Naas Town Hall and Free Library Plans 1903
Kildare County Archives has made the plans of the alterations to the Naas Town Hall and proposed Free Library available online. These nine working drawings, with some colour tinting, of the planned alterations of the Naas Town Hall and proposed Free Library were submitted to the Local Government Board on 09 May 1903 by the Naas Urban District Council (UDC). The drawings are signed by the architect, J. J. Inglis and the builder, John Eacret. They are numbered 1-10, No. 4 is missing, and are of the ground floor, first floor, second floor, Section C-D and G-H, Section E-F, plan of the roof, front elevation, side elevation and of the ventilating ducts, drains and water pipes.
At a meeting of UDC on 21 October 1902 a report of the Naas Free Library Committee was read which stated that “£500 was secured and submitting plans for the alterations of the Town Hall where the Committee suggested accommodation for a library should be provided as the most central for the purpose”. The Local Government Board (LGB) wrote to the UDC on 18 November 1902 calling its attention to the provisions and requirements of section 9 of the Public Libraries Act (Ireland) 1855. At the annual general meeting of the UDC on 23 January 1903 the town surveyor, J. J. Inglis, submitted revised plans of the alterations in the Town Hall and the proposed new dwelling for the Town Sargeant (sic). On the motion of Mr. Brown, seconded by Mr. Quin, the following resolution was passed, “That the Council approves of the new revised plans, specifications and estimate for alterations in and in addition to the Town Hall including Public Library and new residence for the Town Sargeant (sic) this day submitted by the Town Surveyor, and authorise same to be forwarded to the LGB for approval and we hereby request the LGB to sanction the application of portion of the uninsured loan under the Housing of the Working Classes Acts for the erection of the proposed new dwelling of the Town Sargeant (sic) in lieu of the Quarters in the Town Hall condemned as unsanitary by the Medical Officer of the Health”.
On 19 January 1993, Shelia Redmond, née Sargent presented the 1903 plans to the chairman, Cllr. Patrick C. Behan at a ceremony during a UDC meeting. Shelia’s father was Alma Kingsley Sargent (1894-1967) who served as the town surveyor of Naas from 1930-1940, having previously worked as an engineer with the Co. Kildare Board of Health. While working on a subsequent renovation of the Town Hall he had taken home the drawings of 1903. Alma was the son of Richard Sargent, undertaker, and Harriett Scott of Naas; he is buried in Rathmore graveyard.
Copies Information: The drawings have been digitised and can be accessed here.
A recording of the presentation to Naas UDC can be viewed here by kind permission of the videographer, Mr. Gerry McCarthy, Naas Local History Group.
