Is Sandy Rd the best place for a new city library

Mrs OBumble · 21-12-2017 03:54PM #1

So it seems there's not enough space for the new city library in the Black-Box replacement cultural hub site. (Either that or the the weight of the books would make the whole thing sink into the bog too quickly!)

And now the county-council is suggesting to put it on their site in Sandy Rd. (http://galwaybayfm.ie/no-new-galway-county-library-2022/)

What say ye, citizen's of boards - good idea to use existing land, or madness to place a facility for the people of the city in a place that's remote from the city centre and has poor public transport links from most areas?

This is not a branch library for Tirellan / Ballinfoyle / Terryland. It's a replacement for the central library which is currently in the very-accessible but expensive-to-rent Hynes Building.

21-12-2017 08:53PM

Honestly thought they owned Hynes building.

I've the perfect location for it. The car park behind the county buildings.

It central, as easy to access as the current one and the space will allow for them to build up.

It has the added benefit of removing free parking for council staff who may be more inclined to provide better bike facilities, public transport options etc etc around the place.

And yes, I'm aware the space I'm referring to is county council not city council

Unrealistic · 21-12-2017 09:19PM

Deleted User wrote: »

And yes, I'm aware the space I'm referring to is county council not city council

I believe the Library is one of the shared services between City and County so that shouldn't be an impediment anyway.

thesandeman · 21-12-2017 09:55PM

They already park their mobile library there anyway.

J.pilkington · 21-12-2017 09:58PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Honestly thought they owned Hynes building.

I've the perfect location for it. The car park behind the county buildings.

It central, as easy to access as the current one and the space will allow for them to build up.

It has the added benefit of removing free parking for council staff who may be more inclined to provide better bike facilities, public transport options etc etc around the place.

And yes, I'm aware the space I'm referring to is county council not city council

That’s a great suggestion, that car park is a terrible use of prime city centre space.

Fingers crossed the new library doesn’t turn into the disaster which happened with the dun laoighre library

inisboffin · 22-12-2017 12:18PM

Structurally, the site isn't bad at all, but in relation to it being City Centre, I don't think it's great. I wouldn't use it personally as I don't drive, and would never be just strolling by it, it would have to be a 'destination' (a bit like when Kenny's bookshop moved out of town).

Town rents are probably expensive though. Pity there was nowhere closer like the docks.

22-12-2017 10:53PM

Further detail on my suggestion

In terms of distance, it would actually be closer to the Square (buses) and Ceannt (trains) with cheap all day parking around the corner (Black Box)

Even if only 1 half of the parking area was used, the building would be of comparable size, if not bigger, than the county offices

thesandeman · 23-12-2017 09:32AM

Out of curiosity, what happens in the basement of the courthouse these days? That used to be the library when I was a kid.

bobbyss · 23-12-2017 10:30AM

thesandeman wrote: »

Out of curiosity, what happens in the basement of the courthouse these days? That used to be the library when I was a kid.

I well remember the Courthouse library. Making your way through court cases. Up those steps. The old heavy doors. Old world feel to the whole place. Not a particularly nice place in retrospect.

Wasn't aware of a basement in the Courhouse however.

dok_golf · 24-12-2017 12:13PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Further detail on my suggestion

In terms of distance, it would actually be closer to the Square (buses) and Ceannt (trains) with cheap all day parking around the corner (Black Box)

Even if only 1 half of the parking area was used, the building would be of comparable size, if not bigger, than the county offices

Didn't realise that was a council car park. It would be the ideal location surely??

westgolf · 24-12-2017 02:36PM

bobbyss wrote: »

I well remember the Courthouse library. Making your way through court cases. Up those steps. The old heavy doors. Old world feel to the whole place. Not a particularly nice place in retrospect.

Wasn't aware of a basement in the Courhouse however.

Agree re upstairs at the salmon weir bridge end. Is the basement not holding cells for the courts ?

xtradel · 24-12-2017 10:22PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Further detail on my suggestion

In terms of distance, it would actually be closer to the Square (buses) and Ceannt (trains) with cheap all day parking around the corner (Black Box)

Even if only 1 half of the parking area was used, the building would be of comparable size, if not bigger, than the county offices

I'd be more interested in the Wetherspoons where Paddys is now..... does bing know something we don't?

Is Sandy Rd the best place for a new city library

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