Danny Healy Rae, TD has welcomed the news that the Carnegie Library – the old library at the top of the town – has been thrown a lifeline and its redevelopment included for consideration under a funding initiative in the €10m small town and village renewal scheme.
The €10m small town and village renewal scheme was announced earlier this year by Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys, TD.
The possibilities for the building in a rejuvenated state are endless and, apart from any other consideration, its inclusion in the life of the town again can only be but welcomed.
Glaring Gaps
One of the most glaring gaps in the cultural life of the area at present is the lack of a museum space here in Castleisland.
A place where historians can study artifacts from the area up close and an amenity to act as a tourism trap and information hub for the cultural, musical and sporting history of the entire Sliabh Luachra area.
This week’s announcement is the first step on a long road back for the grand and historic old building which has more battle scars that many of its equals around the county.
Deputy Healy Rae also welcomed the inclusion of projects in other parts of his constituency: Gneeveguilla Undergrounding; Sneem Enterprise Centre and Portmagee Enhancement; Fenit Village Enhancement; Listowel Greenway Design for Planning and Neo Data Development have all been selected under scheme.
Selected on Thursday
Successful projects that were submitted were only selected on Thursday of this week, September 29th.
“It is important to point out that these projects still have to be approved by the Department of Arts Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs,” said Deputy Healy Rae.
“The projects submitted details a minimum investment of €450,000 in the county.
“I am a member of the committee on Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and Gaeltacht Affairs and I will do everything I can to ensure that the funding is provided for the seven projects that have been selected under the above mentioned scheme,” Mr. Healy Rae said.
Qualifying Town or Village
The €10m small town and village renewal scheme was announced earlier this year by Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys, TD.
Grant aid to any qualifying town or village could go to projects such as car parking and recreational facilities.
The initiative will also be followed by an action plan the government is preparing for rural regeneration. There is also a follow-up plan in place for 2017.
This is all aimed at putting a particular focus on supporting smaller towns, with populations of less than 5,000 and a lesser number of projects can be supported in each county for towns with a population of up to 10,000.
The life of ‘The Library’
After operating for 79 years in the building at the top of the town, the Castleisland Library Service moved to the bottom of the town in August 2008. There, it took up residence in the new Castleisland Area Services Centre on Station Road.
The existing library closed its doors at 5pm on Wednesday, August 13th-2008 and the facility opened in the Area Services Centre at 10am on Wednesday, August 27th.
The original Castleisland Library building was completed in December 1914, grant aided by the Carnegie Trust. However, owing to local difficulties, the library didn’t open until July 1920. Then Kitty Cahill was appointed acting librarian and caretaker to over 400 books.
The library was burned down during ‘The Troubles’ in late Autumn 1920, with the present building opening as a library in 1929. Kitty Downey replaced Miss Cahill as librarian in 1948 and she served on her own until her retirement in January 1993.
After Kitty’s retirement the duties of librarian at Castleisland were shared between Eileen Murphy and Lucy Kerins.
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