Limerick Rugby Experience Closure Discussion

sleepyman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122768230#Comment_122768230

Really great post-echo all of these sentiments.I'm not saying the indoor arena would be the panacea for the city centre.It would just help.

I do think some of the streets look OK like Thomas St so it's not all doom and gloom.

William St and Cruises St look awful though save for some shops that have tasteful shopfronts/make an effort painting their buildings,gutters,windows.

Red Silurian

It's an auful pity to see it go but at €17.50 per ticket it was a bit saucy.

Recently in the tech museum in London, entry was free but they were making money from suggested donations, cafes, gift shops and 2 premium exhibitions to claw back the money.

Both that, and the nearby, similarly run Natural History museums had huge queues getting in

Would have been an idea to follow a similar business model for this I think

Cookiemunster

Both of those are state funded museums. IRE was a private entity. They're not in any way comparable.

It costs £29 to get into Madame Tussauds in London which is also a private entity.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122773253#Comment_122773253

British national museums like the Science museum and Natural History museum are state funded same as our national museums. The national museums in London are also in one of the great tourist hotspots of the world and have hundreds of years of artifacts from all over the world.

The most comparable London has is the World Rugby museum in Twickenham which you have to pay £12.50 for.

The price doesn't matter. It was just a stupid idea and a terrible business decision.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122773291#Comment_122773291

No doubt all those examples are massive by comparison to the IRE but the business model of bring them in and hope they buy a coffee and sambo could have been a better one for them to use.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122773384#Comment_122773384

No it couldn't. Those museums are state funded by the UK government. That's why they can afford free entry. IRE was self financing and would never have been funded by people buying things in a coffee shop.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122773384#Comment_122773384

No it couldn't.

Vanquished

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122772440#Comment_122772440

Yeah fair points. Bedford Row has been absolutely transformed compared to the dismal car dominated space it was 20 years ago. The high quality French limestone they used has stood the test of time also. It's warmer tones are a pleasant contrast to the bleak grey used on O'Connell Street and the rubbish quality concrete paving laid on William Street.

Thomas Street overall looks well too. Particularly so in summer when the trees are in full leaf. It just goes to show the impact they can make in tandem with decent public realm upgrades. I should mention the dark Kilkenny limestone that was used to repave Augustinian Lane and Fox's Bow back in 2006/7. It still looks fantastic despite some vehicles being needlessly allowed to batter it over the years. It should be used more in the city centre, particularly on laneways.

The likes of Catherine Street, Patrick St, Rutland St, the rest of O'Connell Street, The Crescent, William Street, Sarsfield Street, Denmark St, Roches St, Shannon St, Henry St, Glentworth St, Cecil St, Mallow St, Pery Square and the city centre laneways all urgently need complete overhauls though. Unacceptably little has been achieved in terms of public realm projects over the last decade despite record levels of funding being available from central government. Quality streetscapes are a fundamental requirement for healthy and well performing city centres. Limerick Council badly needs to get its act together and fast.

Not made with hands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122773384#Comment_122773384

Not a chance. Small independent cafes just about make money.

Even if everybody who went in bought a coffee and a sandwich the cafe operation would probably still lose money.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122773424#Comment_122773424

Thanks for your usual level of well thought out and highly informative answers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122773871#Comment_122773871

True what you say about small indie cafés, what about the ones with museums attached though. How do they fare? What about the idea that the indie cafe doesn't work because they all offer roughly the same thing and something different might work.

Maybe on the current numbers of everybody who went in, but what if more people went in?

Charging nearly €20 for an entrance ticket didn't work either to be fair.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122774186#Comment_122774186

I had already given you a full and reasoned answer which I replied to by just repeating yourself. Also Cookie had just said everything that needed saying.

Cafés in British Museums are outsourced so day to day sales probably do not matter to the museum which is funded totally by government. You seem to not want to acknowledge the funded by the government bit that keeps getting pointed out to you.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122774199#Comment_122774199

You can do more than 3 word answers, well done! I have already accepted that those museums are huge, hence the need for govt funding in those places, but what if you reduce the size and therefore the cost of maintaining the exhibits which would inevitably happen with the IRE?

Is the space in the British museums just handed over to the cafe operators or is it rented as a type of income?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122774228#Comment_122774228

Rented but the income would come nowhere near funding the museums.

A smaller museum would obviously attract less rent or less sales which ever model you go with.

Funding a museum off of coffee is just impossible. You seem totally incapable of coming to terms with the fact your suggestion wasn't a good one.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122774272#Comment_122774272

I fully accept that my suggestion isn't a good one in your opinion. That doesn't make it a fact

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122774316#Comment_122774316

Museum are not and can't be funded totally by the coffee shop like you suggested.

That is a fact.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122774339#Comment_122774339

Nope, that's definitely an opinion

Do you have a dictionary within reach? I suggest you look up the definitions before making a fool of yourself again

Cookiemunster

Once again he accuses others of making a fool of themselves while he digs deeper and deeper. Oh the irony!

rjoe90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122774383#Comment_122774383

I don’t understand the sarcastic tone you take to any posts you don’t agree with. Renting out some of the space like the coffee shop whilst applying for government funding could help keep the place afloat for the next 3 years. The key to keeping this open would be creativity by the council.
It would then be the councils to do with as they please.

LeoD

I think Limerick is too desperate to find the magic bullet project that will fix the city centre. For years it was M&S but more recently we have moved on to larger stand alone infrastructure projects but I think a few buildings here and there aren't going to make that much difference either. Until the city centre becomes an attractive place for families that currently choose to live in the suburbs, it'll continue to struggle.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775160#Comment_122775160

The key to keeping this open would be to defunding local services to pay for it. They already have a coffee shop. And a souvenir shop. Both of which are open to the public. They're still losing money.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775160#Comment_122775160

That's not what was proposed.

Red wrongly thought the coffee shops pay for the London museums. There was no government funding in his plan.

Paddico

What was it actually like. Did anybody on here make a visit?

Glenomra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775441#Comment_122775441

I didn't. Those that I met, few enough, that did found it dreadfully disappointing.

rjoe90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775200#Comment_122775200

No, the key to keeping it open would be to actually upgrade the experience and generate repeat customers. I’ve been and like many I’ve spoke to found it very underwhelming. Rent out certain spaces to generate money like the coffee shop and souvenir shop. They would need to get creative and try different ideas like moving the coffee shop to the ground floor- ideal location for one.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775700#Comment_122775700

Are there enough people in Limerick town centre to make a museum viable?

I visit occasionally to see friends, but it is often very quiet. Especially during the week. Lots of places not even open early in the week.

rjoe90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775722#Comment_122775722

For it to be successful it has to be more than just a museum. They’d need to get creative, maybe have some sort of a leisure plex in there in addition to the coffee/souvenir shop.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775740#Comment_122775740

What put me off going is that it isn't a museum and it is a leisureplex. It's all interactive games and no memorabilia.

rjoe90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775770#Comment_122775770

Maybe they should commit to one or the other. Or even separate them - you pay to go to the leisureplex or the museum with a discount if going to both.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775700#Comment_122775700

It was designed by the same company that designed the Guinness Storehouse Experience in Dublin and the Titanic Experience in Belfast. It's not going to get better. And it's got 4.5/5 on Tripadvisor, so most obviously disagree with your opinion.

An upgrade would also cost more money.

They already have spaces are available for rent. It's still loss making.

I've no idea how you think leasing out the coffee and souvenir shops would be viable. How to propose that the lessees make a profit?

The simple fact is that it is a loss making entity that would require public funding from an already agreed 2025 local budget. This would mean a reduction in services elsewhere.

rjoe90

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122775822#Comment_122775822

If you actually read all of the comments here you will see that a number of people do agree with me. The original business plan/ layout is not fit for purpose and is ultimately losing money.

Why not try to be creative and come up with solutions to help make it viable? Apply for government funding, move the coffee shop to the ground floor and rent it out. I’m sure there are many people out there that would lease it and back themselves to make a profit due to the location.