Cork City Council should move on delivering a new purpose-built library for the city to replace the library on the Grand Parade rather than trying to convert some existing building into a modern library, a local TD has urged. Cork South Central Social Democrats TD Padraig Rice said the clear consensus that emerged from a public meeting attended by about 50 people last weekend was that they believed that a new purpose-built library was the best option rather than Cork City Council trying to adapt an existing building to library use. The Irish Times contacted Cork City Council with a series of questions about plans for the new public library, including whether there was sufficient space within the Counting House building at the Beamish and Crawford site to accommodate a new 7,700sq m library. Cork City Council said: “The City Library Service is an important component of the cultural, literary, and recreational infrastructure of Cork city and its community now and into the future. “The commitment to providing a new City Library of scale and substance is one that is a priority for Cork City Council.

Source: The Irish Times November 14, 2025 13:32 UTC