PROPOSAL TO MOVE MITCHELSTOWN LIBRARY TO SUTTON’S COURT
The delay in relocating Mitchelstown Library is a source of frustration for local people, Fine Gael county Councillor Liam O’Doherty told the Northern committee of Cork County Council this week. Cllr O’Doherty has proposed moving the service in to the Sutton’s Court development at Clonmel road and selling the Forrest Hall building previously earmarked for the new library.
Cllr O’Doherty, a member of the library committee, said that library services in Mitchelstown are severely hindered by its current location in Mitchelstown’s county council building that cannot provide adequate space for the majority of library programmes afforded by Cork County Library. The second floor location also denies disability access, he added.
In describing the current situation as ‘embarrassing,’ Cllr Kevin O’Keeffe supported the motion, citing the ample parking and room Sutton’s Court provides as an ‘ideal space’ for the facility.
“It is embarrassing, as a fellow member of the library committee, to see other projects for other libraries get the go ahead when Mitchelstown doesn’t have room,” Cllr O’Keeffe said, adding that the Forrest Hall building was ‘an eyesore’.
Cllr Frank O’Flynn suggested that the council advertise for potential sites to host the library but was against the sale of the Forrest Hall site, which the council has owned since 2001.
Cllr O’Doherty said that a lack of funding from the Government for renovation was to blame for the Forrest Hall site lying idle.
“The matter of a library in Mitchelstown has been on the agenda throughout my 18 years on the council,” Fine Gael Cllr Aileen Pyne said, “The possibility of the Sutton’s Court site could be very beneficial for the town.”
Mallow based councillors Dan Joe Fitzgerald, Jerry Mullally, Noel O’Connor and Tom Sheahan all offered their support, drawing parallels between the situation in Mitchelstown and a previous problem in Mallow.
“Any town without a proper library is deficient,” Cllr Sheahan noted.
Assistant county manager Tim Lucey said that Mallow and Youghal had been earmarked by the local authority as higher priorities for funding but that Mitchelstown will be the next to benefit from future funding.
While Sutton’s Court is an option, there could be a ‘less than desirable’ difficulty in securing capital funding, he explained.
Published:
Thursday 22nd January 5:19pm
