EXCLUSIVE: Businessman Pat McDonagh has plans for Obama-style plaza in Limerick

Supermac's Pat McDonagh plans to take a bite out of the motorway service station market in County Limerick.

Mr McDonagh has confirmed to the Leader that an application for a €10m Obama-style plaza will be lodged with Limerick City and County Council in the coming weeks.

The site location is on the N69 in Mungret, adjacent to the Limerick-Galway motorway and Limerick tunnel. It is just after the second roundabout at the end of the Dock Road, on the left as you head towards Clarina.

The Galway man already owns five Supermac’s and two hotels – Castletroy Park and Castle Oaks – in County Limerick but this will be his first plaza.

In addition to a retail unit and a fuel court there will be a food court with Supermac’s, Papa John’s pizza, a Super Subs outlet as well as a deli.

Mr McDonagh said it is a good location

“We have been looking at it for a good while and decided to go for it. I think it’s probably going to grow with the bypass of Adare coming in that direction. It’s subject, of course, to planning permission,” said Mr McDonagh. All going according to plan he hopes it would be open for motorists in late 2021 / early 2022.

During the construction phase he says there will be up to 100 jobs and then when completed between 90 and 100 employed.

Mr McDonagh confirms it will be a €10m investment in County Limerick in the midst of a global pandemic.

“You have to keep planning ahead, and as they say, this too will pass. Roads are still going to be busy. People will still commute. Whilst a lot will revert back to working in offices there’s going to be percentage that will say 'Look, we can work from home two or three days a week'.

“What I would see happening for the future - it’s happening as it is - is that pods will develop. And people will work from there rather than working in the office and sometimes moving to Dublin.

“Dublin was really sucking in all of the people from across the country. I think that's going to change because of the amount of people working from home and decentralisation - more than it ever could have with government incentives or otherwise. People are relocating down the country,” said Mr McDonagh.

Regarding what to call it, Mr McDonagh said thinking about a name is premature.

“I haven't thought about that yet. The Limerick Plaza is probably the first one that comes to mind. I don’t want to be presumptuous. We have some ground to cover before we come to that decision,” said Mr McDonagh.

After attending college in Limerick and his business interests locally he says he, “Always had a bit of time for Limerick”. But all bets are off when Galway take on Limerick on Sunday!

“May the best team win. It’s going to be a cracking game. Obviously, Limerick are favourites, and rightly so. Being from Galway, I would hope that our side will be the victors but regardless, it will be a great game. Even in 2018, nobody from Galway would envy Limerick for winning the All-Ireland.

“Like ourselves, they have been knocking on the door for a lot of years and it never opened. But it is open now for them and I'd say they're going to leave it open for a while. They have the right mix. Now, we have very good hurlers as well. It should be a very exciting, cracking game – that’s what I'm looking forward to. May the best team win,” he concludes.

For more Limerick news click here