Opening of €6.3m Virginia Civic Centre “an historic day”

The opening of the new Virginia Civic, Cultural, and Library Services Centre has been hailed as “an historic day” for the East Cavan town.

Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys joined Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr Philip Brady in officially opening the transformative facility on Friday, 13th October.

The new cultural and civic hub was funded by €4,783,840 in funding under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund, through the Department of Rural and Community Development, with a further €1.59 million in match funding provided from Cavan County Council’s own resources.

Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Councillor Philip Brady, said:

“Today is an historic day for Virginia, as we officially open the Virginia Civic, Cultural, and Library Services Centre, one of the most significant investments in cultural infrastructure our county has seen.

“The Ramor Theatre has, for almost a quarter of a century, been the cultural heartbeat of County Cavan and it’s fitting that it is now at the core of this hugely impressive civic hub which hosts a state-of-the-art library, new theatre box office, lobby and wine bar, multi-purpose events space, office space, and outdoor performance area.

“This symbiotic relationship between library and theatre is a marriage made in Heaven, and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that young minds inspired in Virginia library could one day see their work performed at Ramor Theatre.”

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD said, “This Virginia Civic Cultural and Library Services Centre will play a key role in the day to day life of this community. Above all this will be a focal point for the community, a place to bring people together, and a place that will attract visitors to the area. It is a place for everyone, from our youngest children right up to our senior citizens.

“I’m delighted to have been able to support this project with a €4.7m investment under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund, and it’s great to be here today to see first-hand and celebrate the results of so many years' hard work”

The Minister also led tributes to well known and popular former employee of Cavan County Council and stalwart member of the local Virginia community, Marian Smith, who sadly passed away this week, “Marian will be remembered by so many people in Leinster House, in Cavan County Council, and above all here in Virginia. If she was here today, she’d have been in her element. She will be sorely missed.”

Chief Executive of Cavan County Council Tommy Ryan said, “As Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, I take great pride in this council for delivering this once-in-a-generation, landmark facility for the people of Virginia.

I am equally proud of – and grateful for – the efforts of the many staff who worked so hard over many years to deliver this project, including County Librarian Emma Clancy, Venues Manager Padraic McIntyre, Housing Construction Senior Engineer John Wilson, Senior Planner Nicholas O'Kane, and Senior Executive Officer in Community, Enterprise, and Tourism, John Donohoe, along with their respective teams who have worked so hard to bring us to this point.”

Speaking in the Junior Library, where she showcased the Library’s new sensory toy collection to Minister and Department Officials, County Librarian Emma Clancy said, “We in Cavan County Library Service are thrilled to officially unveil this fabulous new facility and we cannot wait to welcome the people of Virginia, young and old, to this beautiful shared space. This library is so much more than a repository of books, it is a welcoming public space and we look forward to meeting members old and new. We are particularly pleased to unveil our new sensory toy collection, which will be an invaluable resource for children, parents, teachers, and caregivers in Virginia and across County Cavan”.

Virginia Civic, Cultural, and Library Services Centre has been built up around the historic Ramor Theatre, Cavan’s flagship theatre venue which first opened in 1999 in a deconsecrated 19th century church.

As part of the revamp, the neighbouring parochial house has been renovated to provide a box office, lobby and bar area for the theatre, office space, and a digital suite with an interactive tourist information system.

The facility also boasts meeting facilities, a multi-purpose performance/meeting space and opens up the riverside area behind the theatre, to create a new civic plaza with a stepped terrace, perfect for hosting outdoor events.

The state of the art new Virginia library is fully equipped to meet the demands of a 21st century library service, with e-learning, sensory toy library, and pc suite, in addition to an extensive, eclectic, and engaging collection of books to educate and inspire young and old.

The Ramor Theatre is already up and running with its autumn programme, and the new Virginia library will open to the public from 10am on Tuesday 17 October,