Limerick Person of the Month: Exciting new chapter for ‘the Carnegie’

A COMMITTEE which oversaw the transformation of a run-down library building into a modern facility which is now the heartbeat of their local community have been named the Limerick Persons of the Month.

When local woman Siobhán Costello started the Ballysteen Tidy Village Group back in 2016, restoring ‘the Library’ or ‘the Carnegie’ - as it is fondly known - was not high on her agenda, if on her agenda at all. 

“We were just looking at putting a few flowers in the village,” Siobhán smiles after accepting the Limerick Person of the Month award on behalf of the hard-working committee behind the restoration project.

At one of the village group’s first meetings however, the question was posed by many in attendance - “What about the Carnegie?”

At that time, the Carnegie Library in Ballysteen, built by the Carnegie Trust in 1908, sat abandoned and was an eyesore in the centre of the tiny village located five kilometres from the town of Askeaton. 

The last event in the Library had taken place in 2004, Siobhán reckons. But it was run down long before that. 

“At one time it was the most vibrant community centre but there was never a toilet there,” explains Siobhán as she settles into the sofa at the Clayton hotel to tell the story of how Ballysteen Carnegie Library and Community Heritage Centre came to be.

The building had always been held in great affection by people from near and far who would have enjoyed many a good night there, at the Irish Céilí dances with the cup of tea and the slice of home baking after. The library also hosted local concerts, political meetings and of course the library. The building was even used as a school in the 1960s when the “new” school was being built nearby.

Civic honours for committee behind restoration of 113-year-old Limerick library

In 2018 Government policy focused on derelict buildings and a Town and Village Renewal Scheme Grant of €100,000 was available to restore the building in the parish which has a church, a primary school and a sports field. 

Following many public meetings and a subsequent public ballot, the decision was made to buy the derelict building and site and proceed with the development. 

A committee, headed up by the energetic Siobhán Costello, called the Ballysteen Carnegie Development Company Limited, was formed to take ownership of the building and site.

It has been a challenging project for the committee not made any easier by Covid-19 restrictions.

Their achievement is all the more impressive given that, despite the €270,000 price tag of the project, they are now “practically debt free”.

The building itself was brought back into public ownership thanks mainly to the generosity of a philanthropic organisation, the Tomar Trust.

Other help followed, from Limerick City and County Council, the JP McManus Foundation and from West Limerick Resources. A fashion show proved hugely successful.

However, the pandemic made the fundraising that was required to make up the balance very difficult.

The committee had to think outside the box if they were going to deliver on a state-of-the-art facility for the small community of approximately 300 people.

A massive drive was instigated locally with fundraisers organised such as Cash for Clobber, Split the Pot, as well as concerts, church gate collections, scrap metal collections and a hugely successful Buy a Plaque campaign.

Two extensions were built to the rear of the hall, three toilets to the right - one wheelchair access, two gender neutral, and a small kitchen to the left. Much voluntary work was done on site by locals to help complete the project. 

Huge effort in rural Limerick community brings new life to 113-year-old Carnegie Library

Every effort has been made to protect the integrity of the building preserving all lime based mortar and every feature of the original design including stone-cut window sills, wooden sash windows, T&G ceiling boards, slates and internal doors. 

There was also, Siobhán explains, a huge amount of physical work done by local volunteers from the age of 15 upwards.

Already, since its official opening last November, the building is in demand with the Inbhear Community Choir practising there and yoga classes also taking place. The GAA asked to host their AGM there and the building was the chosen venue for this month’s meeting of councillors from the Adare Rathkeale Municipal District where the committee which led the restoration was honoured with a civic reception.

There are plans for regular card games and the school across the road hope to hold their gymnastics there. Next month Kenry Historical Society are holding a tribute/inaugural lecture in honour of Brother John Feheney for services to local history.

“It is going to be fully finished in the next few months,” Siobhán points out of the facility.  “We want to thank everyone who helped in any way in getting this project completed.  There is no end to the prospects that this community building can bring to the parish and beyond.  It has been an arduous journey resurrecting this building but no doubt a journey which will benefit generations for years to come.”