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Medieval Limerick is reborn with Nicholas Street Painting Project

Nicholas Street Painting Project – Traders and residents pictured above at the ribbon-cutting for the initiative. This community-led approach has seen all the buildings on the street painted over the last twelve months. Picture: Anthony Sheehan/ilovelimerick

Medieval Limerick is reborn with Nicholas Street Painting Project

The Nicholas Street painting project is one of the biggest most exciting community events to take place in Limerick City in recent times.

Nicholas Street is the main thoroughfare of the medieval city of Limerick. It is the principal street in the walled city and dates back to Limerick’s foundations. At one end lies the beautiful Saint Mary’s Cathedral and at the other the prominent fortress of King John’s Castle built-in 1210. Over the last three decades, the street became associated with vacant buildings.


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As the winner of Best Tourism Building Project 2019 and a Finalist in the Community and Council Awards for Best Community Based Initiative in February 2020, the Nicholas Street painting project brings the most important Medieval Street in Limerick back to life. The power and determination of this community painted the street to new glory.

Under the leadership of Dean Niall J Sloane from Saint Mary’s Cathedral, the project is supported by Saint Mary’s Cathedral, King John’s Castle, The Hunt Museum, St Mary’s Aid, Limerick Tidy Towns, the JP McManus Benevolent Fund and of course the local residents and traders.

Nicholas Street Painting Project

This community-led approach supported by traders and residents has seen all the buildings on the street painted over the last twelve months.

The people of Limerick believe the resurgence of this street is worth celebrating. This community-led approach supported by traders and residents can now be seen on the street, painted over the last twelve months.

At the official launch of the initiative at King John’s Castle, Minister Patrick O Donovan, Mr. Brendan Foley and representatives from Limerick City and County Council, Fáilte Ireland, Residents and Traders celebrated the completion of the Nicholas Street painting project with performances from piper Captain Michael Egan and the Men’s Shed Bodhran Players & Ballad Singers.

Mr. Brendan Foley, a former Munster rugby player, cut the ribbon for this project outside King John’s Castle. Foley remembers his childhood on Nicholas Street saying, “It’s lovely to see it revamped. Back when I was going to school, this was a very busy street, and there were lots of shops. If I remember correctly, the only thing you couldn’t get here was a bag of coal.”

The Mayor of Limerick City and County Council spoke at the launch about the street’s history and how its revived beauty will last saying, “The people rolled up their sleeves, came together and have now reinvented and recreated this wonderful street.”

For more information on Saint Marys Cathedral, click here.

For more stories on Nicholas Street, click here

 

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.