Library celebrate 50 years in the community

WALKINSTOWN Public Library recently held celebrations
to mark the fact that it has been 50 years serving the community.

Ideally situated on Percy French Road in the heart of
a residential area, it has been a focal point in the local community.

At the time it was opened the library was run by
Dublin County Council. It was designed by architect John O’Neill and cost
e18,500 to build.

The stock at the time was 7,500 books. It was the
first library to have been opened by the council in 25 years and also the first
to have central heating but for the first year it had no phone.

The official opening took place on October 2, 1961 and
the ceremony was conducted by Joe Connolly, the chairman of the Library
Committee and blessed by Fr Joseph Callan of St Agnes’ Parish, Crumlin.

The library celebrated 50 years of community service
with a reception for members of the public along with current and past staff
members.

There was a selection of wine, juice, tea and coffee
along with cheese, crackers, brown bread and smoked salmon, cocktail sausages,
and strawberries dipped in chocolate.

There was also
an exhibition of information and photos from the opening night and of events
through the years.

The

‘Walkinstown: The Musical Roads’ exhibition was
also on display and the event was very well attended with over 130 present
including councillors Ruairi McGinley and Henry Upton, Mary Healy who was the
very first cleaner and stayed for 33 years, Kathleen Guinan and Claire McGann
who worked in Walkinstown in the early years.

In fact Claire just retired from Walkinstown last
September and Jimmy Grehan, who was the library attendant for 30 years, was also
there.

The library still has some borrowers who registered
with them on the very first opening day.

And staff recently discovered that one of their
current borrowers who lives across the road from the library is in fact an
altar boy who appeared in the photo of the opening ceremony

The reception was followed by a music recital by
Michael Reade, tenor, accompanied by Davnat O’Reilly on keyboard. Michael sang
a selection of songs from the likes of Thomas Moore, Percy French and John
McCormack to the delight of the guests.