Demonstrators call for new city library

A demonstration was held outside Cork City Hall on Monday evening by the Cork Library Action Group, to show support for the delivery of a new library.

More than 50 people gathered with banners and placards to show their support for the project.

The demonstration took place immediately before the March meeting of Cork City Council, where Social Democrats Cllr Niamh O’Connor had put forward a motion on the project.

She was calling on the council to “write to the minister with responsibility for libraries to seek his urgent engagement” in making the group’s ten-point action plan a reality.

The plan calls for the library to be based in the city centre, be accessible and sustainable, and emphasise local history and things to borrow outside of books. It also calls for an enhanced Rory Gallagher Music Library.

Cllr O’Connor said she believes in “setting our sights high for this library and don’t believe there should be a limit to our ambition for it”.

“To paraphrase Michelangelo, the real danger here is not setting our sights too high and falling short, but setting them too low and achieving them.

“I am aware some people will say I should allow the current process to run its course, but we have now waited five years for this library to happen while building costs have spiralled, we can’t wait any longer,” she said.

Cllr O’Connor’s motion was deferred.

Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice said the deferral was “disappointing”.

“Councillors are elected to provide leadership for our city - tonight Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael neglected that duty by refusing to debate the motion on the new city library.” He said the library was just one of a number of capital projects left undelivered in the city.

“We have seen this time and again, where capital projects are announced for Cork but not delivered.

“The library should be an important civic space in the heart of our city. We believe that this should be a cathedral of learning for Cork. We believe that it is crucially important now that the government and city council work together to deliver this hugely important piece of infrastructure for our city,” he said.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.