“We are only trustees for those that come after us.”
VISITORS will not go to King John’s Castle to see a Disneyland of glass and metal – they will want to see a historic castle in form and function that they can roam through and imagine how life was in the time period it represents.
These are the comments of the Limerick architectural conservation specialist, Tom Quinlan, in response to the roll out by Shannon Development of redevelopment plans for the medieval castle.
Shannon Development, which has secured almost €6million for the project, aims to put the refurbished castle on the tourist map as a leading “must see: visitor attraction.”
While there has been an overall welcome to the project from the city councillors, a number of them have reservations about the retention in the main, of the steel and glass structure that will front the entrance to the castle’s Interpretative Centre on Nicholas Street.
Warning that Limerick has just one opportunity to show off the castle “with as much authenticity as is possible,” Mr Quinlan says:
“The international guidelines throughout the world for rehabilitation of national monuments suggests preserving the original fabric where possible and where reconstruction is necessary, such as where the metal entry is located, this can be reconstructed as it originally was.”
Mr Quinlan says that where the original fabric no longer exists, “it is acceptable to clad and fill a concrete wall with similar stonework, to the original thickness, as the international standards suggest.
“Only the trained eye needs to be able to determine what was original and what was restored in 2011 – commercial activities can benefit from this and can blend in to the natural fabric of the castle and wheelchair access can also be achieved in a manner that preserves a sense of place.”
Referring to the outstanding success of the Bunratty Castle restoration, which he says is a credit to Shannon Development, Mr Quinlan contends that this would not have been so if the architects involved had been permitted to alter the entry with glass and change the ambience of the fortification.
“Fortunately there was a full realisation of its true value and a sensitive separation of old and new.”
Shannon Development, in co-operation with Limerick City Council is currently engaged in a period of consultation with the relevant stakeholders, city councillors, residents, traders and the general public.
