Limerick Businesses Opening

You can't move somewhere like Dolan's. You could try do your best to recreate it but it's hard to transfer the atmosphere of a venue into a modern site. The venue side of Dolan's doesn't need to be in a "better location" anyway because people go to it for a specific event same as a sports venue.

Everything you mention except the cafe and maybe the hostel require a rebuild. Hostel would be great though. Bizarre Limerick has none and even Cork only has two and one is tiny. It seems all or nothing the way the hostels are centred in the traditional tourist spots.

Just to use Schuh as an example. Why would they move in there when the much better unit on Bedford Row was available. It's a run down unit that is part of a building that was in limbo for ages.

Go on any of the city threads on Boards and you will find people just like you saying the grass is greener on the other cities.

There is something very dodgy going on with Kranks though. That street is now one of if not the most sought after especially for food/drink and yet that's sitting idle with no sign of a CPO or punitive action. Everytime I pass I wonder if it owned by a buddy of a councillor.

You are right to point to Shop St. though. It's very successful despite it being one of the most "anti car" streets in Ireland in a city with a terrible traffic reputation. But apparently Limericks problem is it's not car friendly.

honestly i think it may be just a combination of extortionate rates /rents that are looked for in the prime areas of the city that put off new business and generally as well ,low footfall in some area's , a few like kranks would need a fortune spent before it could reopen .

The old Mcdonald's unit is for sale for something like a 1mill

Ya you're saying Dolan's is a hike - that's a selling point for them, that they're all alone where they are. They will never move, bar the chance of opening an extra venue in centre.

But as mentioned anyway, they have contracts for the Milk Market/King John's Castle anyway. Why take a risk of another permanent fixture in the city centre when everything else is dying a death.

The population of the city centre is about to increase a fair bit with Opera, Cleeves and Colbert sites, so it's good to have a vision for Cruise's street.

Also lots of job announcements in past couple of years so there's lots of potential for a vibrant city centre.

Maybe indie cinema, hostel, late night cafe, playground would be a good start.

As someone previously said with all the big construction projects, there's probably not the resources for a complete rebuild for the next decade at least.

Alternatively the council could just subsidise the rents to as low as possible and see what the free markets does with it.

That's how Temple Bar initially started.

I can't even remember Gasta. The last place I remember there was the fancy Superman's.

Would be great but I would say little demand for one. Most cities seem to just have a "Dolan's" and it's the same venue for each city that you see every time on the tour posters.

If I had the money I would invest in the fancy cinema or the hostel long before a new music venue. Especially in a new site which are usually soulless and boring. It's the same reason that the Milk Market and castle are sought after venues.

Subsided rent is also how Cruises St. started which is why after (iirc) 12 and 20 years a number of the original stores started to look at moving on.

They would increase revenue. They go be a late bar 7 nights a week.

I agree it's unrealistic though.

By the Opera site, I meant working population. 1000s of office workers with money to spend. ( Up to 3000 apparently).

The LDA have government backing but our construction industry is at capacity so it's difficult to get things going. The LDA are currently building projects in Dublin and Cork so no reason why it won't happen in Limerick.

The Cleeves site may have up to 500 units. Once there's money and political will, it will happen.

Likewise Colbert Quarter. (Up to 2800 homes).

As long as our economy remains stable, these things will happen eventually.

The Locke might get a post 5pm boost on a Friday but the sad fact is most of those workers will drive.

Its really disappointing that Opera wont have housing. Would really help keep it alive after 5pm and not look like another Cruises St. at night. I know it's due to have a restaurant or something but every little helps.

The number of people in construction in Ireland in 2005 was 245,000. Today it's 170,000 despite our population having grown over a million.

So our construction industry is still only recovering so we need to be patient on big projects in Limerick.

There's no need to be smart.

My initial comment was about improving Cruises Street and Limerick city in general.

I also said initially it was unrealistic despite it making logical and logistical sense.

There's lots of "destination" small cities and towns in Ireland like Galway, Westport, Dingle, Killarney, Carrick etc.

Limerick could be one of those with good vision and policy and investment.

I mean as a destination.

Do Irish people go to Limerick for the weekend? Do stags or hens go there?

Do you ever hear of couples or groups of mates going to Limerick for the weekend?

Do you ever hear foreign tourists mention that they're going to Limerick? They pass through on the way to somewhere else like the Cliffs of Moher or Doolin.

Galway, Cork, Kilkenny, Derry all get these type of tourists.

Dingle, Kenmare, Killarney, Adare, Westport, Carlingford, Carrick, Belfast, Clonakilty, Kinsale etc all do.

It's the number one factor hindering construction in Ireland.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2023/08/30/skills-shortages-hindering-builders/

"One example is Colbert Station in Limerick, where about 50 hectares of state land is shared by the HSE, Irish Rail and the local authority. We are stitching these plots together to form a much larger, more cohesive master plan development. We’ve released a master plan for Colbert, and we will prepare the first planning applications later this year, which brings a sense of reality to these major projects." John Coleman CEO of LDA said this a month ago.

My point still stands. Anyway my initial opinion was ways to improve Cruises Street and Limerick city centre.

I've been around a long time and have never heard of anyone having a stag or hen in Limerick or going there for a trip besides to see Munster play.

Stags and Hens aren't the be-all and end-all but they're good for atmosphere and spending money. Lahinch even does well out of them.

Any tourists I've spoken only pass through there on the way to somewhere elsewhere.

There's no reason it can't be a destination spot like other places.

Your point doesn't stand cause it's bullsht.

You might want to stop at this point.

Limerick gets its share of stags, domestic and international visitors. It's not going to get as many as Galway but so what, plenty of industry opening, expanding and creating jobs and buying the economy.

Your plan to rebuild Dolan's in the middle of cruises street is not the answer. It's a rubbish idea.