This article is from page 35 of the 2012-02-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 35 JPG
KILKEE is now home to west Clare best cultural and library facility – a new dawn that was heralded this Monday evening when the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan formally opened the Culturlann Sweeney.
The € 1.6m redevelopment of the 1950s public library building on O’Connell Street in the west Clare town has been hailed as a major development for the arts by both Minsiter Jimmy Deenihan and Mayor of Clare, Pat Hayes.
The 8,299 sq-ft development, which is almost double the size of the original Sweeney Memorial Public Library, comprises additional library space, theatre and exhibition space, and multifunction spaces.
The new theatre and foyer/gallery facilities have been designed to accommodate approximately 110 people, while the number of book titles in the library stock exceeds 12, 500.
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 official opening of Cultúrlann Sweeney represents the completion of one of the biggest infrastructure projects to be undertaken in the West Clare area in recent years,” said Mayor Hayes. “The facility will greatly enhance the social infrastructure of the area and will help the future development of Kilkee and its environs,” he added
“The project has led to an improvement in the standard and range of independent functions within the building, allowing for different activities to occur independently. This new facility will play an important public and social role within the town”, said County Librarian, Helen Walsh.
The first County Council Library opened in Kilkee in 1945 in O’Connell Street and from 1951, when the Sweeney Memorial Library opened, there were two libraries operating in Kilkee. This Sweeney Memorial Library was founded with money bequeathed from Dr. William J. Sweeney, Union City, New Jersey, whose grandfather was born in Kilkee in 1833.
The Kilkee Public Library branch was closed in 1962, with Clare County Council taking over the running of the library from Sweeney Memorial Trust Fund following High Court Agreement was signed in 1985.
“The main reason behind the redevelopment of the previous building was that it did not sufficiently ad- dress modern accessibility requirements, nor did it possess efficient heating, advanced stage technology and the expanding functions of a modern community library,” said Clare County Council Director of Services, Bernadette Kinsella.
“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.
It’s expected that the Kilkee Tourist Office will be located at Culturlann Sweeney.