€9 million for Nicholas Street upgrade

Nicholas Street is an increasingly fashionable part of the city. It was once the main street of Viking and Medieval Limerick, but following the removal of the city walls and the expansion of the city westwards in the 18th Century, in the decades following the Treaty of Limerick (1691), it has been in a long and steady decline. But the tide has turned for sure in the last decade. It was during the Covid pandemic that the Council successfully promoted the Three Bridges Walk, while around the same time Treaty Brewery got going. Along with established businesses like Katie Daly's and the Cinema Café (aka Stix), and community and artists spaces like the Men's Shed and Starling (since relocated to Anne Street), the street has been experiencing a gradual renaissance. Various street music and street festivals have helped, most notably the brilliant annual Féile na Gréine which has the street as one of its primary anchors. Recent positive news about the commencement of enabling works for the Design and Innovation Hub at the old medieval fireplace site was supplemented by the annoucement this morning of €9 million to carry out a makeover of the street. As a resident in the area I can see the street is clearly on the up, but once this project is complete it will become one of the primary destinations in the city, I have no doubt.