Approval for Limerick's tallest building on pivotal Opera Square site
Approval by the cabinet this week for the construction of what would be Limerick's tallest building has been described as a pivotal moment for the Opera Square project and the wider Limerick region.
The 14-storey landmark building will provide 100,000 sq ft of office space, with work to commence this year.
The works to be delivered by Limerick Twenty Thirty (LTT) will also include redevelopment of the Granary building and significant enhancement of the Bank Place public realm. LTT is a wholly owned Limerick City and County subsidiary.
The works will also include redevelopment of the Granary building and significant enhancement of the Bank Place public realm.
Chair of LTT James Collins said: "A huge amount of work has already been advanced at Opera Square, including our One Opera Square building which is nearing completion and going to be another key economic driver of Limerick. On top of that, the decision today on the OPW building gives not just the wider project but the Limerick region a huge boost,' he said.
'The construction phase alone will deliver a major economic stimulus for the region, with 300 jobs in construction and a massive benefit to local suppliers. On its completion, we will see up to 950 public servants work daily in the building and 1,500 people on a hybrid working model."
"This is a key to unlocking the enormous potential of Limerick city centre and a major boost for the regeneration of the city centre," he said.
Work is nearing completion on the separate One Opera Square building on the site. Once completed, it will provide 106,000 sq ft of new office space with a capacity for 1,000 workers, to become an employment hub for 1,000 people.
Work on the wider 3.7-acre Opera Square commercial development — one of the largest city centre build projects undertaken in Ireland outside of Dublin — commenced three years ago and is targeted for completion in 2027.
The programme so far has involved the largest demolition and enabling works undertaken in Limerick, including navigating delicate works around retaining 16 of 18 Georgian buildings as well as archaeological features, including old walls, caverns and vaults.
'This is a massive moment for Limerick Twenty Thirty and the Opera Square project," Enda Power, LTT CEO said, referring to the cabinet approval.
"We're well underway on other works on the site but this 14-storey landmark building will accelerate momentum. We have already identified a preferred contractor for the project and expect to get work underway in late summer, with a two-year build phase. The building will also be 'best-in-class' in terms of sustainability, which is very much in keeping with Limerick's ambition to be one of Europe's most sustainable cities of the future,' he said.
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Irish Independent
14 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Unique home pairing neo-classical temple design with B3 BER overlooks Russborough House and Blessington Lakes
Asking price: €1.3m Agent: Jordan (045) 433550 The opportunity to spend almost a decade restoring Dublin's legendary Casino at Marino was a dream come true for the late British-born conservation architect, activist and lifelong Georgian aficionado John Redmill. This prize commission would also lead Redmill (who passed away in October) to his dream clients and yet another chance of a lifetime for a Georgian nut: to design and build a home in the style of a classical temple of the Greek/Roman era in a field in Kildare. And in doing so, bring to life a plan originally conceived and mothballed more than two hundred years previous. The son of a British military aviation engineer, Redmill would become an important architectural conservation activist in Ireland through his work with the Irish Georgian Society, in a time when colonial-era architecture was being destroyed. When Redmill landed, the country was led by Charles J Haughey who, despite living like an aristocrat himself in a Georgian country pile, presided over the demolition of 40pc of Georgian Dublin by his builder cronies. As everyone else was leaving The Sod in the grim, recession damp 1980s, cometh the doughty Redmill who alighted to take up residence in a run-down period pile of note in Phibsborough. He came to Ireland for two reasons: the first was his partner, fellow conservation architect Desmond Hickey, whom the Hampshire-born Redmill met at the practice at which they had both worked in the UK. Hickey had become homesick. 'I asked John to come back to Ireland with me, but he was reluctant to do so without not only a job prospect but a decent one at that,' says Hickey, Redmill's civil partner until his passing last October. Reason two ticked that box, with Redmill landing a plum role at O'Neill Flanagan Partners on Merrion Square. It saw him almost immediately taking the keys to one of Ireland's great marvels of the Georgian era. ADVERTISEMENT Built as an extravagant garden folly by the conceited and immensely rich James Caulfield, Earl of Charlemont, the 50 ft x 50 ft Casino is widely regarded as one of the most important neo-classical buildings in Ireland. Famed as an optical illusion with the external appearance of a single-roomed structure, with a large panelled door on the north elevation and a single large window on each of the other elevations; it in fact contains 16 rooms over three floors. After it sat crumbling and empty for decades, the State had finally decided to restore the landmark – and to do it right. Officials at the OPW hired O'Neill Flanagan, which immediately put Redmill on it. This was one of the State's first big restorations, and it would take most of a decade. 'The Casino helped to make John's reputation here as a capable conservationist and it of course led to other work,' says Hickey. 'Socially through the Georgian Society we met many enthusiasts, including the couple who would commission Mount Temple. 'The Russborough estate had originally intended building a temple-type garden folly. The drawings had been done up but they never went ahead with them. Eventually, the owners of the land decided that they wanted John to design a home for them in that style.' Redmill – who would go on to work on other important restorations such as that of the GPO, and the Italian ambassador's residence (for which he was awarded a knighthood by the state of Italy) – began the gargantuan task of working out how to make a 1750s plan for a temple folly into a home in a Kildare field in 1980s Ireland. 'I think he was rather clever about it,' says Hickey. 'He knew what to do. The tapered pillars of the portico were cast in concrete, for example, but they still very much look the part.' Mount Temple is today on the market for €1.3m – its first time ever for sale. 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Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Happily ever after with greener bites — staying sustainable on your big day doesn't have to be difficult
A wedding is a joyful opportunity to celebrate two people who want to spend their lives together. It's a special occasion, tied up with hope and tradition. But you don't have to buy in to every tradition. Neither do you have to compromise your 'green' ideals. There are ways to avoid food waste and over-consumption, an especially pertinent topic during this National Food Waste Recycling Week. A 2019 report, published by the Environmental Protection Agency, estimated that the annual cost of food waste (food wholesale, food retail, and food service) was €300m. Hotels have the highest level of food waste, and two-thirds of food waste from this sector can be avoided. Reducing food waste is crucial in tackling climate change, and Ireland is committed to cutting food waste in half by 2030, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.. 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MJ O'Neill Butchers is now run by Haulie O'Neill, a first cousin of Michael's father. 'It's natural to us. Our great-grandfather had his own butcher shop, and he founded our food philosophy here, keeping it local and keeping down the food miles.' If you're planning for future nuptials, opting for a green wedding is more about picking good alternatives, rather than sacrificing ideals. 'It's a nice way to start your married life,' says O'Neill, 'consciously choosing to be more sustainable.' National Food Waste Recycling Week runs until 8 June. More information at Read More Eat your way to the best results — nutritious food to help exam students succeed
RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Red light: Georgia blocks licence path for Irish learner drivers
A process allowing Irish residents to fast-track obtaining Irish driving licences by travelling to Georgia has been closed. Georgian officials at the Ministry for Internal Affairs told Prime Time that new legislation has come into effect in the last week, requiring any new applicants for a Georgian driving licence to have been resident in the country for a minimum of 180 days. A memorandum of understanding signed between Ireland and Georgia last year had meant that a driving licence obtained in Georgia could be exchanged for an Irish licence and vice versa. Competent drivers can pass their tests in Georgia and receive a licence in a week or two. The country's fast and efficient driving test process has drawn applicants from across Ireland and countries in mainland Europe. As of 31 May, the national average waiting time for a driving test in Ireland stands at 20.6 weeks — a slight improvement from the 27-week average recorded at the end of April, according to the Road Safety Authority (RSA). Last week, Prime Time travelled to a driving school in the city of Rustavi, around 30km from Tbilisi, Georgia's capital. The school specialises in preparing foreigners to pass their driving tests. There, Mika Vincheuski, a Belarusian living in Georgia, spoke of how he facilitates driving lessons and arranges test dates for non-Georgians who want to get their licence quickly. He said numerous Irish people had been to through the process with him over the last year, and obtained their Georgian licence for exchange back in Ireland. "We're supporting foreigners in getting a driving licence here. It's a fully legal process where people arrive to Georgia and they go through the examination; they prepare for the exams," he said. "They need to know very well how to drive. 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In Laura's case, she said being unable to rent a motorcycle for the day of the exam meant that she had to cancel and reschedule. By the time she got another date, the time limit on her driving lessons had expired, putting her right back to the start of the process. Pav told Prime Time that he had only sat in the driver's seat of a car for the first time two weeks before travelling to Georgia, and hoped to earn both his motorcycle and car licences before returning to Ireland. Working in tech sales, he can work remotely in Georgia while he completes the process. Both noted the difference between the Irish and Georgian systems. "The [Irish] system must be under resourced or inefficient, one of the two," Pav said, "You'd expect that it wouldn't be as smooth or as clean over here, if we're not able to do it. There's something clearly very wrong." While the new changes to Georgian law mean that fresh applicants must now prove residency of at least 180 days, the country's licensing process remains remarkably fast and efficient. There are three elements to the Georgian driving test. As with Ireland, the first stage is a theory test. A practical exam in a controlled environment — known as the platform or autodrome — follows, where applicants must complete six timed manoeuvres. Those who pass then progress to the final stage: the city driving test. All practical exams are taken in official test vehicles, equipped with cameras, sensors, and an automated computerised system that determines pass or fail, with little room for error or discretion. Applicants show up to the test centre, take a ticket and wait to be called. The theory test can be retaken every week, the autodrome every day and the city driving exam can also be re-sat on a weekly basis. The Georgian testing system has been completely overhauled in recent years, part of broader reforms aimed at aligning with European Union standards, following Georgia's designation as an EU candidate country in 2023. Georgian officials told Prime Time that many parts of the Irish and UK driving test have been transposed into what is now a very modern and efficient new system. The formats of the theory test and city driving test in particular have also been designed to closely mirror the Irish and UK equivalents. The Georgian test system is rigorous. When Prime Time sat the autodrome exam, the first attempt ended in failure despite more than 20 years of driving experience. A second attempt was more successful. During a demonstration of the city driving test in Rustavi, Mika explained that any errors causing an automatic failure will result in the applicant being asked to pull the car over and to surrender control of the vehicle to the accompanying examiner. He said it enables authorities to complete far more tests. Automatic disqualification can happen at any point during the exam, even before the vehicle has left the test centre. Prime Time observed several failed applicants on the roads sitting sheepishly in the back of the testing cars, being driven back to the test centre by their examiner. Mika told Prime Time that he's had hundreds of requests for services from Ireland in recent months. However, the change of Georgian legislation, introduced just last week, has closed off this avenue to a licence to would-be Irish drivers. It has also closed a potential release valve for the increasing pressure on the Irish system.
