Our URBACT IV GreenPlace project focuses on the Irishtown area. In the former area covered by Irishtown, there are several upstanding sections around the circuit of the walls, which are still visible. Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) set out in June 2023 with a definitive goal to help restore a targeted “forgotten” urban area into a valuable place FOR and WITH residents as part of the URBACT IV GreenPlace project. Within the scope of GreenPlace, the City of Limerick will focus on a section of Irishtown encompassing a standing section of the wall located by the Grattan Court, Johnsgate area, a multi-use games area (MUGA) by Watergate Flats and St Michaels graveyard. The area is prone to anti-social behaviour and not well maintained by local residents.
Some key objectives for us in this project are to increase the green potential of the wall, to remove the perception that the area is unsafe and to augment the tourist potential of the wall.
In Limerick, we have already started to work on these objectives by implementing some key actions.
We have held a number of fun filled events to increase activity in the area around the standing section of the wall in Johnsgate/Grattan Court to increase footfall, movement. These are soft measures to look at helping to reduce anti-social behavior via the organization of social events.
Social Events
The most important aspects of our events are citizen participation and cultural heritage.
As part of National Tree Week in March, the community came together and got hands on experience planting some native Limerick heritage apple trees, creating a mini orchard in their area.
A very successful collaborative event between the Local Authority and the residents association. The event was well attended with the residents association promoting the day with a leaflet drop to neighbours well in advance. Young and old came out on the day to help dig, get their hands dirty and plant fruit trees for their community. Participants were asked how they felt in the space during the tree planting activity, some of the responses were:
- Amazing
- Great
- New beginnings
- Back to life
LCCC are working to make connections with the community using the Old City Walls as a neutral factor to engage, the inhabitants of Irishtown.
A Medieval May Fair was held in May on the Grattan Court side of the Walls. The rationale behind holding the May Fair was to gauge interest and the level of existing knowledge among the community about the wall.
LCCC want to further explore the views of the community regarding the city wall and connecting with Limerick’s history.
These social events are child friendly community events, with medieval pop up re-enactors , sword play, music, theatre, face painters and historical walks/talks.
Questionnaires were handed out to attendees to obtain feedback on the wishes, wants, and needs of the local community.
LCCC hope through these social events to receive ideas for the project that reinforce community buy in for future events. It is an opportunity to explore how and what way future events like this could enhance the community’s connection with the wall.
A leaflet drop was carried out in the Johnsgate, Watergate, Grattan Court area and surrounds to notify residents and raise awareness of the event.
These social events are also an opportunity to update the community on the GreenPlace Project. To bring Limerick’s history to life in the community’s backyard.
Medieval Weapons Actor
LCCC are also working towards increasing the green potential of the wall. A landscape drawing has been created by the Councils Landscape Architect in collaboration with our URBACT Local Group.
This drawing will be used as part of the public realm scheme to further improve the area and create permeability amongst the segregated spaces, linking them back in with the City Centre.
To look at permeability in the wider area and plan a redesign of the public realm to allow for greater footfall and free flow of tourists.
