Limerick is a city brimming with potential and crying out for massive investment. The jewel in the city's crown is Thomond Park, which rises out of the city skyline north of the Shannon. Its redevelopment in 2010 transformed a humble rugby ground into a world-class stadium. Reports on plans today for further development around the Thomond Park area would be a massive boon for the city.
Today's Limerick Leader includes a report with details of €40m development plans to redevelop the area around Thomond Park. The city is hoping to build an arena with a capacity for 5,000 people and a large hotel adjacent to the arena in the shadow of Thomond.
The Leader report that Munster Rugby are not involved in these development plans and the financing will come from the Urban Regeneration Development Fund.
There's also plans for increased road access to the deprived nearby communities of Moyross and Ballynatty, and the potential for rail access to the Limerick - Ennis train.
City planners hope - if approved - the arena and hotel could be completed by the end of 2023.
All of this is subject to the usual planning procedures, but if it were to come to pass, it would be a huge fillip both for the area around Thomond and Limerick, as a whole.
