Major boost for Limerick college as government commits €30m in funding for library project

PLANS for a new library and resource centre at Mary Immaculate College have received a significant boost with confirmation that the Government has agreed to spend up to €30m on the project. 

The project, which will be supported under Project 2040, will be a co-funded development of 4,955m² Library/Learning Resource Centre, to include a combination of learning resource spaces, teaching facilities, study spaces in addition to areas housing specialist collections. 

The funding allocation,  comes after Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris visited the existing library building last year to further explore the plans for the new facility.

Major milestone as Mary Immaculate College library project moves to key stage

This Thursday's announcement of government approval means the project can now move to the detailed design and pre-tender stage.  

Commenting on the project, Minister Harris said: “Through the Higher Education Authority (HEA), we will continue to collaborate with Mary Immaculate College to further advance their plans. Recognising that substantial work has already been carried out in preparation for the next stage of the project lifecycle, the current approval in principle permits the remaining work to be completed in the planning and design stages." 

Mr Harris added: “This project has the potential to deliver on a range of strategic objectives and will significantly improve the learner facilities in the college and support an inclusive and climate friendly environment. I look forward to seeing how the College finalise design plans for their developments and look forward to engaging further at the next stage of project development.” 

The 4,955m² building will be situated in the heart of the MIC Limerick campus and will replace the existing outdated structure. The new building will deliver a future-proofed Library/Learning Resource Centre, centrally located within the MIC campus, and addressing the recently constructed Tara building as well as the protected Foundation Building and Residence Block.  

Internally the building will feature a range of learning settings from silent study areas to lively group work rooms. It will have over 550 study places, and will accommodate over 170,000 volumes. The Library / Learning Resource Centre will also contain, in its current design, a 288-seat lecture theatre, media editing suites, a media studio, seminar rooms, staff offices and all the ancillary spaces necessary for a higher education library. 

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Welcoming the confirmation of funding, Professor Eugene Wall, president of MIC, said: “Everyone at MIC is delighted at the long-awaited announcement that the Government has agreed to a very significant funding investment of up to €30 million in the development of a new library building for Mary Immaculate College.  This will enable us to build a state-of-the-art library that will meet MIC’s vital requirements as a modern, thriving education institution."

The existing library at Mary Immaculate College was constructed in 1976 and was built to serve a student body of 750 students. Since then, the number of students at MIC has grown to 5,000 and the manner in which students learn and engage in learning supports has changed significantly. 

Aoife Gleeson, President of Mary Immaculate Students’ Union commented: “We are absolutely delighted with the announcement of the new library building for MIC Limerick. This is a really long time coming and the students have been asking for this for years and years and years. We have so many students who need the space for studying and we’re delighted to finally see this cross the line.” 

Ciarán McCaffrey, Head of Capital Programmes in the HEA, said: "We welcome today’s announcement of approval in principle for a new Library/Learning Resource Centre at Mary Immaculate College. This project will enable MIC to provide state of the art flexible learning spaces to support its growing student population. 

"This approval allows MIC to complete the planning and design stages of the new Library/Learning Resource Centre and the HEA will continue to work closely with MIC as it moves to the next stage of the project lifecycle." 

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The new Library will be constructed so as to operate in the most environmentally sustainable manner with NZEB (Net Zero Energy Ratings) and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) ratings specified at project outset that will contribute to a greener campus.

All works on the project will align with MIC’s commitments in the area of Climate Change & Sustainability as set out in the Masterplan 2042, including efficient floor depth design to lessen energy usage and improve daylight within spaces, the use of building materials that maximise the use of recycled material to promote longevity and avoid the use of hazardous materials within the building, and minimising light pollution from the buildings and from external light.  

It is hoped that building works will commence next summer with the project being completed in early 2026.