The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Joe Carroll together with Minister of State, Colm Burke TD and Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Moira Murrell have cut the ribbon for the official opening of The Briery Gap Theatre and Library.
The site, which is positioned in the heart of the town, was home to the Palace Cinema for more than 30 years, until it was purchased by Cork County Council in 1987 and underwent a major refurbishment before re-opening as a library, theatre and cinema in 2000. However, the building was closed following a fire in May 2016.
The €9 million project, which was funded by Cork County Council together with grants from the Department of Community and Rural Development and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, was completed by Cumnor Construction in May of this year. I want to acknowledge and thank my colleague Deputy Michael Creed TD for his efforts here is securing funding for this project.
The building’s façade is modern in its design and construction, incorporating natural buff clay bricks, high quality stone and bronze aluminium windows. It consists of a library at ground floor level, a 215-seater auditorium, bar and upgraded backstage support facilities. A state-of-the-art audio-visual system as well as energy efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems form part of the contemporary theatre and library complex.
The new library is a bright, vibrant and accessible space with comfortable seating and ample study space as well as a large collection of books, audiobooks and DVDs. The library features a woodland themed children’s area with a treehouse reading nook and an expanded shared events space upstairs to host library groups and activities.
Over the coming months, The Briery Gap Theatre will present a range of exciting performances, gigs and films including a Monday night cinema programme. The theatre programme will offer local drama and professional productions starting with ‘The Dead Letter Office’ by Mary Lou McCarthy on the 18th of October while Cork musician John Spillane is one of the highlights of the season. More information is available on www.brierygap.ie
Macroom Library plays host to a variety of events, groups, class visits from local schools and activities that create a sense of shared experience and belonging locally. The Macroom Purlies, an animated group of knitting enthusiasts meet weekly while Ciorcal Cainte and Irish Conversations are two Irish language Comhrá groups who meet to practice their cúpla focail in a comfortable space. Other regular events include a monthly music morning with the Gramophone Circle, adult book club, creative writing group, Chess Group, and many more.