The City Carnegie Library marked 100 years of service last Wednesday with the launch of a full colour illustrated commemorative brochure.
The official ceremony of the Centenary Booklet was launched by Mayor of Kilkenny City, Cllr Martin Brett and Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Catherine Connery.
The celebrations lasted until 8pm on Wednesday and included Simply Strings Quartet, Krusty the Clown with children’s entertainment, Niall De Bùrca with traditional storytelling, the Kilkenny gospel choir and Irish playwright and director Peter Sheridan with art competition presentations.
The first public library in Kilkenny makes its origins clear in this publication along with its connection with both Lady Desart and the Cuffe family. Andrew Carnegie’s major role in bringing the library to life is outlined. The development of the service itself from an era of closed-access shelves and collections of books in wooden presses to a multi-media era of digital formats serving the whole community is also chronicled with information relating to the historic neighbourhood in which the library is situated. Throughout this period the Carnegie Library has remained a hub of the County Library service.
“We hope that this publication will provide a permanent memento of such an important date both for the library service and Kilkenny City,” said Declan Macauley, executive librarian, at Kilkenny County Library.
Contributors to the publication include Declan Macauley and Damien Brett and local writer Gabriel Murray, who have un-earthed the extraordinary serious of events that let to the funding of the library.
This publication has been sponsored by the Heritage Council and the American Embassy. Free copies of the brochure are available to all.
