Sir, - The public library managers met in a big hotel in Waterford some short time ago to discuss libraries in the area, but very few people here knew the meeting was being held and the first time a lot of those interested knew about it was when the Munster Express published a report on it.
The library managers do not appear to know that across the river Suir in Co Kilkenny is an area of 400 square miles without a public library.
The staff of libraries in Wexford, New Ross, Waterford city and county welcome the library-less people of south Kilkenny and treat them with civility, courtesy and good manners. But sadly, those people living on the Tipperary end of the valley do not get the same friendship. For people in the parish of Piltown, Co Kilkenny, are barred from using the public library in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, even though it is less than two miles from the Kilkenny boundary.
It appears that it is all right for people of this part of South Kilkenny to buy groceries, clothes, medicines, do business with solicitors, auctioneers, doctors and so on, but they cannot use the public library in Carrick-on-Suir.
Again, the various charitable and sporting organisations of Co Tipperary are allowed to collect money for their groups outside our churches on Sunday, but we are not allowed to use the Carrick-on-Suir public library. - Yours, etc., Thomas Cummins,
Piltown, Co Kilkenny.