section of Fingal Libraries, which is currently in a leased building on North Street, Swords. As well as housing the library, the Civic Centre will also accommodate a 163 seat theatre, a gallery, café, a tourist information bureau and office space.

Kildare County Council – Clane Library

Units 8 & 9, The Village Centre, Clane W91 X860

Kildare County Council has purchased two properties— Unit 8 (formerly operating as a Childcare Facility) and Unit 9 (formerly operating as a retail outlet), The Village Centre, Clane for the purpose of developing a new library for Clane. The site is located in Clane Town Centre within a development as the 'Village Centre' which consists of a small cul—de—sac Of retail units and a surface car park leading from Main Street, Clane. Units 8 and 9 are the end units forming the eastern end of the site.

Kildare County Council – Kildare County Library, Archives Cultural Centre

Athgarvan Road, Newbridge, Co Kildare W12 W861

Category B application for URDF funding which plans to re-invigorate the historic heart of Newbridge and establish a "Cultural and Civic Quarter".

These schemes 'Will be supported by a series of. proposed and existing initiatives that will underpin and complement the "Cultural and Civic Quarter" including the redevelopment Of St. Conleth's Park by the GA-A, the redevelopment of Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge Town Hall, the NTA transport plan, Newbridge Courthouse and Town Renewal Plan.

The Kildare County Library, Archives and Cultural Centre will serve the population of Kildare giving access to the specialised Kildare Local Studies Collection, the County Archives, Genealogy Services and additional cultural space. The new County Library will replace the existing Newbridge Library and provide a central library service not just for the Kildare/Newbridge Municipal District but a modern, high quality service that will be accessible to all the citizens of Kildare.

Louth County Council – Drogheda Library

Dominican Church, Dominic Street, Drogheda A92 DKR0

Louth County Council has acquired the Dominican Church and Priory situated on the riverfront in Drogheda. The proposed design will be not only to preserve the unique church features, but to keep the original character of the building and create a statement community library facility in the centre of the town. The space will consist of 1077sqm indoor space inclusive of new mezzanine floor and a possible 1125sqm of outdoor public realm space, with a myriad of uses, an oasis for people to connect, engage, immerse in and be inspired by the rich cultural fabric of Drogheda.

Monaghan County Council – Ballybay Library

Ballybay Library, Main Street, Ballybay A75 AO31

Monaghan County Council proposes to conserve, refurbish the Market House, Main Street, Ballybay into a modern public community library facility. This landmark building on the lower part of Main Street, is a detached four-bay two storey former market house. This proposal for The Market House, which is currently transferring into Monaghan County Council ownership will bring back into active use an existing derelict listed historical building with the refurbishment of the building over three floors; ground floor, mezzanine and first floor, and the construction of a small extension to the side to accommodate a lift and other utilities in order to maximise the overall floor area and facilitate access. Lift access will be provided to all floors to ensure that all areas of the building are fully accessible,

Sligo County Council – Ballymote Library

Pearse Road, Ballymote, Co. Sligo F56 DV29

Sligo County Council has identified a former cinema building in the centre of the ‘Key Support Town’ of Ballymote (2016 pop. 1,549) as a suitable site for a new Community Library serving the wider South Sligo region. Purchased by the Council in 2000, the 75-year-old building with ‘Art-Deco’ style façade was built as a cinema but has been vacant for much of the period following its closure in 1975. The redevelopment of this Council owned will provide much needed space for modern Community Library appropriate to a town the size of Ballymote and the wider rural region it serves.

Tipperary County Council – Clonmel Library

Emmet Street, Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary E91 N512

It is proposed to build a transformational Library in Mick Delahunty Square on a site opposite the current Library and adjacent to Tipperary County Council’s Civic Offices. The Library site in Mick Delahunty Square is the main cultural and administrative centre of Clonmel and is situated in the wider town centre area. It is located on a primary linkage between the shopping street (Market Place) to the west and The Kickham Barracks Quarter. Tipperary County Council are committed to a redevelopment of this square. A new Library in Mick Delahunty Square will be the flagship project in this redevelopment. This Library will be 2,000 square meters over 3 floors. The proposal is based on utilising the new building, a prime town centre site for maximum public use.

Wexford County Council – New Ross Library

New Ross Library, Barrack Lane, New Ross, Co Wexford Y34 NW56

This extension and refurbishment project will increase the library size by 136% from approximately 410m2 to 968m2. The building footprint will be enlarged, and a mezzanine floor will be added. The accommodation will be mainly at ground floor level with some additional floor space at a mezzanine level that is serviced by a lift. The library will also have access to the large adjacent Library Park with its amphitheatre for outdoor events. The newly extended library will be constructed to enable it to continue to function as a My Open Library providing optimal opening hours to the public and acting as a focal point for the local community.

The new extended library will provide flexible space that can accommodate multiple resources including a wider range of book stock for all ages, IT capability, dedicated makerspace, sensory equipment and space, exhibitions, a children’s library which allows for leisure reading, activities and school visits, and a quiet area for study and research especially during My Open Library hours.

Wicklow County Council – Ballywaltrim Library

Ballywaltrim Library, Boghall Road, Bray, County Wicklow A98 DK31

The proposed project envisages the demolition of the current library and the construction of a state of the art 2 storey building on the site. This would provide a site of 710 sq mtrs, approx. Allowing for perimeter access, this will result in a building of 1,316 sq mtrs over 2 floors – comprising 135 sq mtrs entrance from Boghall Road, which is part of the current HQ building, which will lead into 625 sq mtrs ground floor. Above that will be a mezzanine area, with a void of 69 sq mtrs and floor space of 556 sq mtrs The overall feeling will be of a welcoming, inviting, bright and spacious building, with the 1st floor “doughnut” contributing to this effect. The ground floor will comprise stock for loan for all adults and children, plus community room, art exhibition area and easy areas for reading newspapers and magazines. It will also have a Changing Places toilet facility. The first floor will include teenage library area, public access PCs, study desks and individual work from home offices and break out work from home hubs.

Mayfair Library

The building was originally constructed as a ballroom and first opened on St Stephen’s night in 1943. It continued to function as a popular ballroom for 30 years when in 1973 it was acquired by St Francis Abbey brewery and converted into offices and for other uses. It was acquired by Kilkenny County Council in 2016. The library is an integral part of the Abbey Quarter Regeneration Plan in the heart of medieval Kilkenny.

There has already been significant investment by Government via the URDF for the development of public realm areas of this site including the Riverside Garden and Tea House, Horse Barrack Lane and the Brewhouse Courtyard. Future public realms plans include the development of the street and an urban park around the upstanding remains of St Francis Abbey (a national monument).

The total project cost was €7.2 million. The Department of Rural and Community Development contributed funding of €4.695 million and Kilkenny County Council provided funding of €2.5 million.

Spanning 1800sqm over two floors, the library will be a destination for learning, for culture, for information, for creativity and literature and for technology. It will be a dynamic and constantly evolving space providing:

• over 60,000 items available to borrow for free for all ages and in all formats
• dedicated children’s area with services and programmes to allow for a stimulating, enjoyable environment
• dedicated community exhibition area to showcase creativity and innovation
• flexible digital spaces for training and innovation with a dedicated makerspace providing access to 3D printers, 3D scanners and sewing machines with facilitated programming throughout the year
• young adult area to fulfill needs of young people
• meeting room for workshops, lectures, training and events to enhance community engagement
• opportunities throughout the year to access a wide range of cultural and creative programming
• study areas and access to public internet, Wi-Fi, printing and scanning facilities and self-issue
• ICT is an essential part of the fabric of the building and is designed to support future and changing digital needs of all age groups

In order to preserve the social heritage of the former ballroom a dedicated space to reflect the ballrooms unique and rich social history has been maintained. As part of the Percent for Art Scheme, local artist Pauline O Connell has been commissioned to develop an installation to reflect the unique social history of the ballroom and maintain the connection between the Mayfair ballroom and the community. This installation should be complete by June 2024.

The library will be open six days a week – Monday to Saturday with two late nights for a total of 48 hours a week. The My Open Library service will increase to 98 hours per week providing a significant increase in opening hours and making the library service very accessible to the growing and culturally diverse community in Kilkenny City and County.

It sets a positive example of how the provision of a quality building with modern innovative services will add value to an area and bring increased footfall and cultural vitality. Indications are that the library will achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold standard for measures taken around water efficiency, renewable energy, thermal performance and sustainability which is a huge achievement while bringing an existing building back into use. LEED is the world’s widely used green building rating system and globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.

This library provides a statement City library and will provide a significant cultural, community, educational and informational space and a destination for the community. As a vibrant cultural space, it will attract visitors, foster community engagement, promote social inclusion and contribute to economic development. The multifaceted benefits of investment in public libraries include the creation of vibrant, resilient connected communities.

Public Library Strategy - ‘The Library is the Place’

The new public library strategy, ‘The Library is the Place’, was launched in July 2023 and was developed by the Department of Rural and Community Development in partnership with the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and local authorities. It is a 5-year plan for the period 2023-27 which sets out the strategic context for further investment in library infrastructure, technology, programmes and services.

The strategy was drafted following an extensive consultation process that included a public consultation which resulted in 2,993 returned questionnaires, focus groups with over 300 libraries staff members, further focus groups with key stakeholder groups and interviews and workshops with key interested parties.

Main points of the Public Library Strategy

The strategy contains three overarching themes – People, Spaces and Connections.

66 strategic actions have been listed under nine strategic objectives and three enablers. Some of the specific actions to deliver these are:

• new Libraries Capital Programme to be developed
• new library buildings to support local authority climate action plans
• increased outreach library services such as mobile libraries or digital services
• transition to hybrid, hydrogen or electric library vehicles
• increased active library users and visitor numbers
• national “Skills for Life” umbrella programme covering issues such as digital skills, financial literacy, sustainable lifestyles and environmental awareness
• freely accessible meeting study and social space
• new annual national public library open day
• recommendations on new online infrastructure for access to cultural heritage and local history
• implementation of professional development programme in partnership with Libraries Northern Ireland
• development of network with European peer countries to share/exchange best practice