Decision on funding for €10 million library expansion in Tipperary is 'imminent'

A decision on whether the ambitious plans for the €10 million-plus redevelopment of the public library at Mick Delahunty Square, Clonmel will receive Government funding is imminent.

County Librarian Damien Dullaghan also told a meeting of Clonmel Borough District that the full design for the first stage of the redevelopment is substantially completed.

He said that the project for the library capital programme had been submitted to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government last June, but he didn’t know how it would fare when competing for funding with projects from 30 other local authorities.

Because of that, he couldn’t give a start date for the work.

“We have a terrific project and design, a design team and a site, and all we can do is be ready if (the funding application is) successful,” he stated.

He said that investment in our library service was one thing this country did well. Libraries are a tremendous community space and there’s always a welcome for you.

Cllr Pat English said it was good to receive this update and hopefully they could get the project across the line.

Cllr Siobhán Ambrose said that Clonmel library was used by people of all ages and it provided very good value for money. It was a wonderful social amenity for the town.

Cllr John FitzGerald said it was quite obvious that the town had outgrown the facility. The single-storey library at Mick Delahunty Square had become dwarfed by the town around it.

Damien Dullaghan had previously stated that match funding that was required from Tipperary County Council for the new library wouldn’t be an issue.

The new building will occupy a space covering 2,000 square metres, compared to the current building’s 500 square metres.

The new library will be built over two or three floors. The open ground floor would include a performance area, while the second floor would be a quieter space that would include a study area and a sensory space.