Cllr Sarah Kiely, Pat Daly, Chief Executive Limerick City and County Council, Patrick O’Donovan TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Office of Public Works and the Gaeltacht, Cllr Dan McSweeney, Deputy Mayor of Limerick City and County, Jack Chambers TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport and at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, Trina O’Dea, Cllr Fergus Kilcoyne, Sean Kelly, MEP and Richard O’Donoghue TD pictured at the launch of the The Patrickswell Village Renewal Scheme, a project delivered by Limerick City & County Council.
Phase 1 of this scheme was developed in 2017, with Phase 2 delivered by
Active Travel Team through funding by the National Transport Authority (NTA) in 2023.
Pedestrians have been prioritised in the implementation of the scheme with controlled
crossing points and improved sightlines for safety purposes.
Traffic calming features have also been provided, along with bus stops in the village centre,
providing facilities to encourage a modal shift in the community.
Opportunities to link in with current developments in the village were optimised, including
opening up a large plaza area in front of the Community Centre to extend out to the road
edge, with seating and mature trees provided.
Pic: Don Moloney
The Scheme aims to prioritise pedestrians and traffic calming measures, with controlled crossing points installed and improved sightlines designed for safety purposes.
New bus stops in the village centre have also been provided and opportunities to link in with current developments in the village have been optimised, including the new Community Centre, which opened in October 2023.
Deputy Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Councillor Dan McSweeney, said:
“The Patrickswell Village Renewal Scheme has transformed the area and I am delighted to see the project come to completion. The project provides a modern, high quality, durable streetscape for residents to enjoy, to live, to work and to socialise around. The key benefit to the scheme is its completion in tandem with the opening of the new community centre in the heart of the town. After years of hard work, the Council, via the Active Travel team and NTA funding, has provided a space outside of the centre and through the village that is attractive and vibrant. The project has been delivered with the community at its heart, allowing local people to continue to thrive in a modern, developed local area with high quality infrastructure.”
Limerick City and County Council has worked closely with the Patrickswell Tidy Towns Committee throughout the project with regard to design of the landscape and planting proposals and future maintenance requirements.
Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers, commented:
“I want to congratulate all involved in the delivery of this project in Patrickswell, which is safety-based and community-focused. My department through the NTA is pleased to have provided approximately €2 million in funding towards this scheme. Patrickswell, as a result of the delivery of these works, is future-proofed in terms of access to sustainable and public transport offerings, with bus stops in the village centre going hand in hand with an enhancement in the offering of bus services in the area. It is now a safer village to walk in, to cycle in, to shop in and to spend time in.”
The scheme provides additional landscaped green areas, including more than 50 mature indigenous trees.
Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council, Dr Pat Daly, said:
“The Active Travel team has worked hand-in-hand with the Patrickswell community to deliver this project and the end result has reaped the rewards. The project is a clear example of an effective and impactful renewal of a busy village that benefits those living and working in the area. The overall infrastructure of the village has been transformed, through both phase one of the project which was delivered a number of years ago and this second phase. It is enhancing the quality of life of Patrickswell residents and those passing through. We are very proud in Active Travel to have facilitated this development.”
The project also provides for bike parking in the area, along with solar compactor bins at locations throughout the village and public lighting upgrades.
The project received an allocation of €1.25 million in funding from the National Transport Authority (NTA) in 2023, having been allocated €750,000 in 2022.