New chapter for Kilkee library

MINISTER for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan opened the refurbished Cultúrlann Sweeney library in Kilkee on Monday evening and a sizeable gathering attended the event.
The €1.6m redevelopment of the 1950s public library building in Kilkee includes a revamped library with 12,500 books, DVDs, magazines and newspapers and a 108-seat theatre including a sound and lighting system and two green rooms.
Minister Deenihan predicted the new facility will play an important public and social role within the town, while Helen Walsh, county librarian, acknowledged the public’s “patience and understanding during the redevelopment process”.
Bernadette Kinsella, director of services, Clare County Council said the library needed to be upgraded to meet modern requirements.
“The main reason behind the redevelopment of the previous building was that it did not sufficiently address modern accessibility requirements, nor did it possess efficient heating, advanced stage technology and the expanding functions of a modern community library,” she said.
“The primary changes to the internal layout are the demolition of the existing toilet block to the front of the building and the separation of library and theatre functions within the existing building. The new side extension contains the new floor space and gallery, the provision of lift access to the upper level, the new entrance foyer and the upgrade of existing electrical and heating systems,” she added.
The project was funded by Clare County Council, in association with the Charitable Commissioners of Ireland, as well as the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.
The brief for the project was developed in conjunction with dozens of groups, including Clare County Library, Clare Arts Office, Clare County Council, Kilkee town councillors, area councillors, Kilkee Civic Trust, drama and community group representatives from the Kilkee area.
Architects Andrea Goble and Ruth Hurley from the Architectural Services Department of Clare County Council carried out feasibility studies, devised the concept design, developed the brief and designed the Part 8 Planning application.
L&M Keating Ltd of Kilmihil carried out the contract for the refurbishment and extension to the original building. The project design team for the detail design, tender and construction stages included Denis Byrne Architects (architects), Malachy Walsh and Partners (structural engineers), Matt O’Mahony and Associates Ltd (mechanical and electrical engineers) and O’Reilly Hyland Tierney (quantity surveyors).
The project management team included Clare County Council’s Helen Walsh (county librarian), Siobhán Mulcahy (county arts officer) and Andrea Goble (architect).
The library service was temporarily relocated to Kilkee Community Centre during construction, which commenced in January 2011.
For more library information, contact Cultúrlann Sweeney on 065 9056034.