Great news.
This is good news indeed if not even great news.
However, don't forget that the site of Limerick's most exclusive hotels these days was once the home to the solitary 'An Oige' hostel in the city.
With many sites granted planning and nothing materialising over the last thirty years or so - Where is the money?
There is no market in Limerick?
Am I correct?
It would be a pity if we didn't get a more upmarket brand or operator for the hotel site but that was always unlikely given the general lack of activity in hotel development here since the crash.
I'd take a Moxy or Premier Inn. Hopefully it won't be Dalata's Maldron brand anyhow. They're dreadfully bland.
This is an important site so hopefully the new building will be somewhat visually and architecturally appealing.
As long as it's a big international brand I don't mind. I couldn't care what Maldron look like on the inside as long as it's full that's what matters.
What Limerick needs more than any particular demographic is bodies. It's so noticeable when you go to Cork, Dublin or Galway how many more people are on the streets and in pubs and cafes at times and days you would be expecting locals to be at work or at home.
It's going to be a Premier Inn. 155 rooms in a 7 storey building. Planning application to be lodged before the summer. Official announcement should be made shortly.
Confirmed in the media this morning.
https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2026/0325/1565032-permier-inn-limerick/
Brilliant news. I always look for a Premier Inn first when travelling as I find they are a great balance of price and comfort.
I always thought that with Cruises Street and the lack of shops, they should make it a cool urban bar street area.
What lack of shops? Almost all units are occupied.
On Cruies street?
McDonald's, River Island, New look. About half the shops there are empty now. They were anyway at the weekend.
From my count there are 28 units on Cruises street. 23 or 82% are currently occupied.
A quick comparison with Google maps from 2022 shows the level of occupancy was actually lower.
I'm not really a fan of the street and think it could be improved but the perception that "half the shops are empty" is wrong.
Ok. Maybe not half empty then :) I didnt do that much of a deep dive into it, just from visual over the weekend it looked fairly desolate.
Still, my point, with the new Opera centre going in, it would be fantastic if Limerick had a full bar and cafe street that was already pedestrianised.
Drury St. in Dublin has some nice food places and cafes (some with wine) which could work but Limerick already has something identical on Thomas St. Oliver Plunkett in Cork is the prime example.
None were originally pedestrian and I think that's an important point. Cruises St. is bland looking and a bit of an atmosphere sink. I wouldn't go near it if I had the money to open a bar even if it was a "cafe street".
So this is the first paying customer into the opera centre?
Everything else just state backed entities.
They're not a 'paying customer'. They're purchasing the site and building the hotel themselves.
Will this differ from the original plans in anyway?
Yes, that's why an alteration to the original planning permission is needed. It was to be a 5 storey apart hotel, it's now to be a 7 storey hotel.
What I meant was, is this the only private enterprise confirmed so far?
Yes
Hopefully they go for a nicer design, although I doubt it. Their Morrison's Island hotel is meh, and the original plans for their MacCurtain Street hotel was awful. The permitted (and now under construction) hotel on MacCurtain Street reverted to a previously permitted design for the site under a different developer/hotel chain
Cork is a bit grey but it does match the ugly grey area it's in.
The Liberties site is pretty much identical to what's already built in Opera so hopefully they are told to go with something like that so it fits in.
Any progress with the OPW building.
There was a big concrete pour this morning on what I think is the first floor. Nothing significant above the hoarding yet. Will try snap a photo if I'm passing later.
Yes. it should emerge above the hoardings very soon and when it does it will climb quickly.
Site photos from today.
So when is this Opera centre development due to open?
It's not a centre any more. Different buildings will open at different times.
Which means what exactly?
There is no single opening time for Opera Square. Each building is separate and will open when built and occupied.
Opera shopping centre was the original now abandoned plan which would have had a single opening date.
I hadn't realised there was not now going to be a shopping centre. I can't say I'm surprised as they have already made a comple bo***x of the O'Connell street traffic system.
