Meeting to discuss the future of Cork city library

A public meeting will be held today to discuss the future of Cork City Library.

In September 1930, the city library moved to its current home at 57-58 Grand Parade, its collection rebuilt after the destruction of the Carnegie Library on Anglesea St during the Burning of Cork.

Officially opened as the Terence MacSwiney Library in 1979 by the then taoiseach Jack Lynch, the library’s staff have long contended that it is no longer fit for purpose.

In 2021, Cork City Council announced that funding of €46.05m from Ireland 2040’s Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) for the Grand Parade Quarter would help regenerate the southern end of the Grand Parade.

That regeneration would include Bishop Lucey Park, which is due to reopen this month.

“In addition, the funding will enable public realm works in Tuckey St and South Main St,” the council said.

“It is proposed to develop the area with a mix of cultural activity, job creation and housing.

“The funding will also help progress plans to develop a new 7,700 square-metre city library that will facilitate up to one million visits in this quarter.” 

 In April of this year, Cork City Council chief executive Valerie O’Sullivan said the library would have to move “because it’s just not good enough for a European city”.

“It is not a library befitting Cork,” she told the Irish Examiner.

“I’d prefer to move the library into something of a far higher standard to cater for a growing population than spend money on refurbishing what’s there.” 

Counting House

Asked if the former Beamish and Crawford Counting House on South Main St might be a suitable venue, Ms O’Sullivan said: “I think it would be fantastic as a library.” 

The Counting House was restored by developers Bam in 2021, as office and cultural space, but the building has been vacant since.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said on Friday: “The City Library Service is an important component of the cultural, literary, and recreational infrastructure of Cork City and its community now and into the future.

“The commitment to providing a new city library of scale and substance is one that is a priority for Cork City Council.

“Work is ongoing to make this happen and further updates will be provided as this matter progresses,” they said.

A public meeting to discuss the library is to be held at 11am today, Saturday, November 8, in the South Parish Community Centre.

Hosted by Pádraig Rice, Social Democrats TD for Cork South Central, and councillor Niamh O’Connor, the meeting will be chaired by former Independent senator Colette Kelleher.

Speakers will include Gerry Kelly of the Cork School of Music Campaign, Jude Sherry and Frank O’Connor from Dereliction Ireland, and Louise Cotter, the architect behind the Dún Laoghaire Library.

Mr Rice said Cork City needed a new, fit-for-purpose central library.

“The people of our city care about the library and their voices deserve to be heard,” he said.

“This is why I would encourage anyone interested in the future of the city library to join us on November 8 between 11am and 1pm in the South Parish Community Centre.”