Minister Humphreys announces €4.5m Libraries Capital Programme Funding for Kilkenny City Library and Monaghan PEACE Campus Library

·         €2.245m for the new Mayfair library to be developed on this site

·         €1.8m in additional funding for the Monaghan PEACE Campus

·         Approximately €455,000 investment across several counties, including in mobile library vehicles

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today (Friday, July 23^rd) announced funding of €4.5 million under the Libraries Capital Programme.

The significant investment includes an additional €2.245m for the new Mayfair Library in Kilkenny and €1.8m in additional funding for the Monaghan PEACE Campus.

The Mayfair Building in Kilkenny is an iconic landmark located at the entrance to the Abbey Quarter.  

Once complete, it will be a state of the art facility for the city and its visitors.

Some €455,000 is to be invested in a number of other projects in counties such as Monaghan, Meath, Westmeath, Cork, Roscommon and Sligo.

This smaller investment includes mobile library vehicles, designed to assist local authorities to continue the valuable outreach service to their communities.

Announcing the funding at the site of the new Mayfair Library, Minister Humphreys said:

“One of the key actions of our public library strategy ‘Our Public Libraries – Inspiring, Connecting and Empowering Communities’, is to develop library buildings that are fit for purpose and reflect the quality of services on offer. I am delighted to be in a position to announce this investment in the public library service. My Department’s Libraries Capital Programme is investing some €4m in these builds but without considerable investment and commitment from both Kilkenny and Monaghan County Councils these exciting projects would not have been able to commence”.

The Monaghan PEACE Campus will provide community space, a youth facility, a new town library and a cultural heritage area. This project will be the catalyst to allow all communities to come together to engage in a safe setting.

Minister Humphreys said:

“I am also delighted to be announcing today additional funding of €1.8m for the PEACE Campus project in my home county of Monaghan. This will bring my Department’s investment in this project to €2.8m. This is the type of project that is envisioned by Our Rural Future’- one that will ensure that thriving rural Ireland remains integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing and development.”

Announcing the funding for library vehicles Minister Humphreys thanked the local authorities and the library staff for their ongoing commitment and support to the public library service during the past 16 months.

“The local authorities have supported the library service during what has been an incredibly challenging year and the delivery of library items to the housebound and vulnerable has been a wonderful service which I know is highly valued by the customers who received books, audiobooks, CDs and DVDs along with a welcome friendly chat with the driver.”

Details of Funding