THE removal of a long-running display of photographs by Beara Camera Club in the local library has come as a big disappointment to its members.
A planned refurbishment of Castletownbere Library by Cork County Council will result in the scrapping of the display in the library’s front window.
The club holds a monthly club competition with members taking a photo of a nominated topic, the winning photos each month are then displayed in the library window.
However, Cork County Council library service has announced that the refurbishment will take place in mid-February, and going forward the camera club’s exhibition display unit in the library window will be permanently removed.
Instead there will be a picture hanging system above the bookshelves, which is to be used by all community groups by booking slots for the space.
Club members John and Anne Lucas said news the display is to be removed has come as a huge disappointment to the group.
John said the group had received an email from the library service.
‘They have given us just two weeks’ notice that our display will be removed,’ he said.
The Beara Camera Club was founded in 1991 by the late John Eagle, a local photographer who received national acclaim for his photographs of Irish lighthouses.
Anne said the group’s display of photographs in the library window has been taking place for almost 20 years and is enjoyed by both locals and visitors to the town, and serves to attract new members to the club, particularly people who have recently moved to the area.
‘We’re a bit like the United Nations as we’ve recently had people from Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Malta join us,’ she said.
The Camera Club also promotes photography amongst the youth Beara by organising the Beara Schools Photo Competition.
‘Castletownbere Library is undergoing a refurbishment to make the best of the library space to meet the needs of the diversity of our users of all ages and interests.
‘This includes the porch space at the front of the building. Facilities for exhibitions and displays will be available for groups including the Beara Camera Club should they wish too,’ said a spokesperson for Cork County Council.
John says the group plan to contact their local councillors in the hope that library service will change their decision.
‘Our photo display in the front window is popular amongst everyone in the town. At the end of each month we give the photos Castletownbere Daycare Centre to be used for their art classes, there’s no commercial aspect, it’s all for the local community,’ he concluded.
