A FORMER resident of the Opera Centre site has appealed to Limerick city council to preserve something of the history of the area when it’s redeveloped as part of the city centre regeneration programme.
Former local election candidate, Jim Hickey, lived in the area as a child, where his father , John Hickey, a former mayor of Limerick, was proprietor of the Sarsfield Bar.
Recalling how things were then, Jim told the Limerick Post: “The Opera centre area where I grew up consisted of many shops, where families conducted their business and lived overhead the premises.
Those who had gas cookers were privileged as cooking and water heating was mainly done by fire from ranges.
“Ranks flour mill, the Limerick clothing factory and bacon factories along with Cleeves factory were the main sources of work and the people from all backgrounds were closely integrated and neighborly with each other. Doors were left unlocked and burglaries were non-existent”.
Jim said that he read of the city council’s plans for office space and third level accommodation “I think that having a third level institution to bring a college faculty to the area and student accommodation would be welcome but this will not bring employment.
“What is needed in Limerick is for the IDA and the government to promote large industries where three or four thousand people can be meaningfully employed”.
He says he would prefer to see medium sized retail businesses move into the Opera Centre and to have part of the centre dedicated to preserving the history of the site, with a display of information and pictures.
“And to get people in to shop in these outlets, the city council should have a pilot scheme that would allow people to park for free on Friday and Saturday. That would a big help in getting business back into the city”, he said.
