Limerick shrubs up well as urban forest appears!

LIMERICK city centre is looking evergreen today, as part of a new initiative for the June Bank Holiday.

A mobile mini-forest has arrived on Shannonside to help create spaces for people to relax and hang out while supporting local businesses.

It's a small scale pilot project to show off how pedestrianisation could appear in Limerick, with access to parts of Catherine Street, Sarsfield Street and Honan's Quay closed off to motorised traffic at different stages this weekend.

The section of Catherine Street, between its junctions with Glentworth Street and Cecil Street, was first to play host to the pop-up forest this Saturday, where visitors to the centre enjoyed live music outside the Commercial Bar.

Above: Luke Coleman Bernal really for into the spirit of things with his mum Margarita today!

Below: Alice Toomey from Annacotty enjoys Limerick's urban forest

Tomorrow, Sarsfield Bridge will only be accessible to pedestrians, runners, cyclists and scooterists, allowing people to experience the bridge as a forest over water and the city from a different perspective.

While on Monday, Honan’s Quay, at the tunnel under Sarsfield Bridge will be closed to traffic to allow the people of Limerick enjoy a riverside woodland.

Musicians and other street entertainment and activities are planned.

A total of 70 mobile planters have been built each with seating at the edge for up to four adults. Trees have been planted in the planters providing shade from the sun, while also helping to green the street scape.

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The planters can be arranged in various layouts and locked into position.

The trees being used are all native to Ireland and include multi-stemmed silver birch, willow, cherry and ash.

Nice vibes in Catherine Street today, with live music, and a bit of an urban forest going on.

Pleasant initiative for the June Bank Holiday in #Limerick

pic.twitter.com/9jSJ7wR2de

— Nick Rabbitts (@Nick468official) June 4, 2022

Mayor Daniel Butler said: "During Covid, we talked about nature reclaiming our city streets, and we have always been talking about more trees and tree coverage in our city centre, so I came up with an idea about how we could come up with our own urban pop-up forest.”

The rewilding of Catherine Street coming along nicely.

Well done @LimerickCouncil! pic.twitter.com/usV2blODsC

— Brian Leddin (@BrianLeddin) June 4, 2022

“It’s an opportunity for us to use our city centre spaces in a more flexible and creative way, because cities have to start working harder and we have to start using our cities in a more creative way to make them work better for our citizens," he added.

Going into the future, the mobile planters will be available for community and other groups who are planning events. To take advantage of this, please call the council's place making department on 061-556000.