Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Ballymote

This 7-year-old's letter calling for her local library in Sligo to be kept open will melt your cold, cold heart

“Please don’t close Bally-mote library, because evry one loves it… If you do lots of Bally-mote’s resedents will get upset a they might cry!”

THE THREAT TO library services has been a huge issue in Co Sligo over the last few weeks – after the local council’s CEO said earlier this month that current operations were being reviewed.

Sligo County Council had been operating the service with depleted resources for some time, Ciaran Hayes said, according to the Sligo Champion.

“It is not possible to continue to service three libraries with such a reduced compliment which regrettably necessitates an examination of the service in its entirety.”

The move – as you might imagine – has been met with some public outcry, and protest groups have been formed.

It appeared some progress was being made this week, after Sligo County Council Cathaoirleach Joseph Queenan said he was certain no libraries would be closed.

However, the council CEO is still yet to make a public statement to that effect – and other councillors are calling on him to confirm the libraries’ doors will be staying open by next Monday.

Amidst all this – with the issue a regular topic of conversation at the family dinner table, and in her school – 7-year-old Grace McGlone decided to put pen to paper this week to make the case for Ballymote’s library to remain open.

“It’s something we’ve been talking about alright, but she just came home one day and sat down and decided to write it,” Grace’s dad, Dermot, told us.

She came in to ask me where the address goes on a letter, and all that sort of thing.

The library, according to Grace, is one of the best she has “ever seen”.

“I have read about two hundred books in that place,” she writes – before listing her top five (perhaps with one eye on a job at TheJournal.ie some day).

Here’s the whole thing…

letter1

In case you can’t make it out (it’s a little light) – here’s the transcript:

Please don’t close Bally-mote library, because evry one loves it. We do music there and get lovely books. Louise, Bridy and Bernedette [the librarians, we're told] are very nice and friendly too. If you do lots of Bally-mote’s resedents will get upset a they might cry! It is one of the best librarys I have ever seen. The fourth class go to music too. Evry time we go there are about ten pepoel there. I am sure resedents from other towns come, and that might be the only library they know. I have read about two hundred books in that place! There are the top five books, “Otoline goes to School”, “Helen Keller Courage in the Dark”, “Mheanwhile”, “Kittens and Puppies” and “Bugs”.Please don’t close our library

Read: Castles for everyone: Airbnb to create 200 new jobs

Read: This is why people were divided on the colour of *that* dress

 

 

Your Voice
Readers Comments
25
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.