IN THE shadow of the ongoing cost of living crisis, Limerick City has lost two further popular local haunts.
Last weekend, news came of the permanent closure of legendary local bar Jerry O’Dea’s, of Mulgrave Street, and short-lived but much loved ‘barcade’ Level Up, South Circular Road.
It was reported that Jerry O’Dea’s bar, the Mulgrave Street stalwart forever associated in the minds of the people of Limerick with former owner and well-respected Fianna Fail councillor Jerry O’Dea, closed its doors for the final time after midnight on Friday last (January 6).
Limerick soccer supporters group Blue Army noted the loss of the bar as sad and shocking and a huge loss to the city, recalling that “the pub that helped make this group what we are today in many ways, many great nights and memories down through the years for us all where we all made friends for life.”
“Jerry O’Dea, if you are looking down on us thank you for everything … you went above and beyond to make our matchday experience one to remember.”
One commenter on Facebook remembered the bar’s special importance to supporters saying that the “pub meant a lot to us as supporters a lot of friendships and great memories made” adding the the closure marked a “dark day for Limerick”.
The following day, January 7, news also came via Facebook of the closing of barcade Level Up.
In an online statement, the bar’s proprietors attributed the closing of doors to the ongoing cost of living crisis, as well as problems around “price gouging” and “landlord issues”.
“Being one of Limericks largest and most unique bars, it is a shame to shut our doors, but electricity costs/price gouging, inflation, cost of living crisis, landlord issues and after effects from the pandemic have made it impossible to continue,” the statement read.
The statement also thanked customers, staff, and supporters of the bar for “a great three years. Today is an incredibly sad day but unfortunately all good things must come to an end.”
Some posters on Facebook commented on the support that Level Up staff provided to the international arcade games community.
“Sorry to hear. Best barcade in Ireland by some distance but seems to be incredibly hard make any hospitality biz work at the moment,” one supporter commented.
“A very sad loss. I did think that the energy price increases were going to be a hammer blow,” another read.
