Frustration as revamp of playground at Limerick park is scheduled for summer months

THE DECISION to initiate a "major upgrade" of the People's Park playground during the summer months has sparked frustration and concerns among local residents.

The works for the county's first "fully inclusive playground" announced last Thursday by Limerick City and County Council are due to take place in June for six to eight weeks. Parent Jean Conlon, spoke to Limerick Live stating that the timing is "bizarre."

"I have a friend who minds kids just around the corner, and everyday she brings them to the playground," Jean says.
Due to the busyness of the other parts of the park all day round, "she doesn't have anywhere else to bring them," and stresses how unsafe it is for young children.

'Major upgrade' revealed for the playground in Limerick's People's Park

Speaking for her own family, Jean says that as her garden on Saint Joseph's Street resembles a "stamp" in size, they use the park "absolutely everyday," and find a haven in People's Park for their five-year-old, and two-year-old twins, to socialise.

Seen as an important place for parents too, the mother-of-three says that it will be a "massive loss" while the works are being completed adding, "there's a diaspora of people who go there, from non-nationals, to Ukrainians, to Afghan ladies who go there all evening."

In a statement, a spokesperson from Limerick City and County Council stated they "regret the disruption that this will cause," but adding that "this project will deliver an improved experience for all users."

Discussing the timeline for the works, the spokesperson added, “every effort was made to have the works completed before the start of the summer holidays".

They added that "there is a long lead-in time for the supply and delivery of the playground equipment along with procurement and the tender process", and that "it was difficult to get the timing right".

In reaction to the timing concerns raised by people, the statement continued, "the winter months would not have been suitable for the works which include the provision of new play areas on the green embankments of the existing playground," as installing the new play items would be "difficult."