Ballinrobe Public Library 2

Ballinrobe Library was converted from St. Mary's Church, an 18th century Church of Ireland church which was in very poor condition.  The building was carefully restored in 1996. The library is accessed through an archway on the Main Street.
Medieval Irish Churches, were frequently converted to suit the practices of the new Protestant religious requirements, and had been built usually of roughly coursed limestone.   Few of the Church of Ireland denominations places of worship retain their original features especially, the seventeenth or eighteenth century physical arrangements of Churches as is the case with St. Mary's.

Photos taken - 2014
Info courtesy of Historical Ballinrobe

The current architectural style of the St. Mary’s Church is typical of the early 19th century ‘Board of First Fruits’ Church which was used as a term describe an architectural style.   This  re-introduction gothic elements of architecture and decoration in the late 18th and early 19th century in Ireland.    They were a result of the British Government funded, and Church of Ireland controlled Board, which made grants and loans available for the repair or building of Churches and Glebe Houses. 

St. Mary's was a simple oblong, gable-ended structure and was probably converted for use by the Established Church sometime between 1660 and 1780.   Many refurbishments and alterations took place over the centuries with the removal of the box pews c. 1860 and the triple tier pulpit. 

There was a steeple erected on a tower around 1815 which lasted only 9 years and must have sustained serious damage, perhaps from a great storm before its permanent removal.