Plans to develop landmark site on Limerick's riverside after 50 years lying idle

A TERRACE of former houses which have lain vacant for more than half a century are in line to get a new lease of life.

Planning permission is being submitted to convert the old toll houses at the entrance to St Mary’s Park into a riverside cafe and bar.

Husband-and-wife team Aengus and Rioghna D'Arcy, who run JJ Bowles Pub on the opposite side of the River Shannon purchased the toll houses from council in 2023. Now they are seeking formal approval from the local authority to transform the vacant units.

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Mr D’Arcy said since they began running Limerick’s oldest pub, he and his wife have had their eye on the toll houses.

“I’ve been looking across for years at that site, and been thinking, if it ever came up for sale, I would put a bid in on it. We did. We were delighted the council accepted our submission and our ideas. Hopefully we can go forward with the vision we have,” he said.

That vision is a lunch-to-late cafe and licensed bar with room for 60 people, the publican said.

The key is maintaining the existing character of the building, and Mr D’Arcy says the team they have appointed for the project was done with a view to this.

“Maintaining the fabric of the building and everything else is key to this,” he said.

A significant amount of work will be needed for the interior of the premises, he admits, saying: “There’s a bit of stripping back to the bare bones.”

“But we are keeping the main structure, we are keeping the existing buildings as they are. It will be a cleaned-up version of what is there,” he added.

If permission is granted, he added it could take a year to transform the old cottages into a cafe.

A decision on the planning application is scheduled for the end of August.