State-of-the-art Tipperary library in Craft Granary Building set to open to public in September
A major new car park as well as a flagship new library for one busy Tipperary tourist town are due to open within the next couple of months.
Work has been ongoing in Cahir to convert the former Craft Granary Building into the town’s state-of-the-art new library for a number of months now, but works are due to finish in the next few months.
As well as the new library, works have been under way to create a new public car park on the site of the former Galtee Hotel, with over 80 parking spaces to be provided.
At the May meeting of the Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel Municipal District, independent councillor Máirín McGrath asked for an update on the library and planned new car park in the town, and when they would open to the public.
“Could I please get an update on the library and the car park, particularly the car park I suppose because we’re well into the summer season now and the works have been somewhat delayed there,” she said.
“We all appreciate that you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, but the chaos and traffic issues in Cahir between the car park works and the mains rehab works as well have been extremely difficult over the last month or more.
“The chaos and the traffic delays have just been really frustrating, not only for visitors, but for just general people passing through town, and I know it’s Uisce Éireann and Shareridge, but I think as councillors we have very little engagement or information from them,” Cllr McGrath said.
The independent councillor said that she had previously asked that signs would be put on the approach roads into the towns warning motorists to expect delays, or to avoid the town if possible due to traffic issues.
In response, district director Damien Ginty said that the new car park would be open in June, while works at the library are almost complete.
“The car park is programmed to open on June 12, and then the library, the contractor is programmed to be out of there by the end of July,” Mr Ginty said.
“Then there will be a period of time that the library department will go in and stock the facility and get their system up and running, but it will be into September I’d say by the time the facility will be open and operational,” he added.
As part of the library works, in addition to a modern library space, the facility will include an exhibition area, sensory room, meeting and study rooms, a podcasting studio, and a “Makers Space” equipped with 3D printers and creative technologies.
The Granary building is almost 200-years old, but will become an energy efficient and sustainable building, becoming the first library in Tipperary to offer a new suite of technology services to the public.
Tipperary County Council has been given €1.7million in funding to complete the project from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF).
Elsewhere, the new car park will see over 80 car spaces provided, as well as five bus bays, disability accessible spaces and electric vehicle charging facilities.