Historic opening of new Edgeworthstown Community Library

Press Release

22 November 2021

Longford County Council is delighted to welcome the opening of Edgeworthstown’s magnificent €4.3 million new community library, which officially opened to the public on Monday 22 November 2021.

The project, which is jointly funded by the Department of Rural Community Development and Longford County Council in partnership with the community in Edgeworthstown, is the culmination of many years of planning, design and construction.

This new state of the art library is located prominently on Main Street where it is easily accessible to all. A car park to the rear provides much-needed parking for the library and the town. The contemporary facility is filled with light and space, with every detail carefully planned from the use of the latest technology to the colourful comfortable seating – not to mention the shelves and shelves of wonderful new books.  

The children’s library on the ground floor includes a sensory wall, a tiny tot’s corner with a reading tree and an older children’s space for study or computer use. The ground floor also hosts a relaxing corner for adults to sit and read the newspaper or choose from a quick pick selection of popular reads, suiting every taste.

The first floor houses the main adult section which is punctuated with spacious desks overlooking the plaza and the busy main street below. All the usual genres are there to browse through and select, from classics to thrillers, romance to cookery, and from gardening and DIY to history books.

A magnificent tree of knowledge sculpture created by Longford artist Kevin Flood offers viewers many hours of pleasure. The piece was created from deadwood found around his family home at Agharra.

The valuable Edgeworth reference collection is also present, where scholars will come to research Maria Edgeworth and all the members of this extraordinary family that have given the town its name.

On the lower ground floor, there is an exhibition space/meeting room available for use as well as the offices of Edgeworthstown District Development Association and Manager Carmel Noone.

Speaking to the Leader the Chief Executive of Longford County Council Paddy Mahon said “we are grateful to the community in Edgeworthstown and especially Edgeworthstown Development Association who acquired this site and handed it over to the Council for a library. We hope that this major project will be the catalyst for the regeneration of the whole town and will have a transformative effect on the lives of this community into the future.” 

Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council Cllr Peggy Nolan said “I am very happy for the people of Edgeworthstown who through their own efforts and working in close collaboration with the members and staff of Longford County Council and especially my fellow elected members in Ballymahon Municipal District, have delivered this magnificent library for their town”.

County Librarian Mary Carleton Reynolds said “all of our libraries are welcoming inclusive spaces and our vision for this library is "a community living room" for the town and for the whole area with no barriers to access. The Edgeworthstown library staff look forward to welcoming everyone to this new library”.

ENDS

Photographs are available to download here.

CAPTIONS: L-R

3: Paula Mulry; Helen Sheridan; Longford County Librarian Mary Carleton Reynolds; Cathaoirleach, Longford County Council Cllr Peggy Nolan; Catherine Lee; Chief Executive, Longford County Council Paddy Mahon; Nicola Kenneally; Director of Services Longford County Council Barbara Heslin; and Margaret Mulligan.

4: Cathaoirleach Cllr Peggy Nolan cutting the ribbon on the new library

6: Director of Services Longford County Council Barbara Heslin; Chief Executive, Longford County Council Paddy Mahon; Cathaoirleach, Longford County Council Cllr Peggy Nolan and Longford County Librarian Mary Carleton Reynolds.

CB3B3008: Edgeworth Society members Angela Tuite (in costume) and Local Historian Matt Farrell meet Bernard Shea of Longford County Council Environment Department, with site manager on the Edgeworthstown Community Library build Rod O'Farrell.

CB3B3048: Library employee Helen Sheridan demonstrating the self-service kiosk to Fr Tom Healy, PP, Edgeworthstown

CB3B3051: Staff members Paula Mulry and Emily Murray try out the new technology.

CB3B3105: Local artist Kevin Flood’s sculpture “The Tree of Knowledge” is admired in Edgeworthstown Community Library.

CB3B3069: Sensory wall