Leitrim County Council intends spending €5.5m on a new library for Carrick-on-Shannon. The project is included in a new capital programme that’ll be unveiled today. Leitrim County Council will today sign off on a €64 million budget for 2026 at their annual budget meeting today up €4 million on this year’s allocation. It will also discuss a six-year capital programme, which sets out investments planned between 2026 and 2031. Now, the council rents a premises on Bridge Street in Carrick, which serves as the library for the town. But the capital plan reveals a new library is planned by 2031, at a cost of €5.5 million.
The council intends spending €250,000 in 2027 on an advance technology building in Carrick. Other plans for the town include an €8 million refurbishment of Carrick Campus in 2026 and 2027 - that’s the former MBNA building. In the same timeframe, a €4.4 million replacement of Hartley Bridge, between Carrick and Cootehall, is planned. By far the biggest project planned for Carrick, though, is the bypass of the town, with over €202 million set to the spent on the project, the vast majority of it in 2031.
Elsewhere in south Leitrim, a €5.5 million regeneration project is planned for the former Ballinamore courthouse. And €3.8 million is earmarked for further food hub developments in Drumshanbo. Controversially, however, councillors will be asked to sign off on a 5 per cent increase in commercial rates for 2026 today.