LEAMY House, the home of the Frank McCourt Museum, has been put up for sale, leaving the future of the museum in jeopardy.
The Georgian building on Hartstonge Street went on sale this week at the instructions of a bank; Murphy Gubbins auctioneers have advertised the guide price as €325,000.
The museum is owned by John Heaton; his wife Una Heaton, the museum’s curator, told the Limerick Post this week that she did not wish to comment on the matter.
The building, formerly known as Leamy School, was built in 1843; it served as a national school for Catholic boys from 1860 until 1953.
The late Frank McCourt was one of its pupils, and the museum houses a number of artefacts from the life of the Angela’s Ashes author, including a portion of his ashes and props from the 1999 movie based on the award-winning novel.
The building was purchased by John Heaton’s late father Jack in 1956, and it housed the Crescent Clothing Company until 1993.
The museum has been in operation for the last two years.
