Ex-Department of Finance boss and Rubberbandits call for bold Limerick redesign
The #LiveableLimerick campaign wants big changes made to Limerick’s O’Connell Street.
THE FORMER SECRETARY General of the Department of Finance has joined forces with comedians and activists the Rubberbandits to call for more development in Limerick city.
Last week Limerick City and County Council unveiled plans to redevelop O’Connell Street.
At the moment, there is often heavy traffic running through O’Connell Street, which is used by many to get across the city.
The intent of the plan was to make the street more people and pedestrian focused. Last week the council announced its preferred option to redevelop the street, which would see traffic lanes reduced and more space for pedestrians.
The €9 million project is to be partially funded by the council, with matched funding from the European Regional Development Fund.
However, the plans have been criticised by some locals and activists, who say that they do not go far enough. Many people in the area had hoped that the street could largely pedestrianised.
The council is accepting submissions from the public until midnight tonight, who can suggest ideas as to how to improve the council’s plans.
#LiveableLimerick
Many locals have now organised under the banner of the #LiveableLimerick, and urged others to make submissions to the council.
John Moran
John Moran, the former secretary general of the Department of Finance, is a supporter of the campaign.
He has called for O’Connell Street to be largely devoted to pedestrians, with two passageways, one for cars and ambulances, and another for the visually impaired.
He said that the street should be divided into five different sections that could each have different themes; sports, industry, gardens and open seating, culture and family.
Today, he and the Rubberbandits co-signed an open letter to Limerick City Council that urged the local authority to be bold in its redesign of O’Connell Street.
The letter points out the achievements of various Limerick natives, such as the Collison brothers, who founded US-based payments giant Stripe. John Collison is now the world’s youngest self-made billionaire.
A CGI render of how Moran thinks O'Connell Street could look
‘Good enough’
“We as a people too often accept ‘good enough’. We are a nation of builders and dreamers,” the letter says.
“A main street without cars and buses driving through it and people playing on its paved surfaces – (that) doesn’t seem like such a big deal, does it?
“#LiveableLimerick supporters are proposing to you a solution for the common good, where people come first. Your team have already made some very good solutions, but more can be done.”
The O’Connell Street plan is one of several major Limerick developments that have recently been announced.
Earlier this week, plans were unveiled for the long-idle ‘Opera Centre’ site that would see buildings that could hold thousands of workers built.
