It has been a sad week on the Hill of Armagh. It saw the passing of two people who have been, each in their own right, important to the Library and No 5.
On Wednesday 11th April, the Very Revd Herbert Cassidy, Dean of Armagh and Keeper of Armagh Public Library 1989-2006, passed away after a long illness.
Under his guidance the Library gained momentum as a professional institution. It became a registered charity and an accredited museum. The Library was renovated while in his care, and a computerised cataloguing system was introduced.
It was also Dean Cassidy who proposed turning No 5 Vicars’ Hill into an exhibition space for the Library. It was a great pleasure to see Dean Cassidy present at the opening of No 5 on 15 March 2011.
On Saturday 14th April, Avril Todd, the Library’s house keeper, died suddenly.
For many years Avril worked behind the scenes tirelessly to keep the Library looking its best for both staff and visitors: cleaning and waxing, dusting and polishing.
She was always in for a chat, and made sure her colleagues were well supplied with scones whenever she came in.
Both the Dean and Avril will be sorely missed at the Library. Our thoughts are with their families at this difficult time.
The Library will be closed for both funerals, Monday 15 April from 12 o’clock, and Tuesday 16 April from 1 o’clock.
