A FORMER Limerick councillor and mayor has taken up a new challenge as the interim chair of Limerick Twenty Thirty (LTT).
Fianna Fail stalwart James Collins represented Limerick City West and retired as a Limerick City and County councillor last year, choosing not to contest the local elections after 15 years of public representation.
Mr Collins, who comes from a Limerick family steeped in politics, is the son former TD Michael Collins and the nephew of former minister and MEP Gerry Collins.
During that time, he served as Mayor of the City and County of Limerick in 2018 and Cathaoirleach of the Metropolitan District of Limerick in 2019.
Appointed to the inaugural board of LTT in 2016, Mr Collins, a respected businessman, served on LTT’s investment committee and remuneration committee.
He has vast experience during his time with LTT, which is a special purpose vehicle of Limerick City and County Council established in 2016 to develop key strategic sites to drive enterprise and investment across Limerick and the Mid West region.
Mr Collins was on a board that presided over the development of Gardens International, brought through planning and commenced Opera Square, advanced the Cleeves Riverside Quarter project to its current pre-planning stage, and also worked on the Mungret College housing masterplan.
He has also served on the governing authority of UL from 2018 to 2019, as well as being a director of Innovate Limerick and a former trustee of Limerick Market Trustees.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Collins said: “I was lucky to be on the board of Limerick Twenty Thirty from its origins through to 2024 and really enjoyed being involved in that capacity and watching it grow from its set-up years to developing multi-award-winning projects.”
“It’s currently at a hugely exciting stage, with the iconic Opera Square project now advancing rapidly and the equally important Cleeves Riverside Quarter moving close to planning. These projects are going to be transformational for Limerick so it’s essential now we keep the momentum up and make the most of this incredible opportunity for our city and region.”
