Limerick City Museum

coffey87

Hi All
Any word on when the museum is to re-open in the Franciscans? Was told some time this month, but no news about it so far

zulutango

It's poor form on the part of the City Council that the Museum has been without a home for a number of years.

leakyboots

It was poor form of the council to turf out unceremoniously what was in there previously - music/artist studios.

This 'museum' is just a sop, the real reason is for storage of documents.

zulutango

leakyboots wrote: »

It was poor form of the council to turf out unceremoniously what was in there previously - music/artist studios.

This 'museum' is just a sop, the real reason is for storage of documents.

Are you talking about the Limerick City archive, or are other documents being stored there?

leakyboots

No idea. I was just told that the reason was 'document storage' and the museum just a token effort because the Franciscans stipulated that whatever the building was to be used for had to be 'for the public'... so the museum was a way around it.

A lot of bands/musicians/artists used the place as a hub for creativity, practices, showcases etc, surely there were other places documents could be stored, how many empty buildings are littered around the town.

leakyboots

I'd nearly bet the vast majority of people had no idea there even is a Limerick City museum. I'd actually forgotten about it until the original post!

vkid

leakyboots wrote:

A lot of bands/musicians/artists used the place as a hub for creativity, practices, showcases etc, surely there were other places documents could be stored, how many empty buildings are littered around the town.

leakyboots

vkid wrote: »

You're sort of missing my point. The Franciscans stipulated that the building will be provided as long as it be used for public consumption, which it was -
it wasn't 'just' practice/rehearsal/art studios, there used be indoor markets on in the actual church part, exhibitions for the Arts college, UL design, craft fairs etc.

This is now housing documents with a token museum thrown in that noone knows about. Yeah, you could argue 'public consumption' there but it's a bit tenuous... I don't think a building that beautiful should be just housing documents, far more potential the other way. Maybe I'll go see the museum and be wowed and change my mind.

I agree with you though, I'm sure there are plenty of other buildings appropriate for studios. To my knowledge nothing like this has been provided since. Good luck getting 4 different bands to rehearse in Dagda at once! (I think Dagda was acquired by some dance crowd so at least that space is up and running again in some form)

EDIT: there is the Music Gen in Moyross, but by all accounts either the lease/funding for that is up in a couple of years so it's probably bye-bye to that too.

zulutango

Daghda / St. John's Church is now used by Dance Limerick. It could be used for more than that, I'm sure. It's a bloody cold building in winter time though.

leakyboots

Lovely venue, have attended gigs/worked there before. Was at a Jameson showcase not so long ago.. very underutilised space I've always thought, it's beautiful. The work done in that square was very tasteful compared to some other work done around the city (hello William Street)

vkid

leakyboots wrote:

You're sort of missing my point. The Franciscans stipulated that the building will be provided as long as it be used for public consumption, which it was - it wasn't 'just' practice/rehearsal/art studios, there used be indoor markets on in the actual church part, exhibitions for the Arts college, UL design, craft fairs etc.

Not really. I just don't think that building is appropriate for what you are suggesting at all on any long term basis and the building was still closed a lot of the time it was being used as you wish it to be.

If you can provide a link to the plans to use it for document storage with a token museum tacked on then I might think your suggestion is more viable but so far I haven't seen or heard details of those plans from any reliable source.

If you can also tell me the daghda space is totally full 7 days a week with dance stuff or whatever, I might also have more sympathy to your cause but as of now it seems completely under utilized to these eyes. I pass it regularly and rarely see anything going on there.

The theatre royal is sitting there falling apart for years which is criminal. Apparently there are plans for that to be used a digital media hub/ cinema or some such..( i wont hold my breath) which again to me is mad. It should a prime multi purpose venue in the city. Far better than going to gigs in winter in the"big top" in the milk market

The belltable is open then closed, then open again then closed again..is that also fully utilized 7 days a week? No, and it suggests the market/demand is not there for another venue of that size dedicated to the arts.

Is there not also a church type space in the art college on clare street..is that booked solid 7 days a week? Are there spaces in the other colleges.. The millennium theatre, the concert hall, the lime tree theatre??

We are talking about a massive building taking up nearly a full block on one of the city's main streets. For me, its not the place for what you are suggesting at all and the arts is already very well served for venues. The are many other uses for the building that the public can engage with.

Poxyshamrock

leakyboots wrote: »

This is now housing documents with a token museum thrown in that noone knows about.

I think you're being a bit unfair to the museum. Fair enough, it isn't as renowned or well known as the Hunt Museum but I think most people in Limerick know about it or at least did when it was in John's Square and Nicholas Street. It should never have been moved to Istabraq Hall in City Hall.

I think moving it into the Franciscans will only help it but from what I understand, it is going to be in the Franciscan Friary (along Lower Bedford Row) and not the actual church itself.

theblackstuff

Anyone been to the museum since it opened? I was going to head into it with my mother a few Saturdays ago, only to see its only open weekdays, and even then closed at lunchtime. Crazy opening hours.
Went to the Hunt instead.

I don't work in the city so I wont be heading into it anytime soon.