A €10 million civic centre has been officially opened in east Meath, bringing a permanent library service to the area for the first time in almost 20 years.
The East Meath Civic Centre (EMCC) in Bettystown includes two floors of library space as well as changing facilities for beach-goers, community meeting rooms and public toilets.
The new development will accommodate the first public sensory room in the county and be the first library in Meath to offer users free access to the latest in 3D technology and group study pods to students.
Outdoor heated showers, a water station and beach wheelchairs will also be provided.
The new 950-square metre, four-storey building is situated on the beachfront and was solely funded by Meath County Council at a cost of €10.1m.
The centre was officially opened this afternoon by Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council and Bettystown woman, Councillor Sharon Tolan.
The EMCC will offer a suite of public library services, including separate adult and children's libraries, a sensory room, a study hub and an exhibition area.
The centre will also accommodate a new lifeguard station and provide a beach management area.
Residents in east Meath were first served by a branch library at Laytown.
This was the first purpose-built branch in the county and dated back to the 1950s.
However, the building was demolished in 2006.
Temporary branch facilities were provided at Julianstown for a time before Meath County Council initiated a shared services project with Louth County Council and arranged for a mobile library service from Louth to include the Laytown/Bettystown area on its route.
However, this service ceased at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Therefore, today marks the return of a permanent library service to the east Meath area for the first time since the mid-2000s.
The library at the EMCC will open five days a week, including an all-day Saturday service and late evening openings on Tuesdays.
After the bedding-in process, it will also offer seven-day access for registered My Open Library users.
The new facility will also offer a large meeting room on the ground floor and three meeting rooms on the third floor.
In addition to enabling Meath County Council Library Service to deliver a wide variety of events, the multi-functional meeting rooms can also be booked for free by the local community.
The centre will provide a new home for on-duty beach lifeguards and beach wardens, with an elevated position from which they can survey the beach.
There will be accessible hot shower facilities in addition to public toilets for bathers.
The EMCC will also provide a new base for community events such as World Ocean Day and will be a new location for the delivery of beach lifeguard courses, allowing young people to upskill in lifeguarding and provide safety services at the beach.
It will also be a space for a beach wheelchair service and there will be a changing room available for people with a disability.
Two beach wheelchairs will be provided. The terra wheels wheelchair features two extra-large inflatable front wheels and two large rear castor wheels. It can be easily pushed by an attendant using the push handle.
Meanwhile, the hippocampe beach wheelchair will allow users to go into the water and swim while the chair floats.
Speaking at the official opening of the centre this afternoon, Cllr Tolan said: "I would like to express my immense pride in the benefits that this beautiful facility will provide to the people of east Meath.
"Through its library services, the East Meath Civic Centre will serve as an accessible hub of education and knowledge for individuals of all ages. The state-of-the-art meeting rooms equipped with audiovisual facilities and overlooking the beach are set to become a central hub for community and non-profit group events in East Meath.
"To the tens of thousands of annual visitors to Bettystown Beach, the Lifeguard Station and Beach Management services on the ground floor will provide essential reassurance and support.
Meanwhile the Chief Executive of Meath County Council, Kieran Kehoe, said the centre shows the local authority's commitment to providing public services and facilities to both those living in and visiting the county.
