LIMERICK City Council is being urged to give “serious consideration” to acquiring the former Jesuit church in The Crescent. Cllr Kathleen Leddin first put forward the suggestion when the issue of a new headquarters for Limerick City Library was under discussion in City Hall. At that time, the director of services, Pat Dowling, rejected Cllr Leddin’s proposal that the landmark, red brick building, would “make an ideal library’. He told Cllr Leddin that it would take “many millions” to restore the building’s interior, which has fallen into very poor condition. There was also dissatisfaction with its location not being close enough to the city centre.
Unconvinced by the arguments, Cllr Leddin told a meeting of the Cultural and Sporting Committee in City Hall this week, that it is worth reconsidering the Jesuit building as “ideal for an iconic city library for Limerick”.
Commenting to the Limerick Post, she said the former church building comes with the adjoining monastery building.
“Mr Dowling has emphasised that a new library headquarters must be spacious and be able to provide room for lectures, a reference library, workshops, storage, a computer library etc., but the Jesuit church and the adjoining building has ample space.
“It is a beautiful building, full of atmosphere and I do not agree that it is too far removed from the city centre.
“It is just three blocks away - three or four minutes walk, it’s very close to a number of schools, colleges, office buildings, residential areas, the Belltable Arts Centre, the Theatre Royal, shops, the beautifully extended City Gallery of Art and the People’s Park, which increasingly is attracting parents and children who would find it very accommodating to be able to stroll across to the library when they’re in town on a Saturday.
“The building would also be very close to the rail and bus station, which would be convenient for visitors or students who wanted to visit the library for research purposes..
“I really believe, especially as funding has been guaranteed from the government, that if an appropriate location can be identified, and we could also source funding from the EC, that the Jesuit building is an ideal choice.
“Ennis has very successfully converted an old ecclesiastical building into a library - it is greatly admired and I believe that we could do the same”.