Abbey site cultural centre for Kilkenny idea has merits

Mayor of Kilkenny David Fitzgerald’s call for the establishment of a national arts and cultural centre on the Abbey Quarter site is a timely one.

Similar visions have been set out before. An international centre of study of the Normans and their historical and cultural impact was one suggestion from TD John McGuinness back in 2008 when Diageo confirmed its intention to vacate the site.

Parcels of the Abbey site have already been brought back into use, with public realm upgrades, the riverside park and skatepark.

The Brewhouse office building has several occupants at this stage, including Tirlan. When the new city library opens, it will bring further activity and vibrancy to the area.

The possibility of landing a third level campus on the site appears as remote as ever, but perhaps there is still scope for something that can add to Kilkenny’s artistic and cultural bona fides. A centre with such far-reaching ambition would be an appropriate anchor for another portion of the site.

Hopefully, the mayor’s proposal can at least be explored, and if it proves suitable and viable, the people of Kilkenny can get behind it.

MINISTER’S VISIT
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly paid a recent visit to Kilkenny, with some key stops. He officially ‘opened’ the new Lakeside Primary Care centre in the east of the city, as well as the new facility in Thomastown.

Crucially, he also visited the construction site of the new 95 bed Community Nursing Unit in the town. As our population ages, facilities of this type are going to be more in demand than ever in the coming years.

Question marks still remain over the health minister’s handling of the trolley crisis, and hospital overcrowding in general. Figures from the INMO showed 31 people waiting for a bed at St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny on Tuesday. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away.