Project team members guided attendees through the new building, providing a briefing on the layout and proposed finish of the impressive multi-functional space. The 2,321 sqm building features a two-floor public library, including a local studies centre, a 100 sqm art gallery, and the County Library headquarters on the top floor. Designed by London-based Keith Williams Architects, construction resumed with Coolsivna Construction in April 2022.
The visit marked a significant milestone with the ending of the construction phase and the commencement of library fit-out which will take several weeks to complete. Work Rest Play based in Belfast was awarded the tender fit-out and the visitors were shown aspects of shelving, desking, and seating which have arrived recently to site and are presently being installed. It is expected that the library will decant the three service points of public library, local studies centre and library headquarters onto the site over the coming weeks, with an anticipated opening date of later in the summer.
Cllr Joe Cooney, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, said: "I'm delighted to see that the interior reflects the scale and ambition of the exterior of the building and I would like to acknowledge that for myself and my fellow Councillors we feel we have contributed to creating a lasting legacy for the people of Ennis and the county."
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Pat Dowling, Chief Executive, Clare County Council, added: "This new County Library project is a landmark initiative aimed at providing a modern, engaging and inclusive space for learning, community engagement and cultural enrichment. I am especially pleased to have delivered this project during my term as Chief Execuitve and I look forward to watching the community make it their own and embrace the many opportunities it will afford in the future."
Anne Haugh, Director of Rural Development with responsibility for libraries, Clare County Council, said: "This long-anticipated project, developed by Clare County Council, designed by Keith Williams Architects with construction led by Coolsivna, represents a significant investment in the future of our community. The new library is designed to cater to the diverse and changing needs of the population, offering a wide range of facilities and services that reflect the evolving role of libraries in the 21st century."
Keith Williams, architect, stated: "The realisation of the main phases of the new De Valera Library represents an important milestone in the progress of this extraordinary new civic project. The building is looking magnificent, and I and my fellow director Richard Brown look forward to working with Clare County Council and the design and construction teams, towards its finalisation and eventual public opening later in the year."
Currently, the library holds a collection of 49,000 items, with 19,000 dedicated to children’s services and 15,000 in the local studies centre. The new branch will merge the public library and local studies centre. Last year, the library recorded nearly 80,000 visits, and with the enhanced facilities and services in the new building, this number is expected to double upon opening.
Helen Walsh, Clare County Librarian, said: "The new library will now hold a stock of 70,000 items. The branch will also hold an additional store of 22,000 books which will supplement the public offering.” She added that “the dedicated children’s area will contain a cubby sensory hub providing an immersive multi-sensory space as well as access to sensory toys, board games and a dedicated 'maker space'."
Other items of note include laptops and hublets which will be provided for use in the library and there will be ample seating and study spaces provided throughout the building. There is a dedicated teenage space and a multi-purpose meeting room available for use for lectures and library clubs while three single booths, which provide privacy if required for interviews or research, are located on the first floor. The library contains a universally accessible toilet compliant with the ‘changing places’ policy.
A 100sqm art gallery which sits separate to the library but is adjacent to glór is an additional element of the build and puts a focus on a joined-up approach to the provision of cultural services on the site – unifying the visual, performing, and literary arts.
