Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today on ‘Ireland Reads Day’, officially opened Ireland’s newest Library in Edgeworthstown.
Ireland Reads is a campaign to get the whole country reading during February and in the lead up to ‘Ireland Reads Day’, February 25th.
The Minister, who has responsibility for public libraries, was joined by county librarian Mary Carleton Reynolds for the official ministerial opening of the €4.5 million facility.
The new Library received funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Libraries Capital Programme.
The Department’s Rural Regeneration and Development Fund also provided €1.2 million for a new car park and public realm works around the library.
Speaking at the library opening in Edgeworthstown, Minister Humphreys said:
“As Minister with responsibility for the Public Library Service, I am delighted to be here today to officially open this fabulous new library. It is a building that realises the potential of a modern, evolving library service and offers lifelong learning opportunities – supporting literacy, and provides access to a wide range of online resources and modern technology.
“It is timely too that I am here on Ireland Reads Day which is an important date in the calendar for our public libraries. This is a fantastic campaign which is led by libraries in partnership with booksellers, publishers, authors. I am delighted to support this campaign for the second consecutive year.
“This new library is the result of community development at its best, and it is the perfect example of what can be achieved when the community, local authority and government works together for the benefit of our communities. This is what puts the heart and soul into rural Ireland.
The Minister also opened a series of new rural development projects in the county as part of a nationwide tour to promote Our Rural Future.
Our Rural Future is the Government’s new rural development strategy, which aims to revitalise towns and villages, promote remote working, and ensure balanced regional development.
The Minister travelled to Ballinalee for the official opening of the Forest Walk. She then went on to Aughnacliffe to open the River Walk and on to Dromard for the official opening of Slí na Sláinte walkway at Moyne Community School.
The Minister’s visit concluded in Dromard where she then opened a new walkway and unveiled improvements to a community centre.
Speaking about visit to Longford, Minister Humphreys said:
“All of the projects I have opened today are exactly the kind of projects that I want to see receive funding from my Department. They provide fantastic facilities and help to make our communities more sustainable.
“They are helping to realise the vision outlined in Our Rural Future, the Government’s new five-year strategy for rural Ireland, which is for a thriving rural Ireland full of people, places and possibilities.”