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The Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
Mr John Gormley, T.D. has launched his Department’s
Architectural Heritage Survey of Limerick City and the associated
book - An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of
Limerick City.
This was the eighteenth survey conducted by the National
Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Speaking in City Hall, the Minister made reference to some
highlights in terms of architectural heritage which the City
boasts - “There are very fine churches which are a credit
to their congregations. The two cathedrals - medieval St Mary’s
(the oldest building in the city still in its original use)
and the Victorian Gothic Revival (St John’s) - are both buildings
of national importance. There is Limerick’s Georgian core,
Newtown Pery, a notable example of urban planning and design
and an impressive Georgian new town - the elaborately carved
doorcases and fanlights, hinting at the importance of the
interiors.”
The Minister made reference to some examples in the book
of architectural best practice - both in terms of the sensitive
adaptation of heritage buildings for new uses and of more
modern architecture. He said - “the former corn store at the
junction of Shannon Street and Henry Street, has been successfully
converted into apartments. The award-winning Shannon Rowing
Club, on Sarsfield Bridge, is a superb example of a new building
type developed for new functions – in this case for leisure
- in the early twentieth century.”
As the surveys are published, the Minister for the Environment,
Heritage and Local Government formally recommends to the planning
authority that structures identified as being of regional
importance or higher be included in the city or county’s Records
of Protected Structures (RPS). The RPS is the record which
planning authorities are obliged to maintain under the Planning
and Development Act 2000, which confers certain legal protections
on such structures. A total of 732 structures in the survey
of Limerick City are rated as being of regional or higher
importance.
Structures on the RPS can qualify for grant assistance for
conservation works and the Minister alluded to this in his
address. “In 2008, I have allocated funding of almost €25
million to support built heritage projects throughout the
country. This provision represents a record increase of 42%
on the amount spent in 2007.
"Funding of €100,000 has been allocated by my Department
to Limerick City Council and €257,000 to Limerick County
Council this year, to support the conservation of protected
structures. These amounts represent a significant increase
on the 2007 allocations. I am also pleased to announce here,
today, that St. Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick will receive a
grant of €250,000 for conservation works under the Significant
Places of Public Worship initiative administered by the Heritage
Council."
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