The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Refurbished Carnegie emerges as hot desk hub
IT was only a few short years ago that Castleislanders feared the most unimaginable, ignominious end for that grand old lady at the top of the town.
The Carnegie Library – as it was for years – was facing a battering like never before from the frequency of storms which seemed to be getting stronger and more vicious with every passing winter.
One of the most recent did actually breach the roof on the south-facing hip of the building, and that looked like the proverbial beginning of the end.
However, she had been down and nearly out a couple of times before and always bounced back.
She has hosted dances and hops and days of cinematic treats and staged drama productions and dramatic county badminton finals and legendary and very local court cases.
There was also at least a handful of occasions on which the drama around and within her walls was very real and most deadly.
This was mainly because of her imposing position overlooking everything in her neighbourhood and beyond.
This prime location became a liability during the War of Independence, in particular when she was turned against by her own people in 1920 and burned to deny occupying forces an obvious advantage.
As far as seeing it all is concerned, she shares her history and experiences with her equally iconic bottom-of-the-town counterpart, The Emporium / The Market House and the in-between Castleview Hotel / Hartnett’s Bar.
If they could talk.
Now, after almost a decade of being left out of the loop, The Old Library has a new nameplate with ‘Carnegie Building’ on it and a brand-new identity and sense of purpose.
Since the 2015-established Castleisland Chamber Alliance came into being, it has taken the building under its considerable wing and given it back its sense of purpose, its heart and its soul.
This winter alone the building has been re-slated and the windows have been replaced with architectural and vernacular integrity at the core of the refurbishment works.
This is all as a means to a beginning – a new beginning – which is aimed at making it easier than ever for people to start up or go out on their own in a fully equipped office space and supporting services.
Castleisland Chamber Alliance recently announced that the newly refurbished ‘Carnegie Hub’ is now open for business and is offering spaces to startups, as an incubation centre, where the promoters are unsure of the space required, and how quickly the business will grow and require more spaces as a result.
“The Carnegie offers flexible solutions, in those uncertain periods of growth, until such time businesses are ready to step up to permanent facilities of their own, rented, leased on a longer term basis, or self-owned,” said chamber Chairman, Michael John Kearney.
“The remote worker is also welcomed, where a formal work space outside of home is a more work-friendly setting.
“Individual clients of the Carnegie Hub will have the choice of an open-plan, co-working desk or a separate office,” said Mr Kearney.
“The hub also provides hot-desking whereby desk space can be hired for half or full days, weekly or monthly, to facilitate those working for multi-nationals or larger companies that work from Kerry one or two days per week.
“Rental of a desk or separate office includes all utilities including: free Wifi; use of meeting room with AV available, if required; canteen facilities; office cleaning – and all available from €195 per calendar month.
“A meeting room with audio visual facilities can be rented separately.
“Profits from this social enterprise will be used by the chamber to provide other facilities and improvements in Castleisland.
“This is ‘hot desking’ or trying out a business plan in a working environment conducive to productivity and a pooling of skills and ideas while sharing an office or in a space of your own. Individual clients of the Carnegie Hub will have the choice of an open-plan co-working desk or a separate office.”
In addition, Castleisland Chamber Alliance is pleased to announce that it will make a business-mentoring service free to all start -ups in the town in their first year of business.
Check out Facebook or contact (087) 633 9338 or castleislandchamber@gmail.com.