The site for the proposed library is located on Crumlin Road, within the grounds of a former secondary school complex.
Plans include a single-storey and partial two-storey library building covering 841 sqm.
The new development would sit between Crumlin Road and Rafter’s Lane, near a planned 38-home social housing block.
The ground floor of the library will feature a combined adult and children’s library space, an events room, and other ancillary areas.
On the first floor, the library will include a reading and meeting room, along with staff facilities. A glazed bridge on this level will connect the new building to the existing Ardscoil Éanna House.
The proposal also includes changing the use of Ardscoil Éanna House from a school to a library with an ancillary café, offices, WC facilities, and multifunction rooms to host assemblies, readings, recitals, and café uses.
Conservation work and alterations to Ardscoil Éanna House, which spans 100 sqm, include the demolition of the front porch, modifications to several ground-floor openings, and the enlargement of a first-floor gable window to accommodate the proposed bridge connection.
Aerial 3D View of the Site
Internal changes are planned to restore the original room layout and provide public toilet facilities. Along the southern boundary, the historic gate and a section of the wall will be retained, repaired, and modified.
The proposal suggests removing the northern boundary wall and partially removing the southern boundary wall. Landscaping is also planned at the front and rear to create an accessible public realm.
An on-street accessible parking space on Rafter’s Lane and on-site cycle parking are included in the plans.
A map shows that the grounds surrounding the building will feature a “library lawn,” a rain garden, outdoor café seating, and additional bike parking.
Council officials presented the plans to councillors at the most recent South Central Area Committee meeting “for information purposes only,” according to the agenda.
Next, the plans will be put forward for public consultation, before councillors vote on whether to approve them.
The council’s capital budget for 2024 to 2026 allocates €200,000 to the project this year, €8.7 million in 2025, and €2.2 million in 2026.
The council revealed plans to submit a planning application for the new library before the end of the year.
