well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?

That image of the opera centre looks ridiculous. Looks like the front of Guiney’s or something.
And as for that little dark “vehicular entrance”….the words junkie and mugging spring to mind.

There’s a whole row of “Sold” signs on Patrick Street that have only been up for a couple months. That’s presumably some sign of progress on the Opera Centre.

Is the large building occupied by Midwest Business Institute being retained? I noticed that the Limerick Post moved out of it.

I must say, I hope the Opera Centre works out, and I’m rather curious about it. But it might just be a larger version of Arthur’s Quay – filling that role in the market so to speak if AQ really is to be demolished. That wouldn’t exactly be groundbreaking or transform the city centre retail scene.

There are now 8 of the large cranes at Parkway Valley. Is the olympic size ice rink definitely going ahead?

Parkpoint the hoarding around the site is mostly down and the small car park/set down area nearly done, just new road lane, footpath and cycle path to do. The small car park is built on what was the old alignment of the Dublin Road – is this still public land or did the developer buy it?

Planning permission notices up at Parkway Shopping Centre, and a front page article in the Limerick Independent – Diarmuid Scully pointing out possible double standards if the city council approves the development. I dunno, maybe not so great to encourage more suburban shopping, but surely the city council getting income would help towards working more on the city centre?

Wow factor: developer seeks approval for iconic building

Limerick Leader By Anne Sheridan

MULTI-MILLION euro plans to demolish the Boat Club on Sarsfield Bridge for the construction of an “iconic development” were due to be submitted to the planning department at City Hall this Friday. But developer Michael Daly has said he will simply “walk away from the plans” if the public are unhappy with the designs, which the Limerick Leader can now exclusively reveal.

“I really hope people will look at these plans and say ‘That’s fantastic.’ That’s the reaction I want to get. If they don’t want it, we’ll forget about it. It’s now a question of whether the city wants this building or not,” said Mr Daly, Fordmount Properties, whose office on the 11th floor of Riverpoint overlooks the Boat Club.

However, he said he is fully aware that this proposed development will be “the subject of debate” in the coming months and said they “don’t expect a free run at this,” as the site has been the home of the Boat Club since 1870.

Councillors will also have to vote to remove the Boat Club from the list of protected structures and re-zone the site from recreational use to mixed use development.
“If this was the Marriott I would have been prepared to have a battle, but this isn’t the same. If seven or eight councillors aren’t in favour we’re not going to go with this. If the city says ‘we’re not having it’, that’s it,” he said.

Limerick Boat Club are supporting the proposed development, which has been designed up by Belfast based McCann Moore architects, who were also involved in the design of Riverpoint. Architect Sean McCann said their design takes its inspiration from “ship hulls, lightweight fabric sails, rowing oars and robust sea walls.”

Mr McCann, also a keen rower with Queens University Belfast Boat Club and Belfast Boat Club, said their brief was to “create a building that would become a recognisable landmark in the city and also a significant addition to the public fabric of the area.”

If granted planning permission by Limerick City Council, the new three and a half storey development will house the club in one of the lower levels – which will be underneath the level of the bridge.

The portion of the building closest to Shannon Boat Club, on the opposite side of Sarsfield Bridge, has been kept to two storeys above bridge level. “We were keen to make a very strong architectural statement with the new building but we were equally keen to avoid overpowering the neighbouring buildings,” said Mr McCann.

Mr Daly added that he believes this development should “regenerate Limerick Boat Club” and believes it is a “joint venture”, rather than a commercially driven project.

He said his “dream is to have a restaurant on the top floor and have people say that when they come to Limerick they must go the restaurant on the top floor.” A coffee shop could also be located towards the front of the building, where people could overlook the River Shannon, but Mr Daly said he does not “want to dictate the use as it may fly in the face of the planning process.”

He said he is also aiming the develop the building as a civic space, citing “it would be terrific to have some of the local agencies operating out of here.” A footbridge is proposed to link the proposed building with Poor Man’s Kilkee, which would connect the area with the pedestrianised area of Bedford Row.

However, the proposal is likely to face opposition from a number of councillors. Independent Cllr Kathleen Leddin said she believes the current Boat Club – which is a protected structure – should be upgraded, rather than demolished

08163 Fordmount Developments Ltd

Permission for development of mixed-use scheme (leisure/recreation, office, civic, craft/restaurant uses), including the replacement of the existing Boat Club facilities, on a site of 0.2 ha approx. on lands at Limerick Boat Club (a protected Structure RPS No.300), Wellesley Pier (including works to Poor Mans, Kilkee, Harveys Quay). This seeks the demolition of 2 no. existing structures (comprising the club house 165 sq m and the boat store, 187sq m) collectively known as Limerick Boat Club (the protected structure). The development will consist of 4,215 sq m gross floor-space, over 4 no. levels (from River Level to Second Floor Level) at its highest, and will comprise: a boat club and store (591 sq m); a cafe, including ancillary kitchen and seating areas (330 sq m) a restaurant (497 sq m); civic space (429 sq m); office floorspace (1913 sq m); staff area (20 sq m); and ancillary space (435 sq m). The development will also consist of: the provision of a new pedestrian access, via lift, stair and bridge access, from Poor Mans, Kilkee to Wellesley Pier at Bridge Level, and the relocation of existing pedestrian access to be provided from Sarsfield Bridge (a protected structure) to the proposed development ; hard and soft landscaping works; boundary treatments; plant; services provision; diversion of services; changes in level; boat slips; and all other associated site development and excavation works above and below ground.

Limerick Boat Club, Wellesley Pier, Limerick

Limerick Boat Club

“We were keen to make a very strong architectural statement with the new building but we were equally keen to avoid overpowering the neighbouring buildings,” said Mr McCann.

That’s a big challenge to pull off.

The elegant “cut-stone” Sarsfield’s Bridge remains for me the central, dominant building and its add-ons i.e. Limerick Boat Club, Shannon Boat Club, War of Independence Memorial are only of secondary importance. Not to mention those superficial cosmetic hanging baskets and the draping necklace of white lights which in my opinion are both only used to dress up a poorly designed building. This bridge is most certainly not.

The two buildings of the Limerick Boat Club are both well past their shelf life date. New modern club facilities such as gym, indoor rowing basin, social-function room would give the club a major boost to enrol new rowing members. The Shannon River remains an under utilised natural resource in Limerick city.

“I really hope people will look at these plans and say ‘That’s fantastic.’ That’s the reaction I want to get. If they don’t want it, we’ll forget about it. It’s now a question of whether the city wants this building or not,” said Mr Daly, Fordmount Properties.

Architect Sean McCann said their design takes its inspiration from “ship hulls, lightweight fabric sails, rowing oars and robust sea walls.”

Fair enough Michael, Sean but maybe you could upload larger images onto your web sites so that we can get a better, more detailed impression of your proposal.

Fordmount Properties / McCann Moore Architects

@CologneMike wrote:

Limerick Boat Club
Fair enough Michael, Sean but maybe you could upload larger images onto your web sites so that we can get a better, more detailed impression of your proposal.

Fordmount Properties / McCann Moore Architects

From the inital images, i have to say I klind of like it but that my own opinion. I do like the old boat club but it does look like a shed and sometimes I feel the site is a bit wasted. Depending on the details my opinion could change though. Its a delicate site but this looks like it could work ..(if cheap green cladding or some such nonsense doesnt appear..)

To be fair, the plans for the boat club site are not all that bad. They are bold, ambitious and certainly a break from the norm. I can see both sides of the argument, the developers want to create something modern and striking while others want to see the past preserved. The problem I have with the proposal is its location. As CologneMike said earlier, the main factor that should be taken into account here is Sarsfield bridge. We should be more concerned about any potential negative impact on the bridge rather than getting caught up in all this nonsense about creating “iconic structures.” I would foe example have serious concerns about the intention to relocate the current pedestrian access point. Does this mean the removal of the steps from the bridge to the pier and would it require any alterations to the bridge itself?

You would also have to have concerns regarding its impact on the riverscape and for example, would it obscure views of the rowing club on the opposite side of the bridge and St Marys Cathedral? Looking at the plans, the glazed cylindrical portion is much more attractive than the elevation that directly faces the bridge. In my opinion it looks chunky and overbearing.

Having said all that, I would quite like to see this built somewhere in Limerick, although I believe it would potentially be more suited to the redeveloped docklands or possibly the ESB site on a larger scale.

Below: Wellesley pier and Limerick Boat club with rowing club in the background. (Derhur)

@CologneMike wrote:

Limerick Boat Club

That’s a big challenge to pull off.

The elegant “cut-stone” Sarsfield’s Bridge remains for me the central, dominant building and its add-ons i.e. Limerick Boat Club, Shannon Boat Club, War of Independence Memorial are only of secondary importance. Not to mention those superficial cosmetic hanging baskets and the draping necklace of white lights which in my opinion are both only used to dress up a poorly designed building. This bridge is most certainly not.

The two buildings of the Limerick Boat Club are both well past their shelf life date. New modern club facilities such as gym, indoor rowing basin, social-function room would give the club a major boost to enrol new rowing members. The Shannon River remains an under utilised natural resource in Limerick city.

Fair enough Michael, Sean but maybe you could upload larger images onto your web sites so that we can get a better, more detailed impression of your proposal.

Fordmount Properties / McCann Moore Architects

IT SEEMS THAT MR.DALY REALLY HAS THE PLANNERS & POLITICIANS EARS. THE MARRIOTT HOTEL ON HENRY STREET IS CLEARLY A FULL STOREY HIGHER THAN SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENTS AND IS THE ONLY CITY CENTRE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT SCALE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT WAS GRANTED PERMISSION WITHOUT HAVING ANY CAR PARKING ON SITE!

@Dreamstate wrote:

IT SEEMS THAT MR.DALY REALLY HAS THE PLANNERS & POLITICIANS EARS.

In fairness though Dreamstate, Fordmount Developments have “raised the bar” in the quality of building in Limerick city with their Marriott, Riverpoint and Castletroy projects. Not surprisingly Mr. Daly has earned “respect” through out the city for delivering them (myself included). This can be even seen by Cllr Kathleen Leddin’s “diplomatic rejection” of the Boat Club proposal by not blasting the developer outright but by saying she believes the current Boat Club should be upgraded, rather than demolished.

This “Iconic” boat house proposal seems to me to be more of a product from those so called brain-stormingsessions from last year? I have the impression that this proposal has already its blessings from that “think-tank” club like Shannon Development, UL, Civic Trust, City Council etc, etc?

THE MARRIOTT HOTEL ON HENRY STREET IS CLEARLY A FULL STOREY HIGHER THAN SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENTS

Agree, the city planning department should declare openly its guidelines (if any) for a coherent skyline. Though I personally think the building height is o.k. for the lower part of Henry Street, I have yet to see the finished product on the Bedford Row.

AND IS THE ONLY CITY CENTRE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT SCALE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT WAS GRANTED PERMISSION WITHOUT HAVING ANY CAR PARKING ON SITE!

The Marriott is in good company with the Clarion and George Hotels for also relying on nearby multi-storey car parks? Will the underground parking come with phase-II if the ”Stella Ballroom” were ever to be redeveloped and integrated with the Marriott / Shopping Boutiques? (Pure speculation on my part)

What do you think of the Boat Club proposal yourself?

It would be great to read in the local media, views of Architects Murray O’Laoire, Newenham Mulligan, EML, Healy & Partners or the Civic Trust, etc, etc about the merits of this proposal?

@Dan Sullivan wrote:

I do have to ask if the boatclub has been unsuccessful in last few years/decades in attracting members then why should we disadvantage other clubs by allowing this club to make such a financial killing by setting aside the protected status of this building?

Dan, you could argue the same against the new “UL Boat House” too (Taxpayers / Foundation money) as been detrimental to the likes of St. Michaels, as they are both rival competitors. There is nothing stopping St Michaels rowing club of doing a similar joint-venture scheme to upgrade their sport facilities on O’Callaghan’s Strand.

Similar plans (restaurant etc.) were once proposed for the Curragour boat house by Murray O’Laoire some years back. Their ideal location would allow them to place boats onto the Shannon and Abbey. Which would make them independent them from the tide.

Shannon Rowing Club has also access to both rivers (either side of weir) and to be sure they will be every bit as motivated not to let their rival neighbours steal the whole show on the bridge.

Any bit of life left in the Athlunkard Rowing Club?

@Tuborg wrote:

I would for example have serious concerns about the intention to relocate the current pedestrian access point. Does this mean the removal of the steps from the bridge to the pier and would it require any alterations to the bridge itself?

Might not be a bad thing Tuborg, as loading boats onto the trailers parked on the bridge impedes the flow of traffic. On the other hand it would be practical for fire and safety reasons to have two accesses i.e. Sarsfield Bridge and Poor Mans Kilkee. The original cut-stone spiral-steps are still in existence (not in use) along side the metal stairway. See image below.

Attachment: Entrance Limerick Boat Club