Minister Ní Chuilín officially opens Falls Road Library

The Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has officially opened the Falls Road Library.
~ Wednesday, 11 January 2012

This follows the recent official opening of the Shankill library in December.

The £770,000 Falls refurbishment marked the beginning of the capital investment promised for the Belfast area after the recent Strategic Review of the library estate in Greater Belfast. The Falls Road Library, along with the Shankill and Whiterock Road libraries were earmarked as the first of the Belfast libraries to receive investment.

Speaking at the opening the Minister said: “The Falls Road Library is a prime example of the excellent investment being made in the public library service.

“The much needed improvements have revitalised this library enabling it to provide a modern, vibrant library service, offering an enhanced range of books and other services. Together, we are working to deliver the library service that people both deserve and need. People of the Falls Road both deserve and need the best public facilities.”

The Minister was joined at the event by pupils from St Mary’s primary school and Gaelscoil An Lonnain who recited poetry and sang some songs.

Continuing, the Minister said: “I firmly believe that investment in the library service will help build a more educated society, a more skilled society and a stronger society. I am committed to ensuring, against a difficult financial backdrop, that local library services are protected as much as possible”

Notes for editors:

1. Falls Road Library was the second Carnegie building erected in Belfast. The original cost was £3,969. It opened in January 1908. It is designed in the English Renaissance style, with red brick and hunter stone. The refurbishment complemented the existing aesthetics of the building and met with all relevant planning and built heritage requirements. The old library facility had long been recognised as suffering from a range of accommodation issues which constrained the expected range of library services.
2. The refurbishment work at the Falls Road library was started on 24 January and finished at the beginning of June 2011. It was one of three library projects carried out at the same time in West Belfast.
3. Patton Construction was the main contractor.
4. The refurbishment work addressed structural issues as well as providing modern facilities for the local community. The ground floor has a comfortable lending library while upstairs provides an ICT learning suite and community meeting rooms with associated public WCs.
5. Last month the Minister officially opened the Shankill Library and earlier in the year the Whiterock Library6.
6. Media enquiries should be addressed to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Communications Office Tel 028 90 515047 or email: communications@dcalni.gov.uk. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699715440 and your call will be returned