Then & Now: Anniversary for Limerick shopping mecca

NOVEMBER 1973 is a milestone date in Limerick's shopping history as the Crescent Shopping Centre opened its doors for the first time.

It was located in Dooradoyle on the southern outskirts of the city. The complex in its original form was opened 50 years ago, making it one of the earliest shopping centres to open in Ireland. It has an estimated 100,000 m2 (1,100,000 sq ft) of space, 2,500 free car parking places and 94 shops (including stalls).

The shopping centre takes its name from the adjacent Crescent College whose original building was in the Crescent in the city centre. The development mirrors the American model of large retail centres on the outskirts of towns with ample parking and easy access for customers.

The main original part of the centre was built in the shape of a St Bridget's Cross, with four malls (City Mall, Dooradoyle Mall, Garryowen Mall and Shannon Mall) running from a central entrance. When it opened in 1973, it was one of the early contemporary shopping centres in the country (the earliest 'modern' shopping centre in Ireland was opened in 1966 at Stillorgan in Dublin, followed by Northside Shopping Centre in Coolock).

Many of the traders who operated out of the Crescent upon its opening were local businesspeople, most of whom have ceased trading in the intervening years. The main anchor stores have been Quinnsworth (now Tesco) and Shaws (a department store) located near the central area, and Penney's, located on one of the malls. The other units in the centre have varied over the years, although some shops and restaurants have maintained a long stay.

The centre remained largely unchanged apart from some redecoration in the late 1980s, early 1990s. A major plan was drawn up in the late 1990s to expand the centre.

A first step was the moving of the Limerick County Council library to a purpose built building separate from the main centre. A new section of mall was added to the Garryowen Mall, creating a modern shopping space similar to those in the new large Dublin shopping centres. An underground car park was built below this to compensate for the above-ground parking taken up by the new development. Other developments in association with this included the opening of a new 12-screen cinema, the Omliplex.

Limerick County Council also got land next to the development for their new headquarters (previously their headquarters was in the city on O'Connell Street). The final stage of the work was the redevelopment of the old part of the shopping centre. New modern lighting, flooring and decor was added to the centre, and shop fronts were redesigned to match to a standard fashion. The result was the reverse-engineering of a 1970s shopping complex into a centre similar to more modern developments elsewhere in Ireland.

The shopping centre for now remains the largest shopping centre in Munster after further expansion of the Dooradoyle mall in 2005. A playground was planned on the grounds of the centre in 2013. The building of the playground began in May 2014, and it officially opened in July 2014.

While the Crescent Centre has been one of the most successful in Ireland, its success has come at a cost to the older established retailing areas within Limerick city centre, which have seen decline due to less shoppers and subsequent lack of spend and investment.

This has resulted in high levels of vacancy, with centres like the Crescent partly replacing the city centre as key shopping districts. While it has been criticised, many would doubt that the Shopping Centre is the major cause of the city shopping decline.

Bishop Henry Murphy
SUNDAY October 8 was the 50th anniversary of the passing of Bishop Henry Murphy, Roman Catholic Bishop of Limerick. Bishop John Fleming celebrated a Mass in Ardpatrick Church on Saturday October 7, in remembrance. It was Bishop Henry Murphy who confirmed my school class in St Molua's Church Ardagh in May 1968. The Ardpatrick native (Ballinafina) was born on May 19, 1912 and he attended Ardpatrick Primary School. He was educated at St Munchin's College and St Patrick's College Maynooth.

He was ordained a priest on June 21, 1936, by Bishop David Keane and he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity (DD). From 1938 he was a staff member at St Munchin's until his consecration as Bishop of Limerick on August 31, 1958. His predecessor was Bishop Patrick O'Neill who died in office.

The ceremony was performed by Apostolic Nuncio Most Rev Dr Levame before a full attendance that included parish representatives, church priests and bishops, and state dignitaries, including President of Ireland Sean T O'Kelly and Taoiseach Eamon De Valera. He served as secretary of the Irish Episcopal Conference, and he attended the Vatican Council sessions. He will be remembered mainly for his two major works within the diocese, the establishment of the Limerick Social Service Centre and the building of the new St Munchin's College. He laid the foundation stone here on April 28, 1960.

He died at Milford House, Castletroy on October 8, 1973, aged 61 years. He is buried in Mount Lawrence Cemetery Limerick. He is remembered in Ardpatrick by the Bishop Murphy Park.

The 50 Plus Show returns to Limerick

University Concert Hall
CONCLUDING our anniversary recall with the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Limerick Concert Hall. University Concert Hall (UCH) is a 1,000 seat multi-purpose venue situated on the University of Limerick campus and the first purpose-built concert hall in the country.

It was 0pened on September 18, 1993, by the then Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds TD and US Ambassador, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith. It has a variable acoustic which can be tailored to suit the needs of all genres of performance including everything from classical to comedy and panto to pop.

Since its inception UCH has hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment including Johnny Cash, James Taylor, Billy Connolly, Van Morrison, Nigel Kennedy, Leslie Garrett, Sir James Galway, Christy Moore, Sinead O’Connor and Jimmy Carr as well as prestigious ensembles including the RTÉ National Symphony and Concert Orchestras, Princeton and Brown University Orchestras from the US, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain and the King’s Singers.

University Concert Hall actively engages with Limerick’s wider community organisations and artists including the Voices of Limerick, Limerick Musical Society, Limerick Choral Union and many local primary and secondary schools to promote and showcase their artistic endeavours while providing a professional platform for these amateur organisations.

As well as being an entertainment venue, UCH also plays a significant part in attracting conference business to Limerick and has hosted the Irish League of Credit Unions, Operation Smile and the 10th International Alexander Technique Congress. UCH has also hosted many TV and radio broadcasts including Gradam Ceoil, TG4 Awards, The Late Late Show and Eurosong.

The Crescent Shopping Centre and the Concert Hall have provided a great service to the people of Limerick and its surrounds over the years. The enjoyment received from a day shopping and a night attending a show was and still is something to look forward to as both move forward into the future.