Limerick City and County Council has given the green light to Thanos Securities' revised proposal for 76 apartments at 34-41 Catherine Street, transforming a long-derelict site that once housed the Desmond Arms and Cheers nightclub. The residential project, which had been stalled for years, received approval with 15 conditions attached.
The approval comes as local politicians intensify pressure on the national government for a more robust city-centre response. Councillors from the Metropolitan District plan to send a letter to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris, calling for a Limerick-specific task force similar to those established for Dublin and Cork.
The urgency is clear. Limerick aims to convert vacant and underused city sites into housing as officials review the broader planning framework. The council's Variation No. 3 proposal for the Limerick Development Plan seeks to accelerate housing supply, revise density guidelines, and kickstart development on zoned residential land. Public submissions remain open until May 18.
The Catherine Street redevelopment calls for demolishing sections of the block, refurbishing protected buildings at Nos. 35 and 37, and constructing a six-storey residential block where Nos. 38 through 41 currently stand. According to previous planning documents, the scheme will deliver one- and two-bedroom units, 11 parking spaces, secure bicycle storage, a communal terrace on the fifth floor, and solar panels.
This site has been flagged as a problem for years. In 2020, the council announced that An Bord Pleanála had approved a compulsory purchase for Nos. 34-41 Catherine Street. The owners challenged the decision through judicial review. The council described the property as one of several high-profile derelict sites in the city centre.
Fine Gael councillors Olivia O'Sullivan, Daniel Butler, Dan McSweeney, Sarah Kiely, and Peter Doyle proposed the task force at the Metropolitan District's April meeting. O'Sullivan argued that "it is now Limerick City's turn" to have a government-supported group focusing on solutions specific to the city's challenges.
Comparisons with peer cities are adding to the urgency. Earlier this year, the government launched a Dublin City Taskforce, aiming to improve the city centre as a place to live, work, and visit. The taskforce's recommendations focused on dereliction, local services, security, and public spaces; Dublin City Council has since taken over, moving delivery forward through new dedicated structures.
Locals are also looking at Cork as a benchmark. The government approved the Cork City Futures Group on April 1, tasking it with reviewing the city-centre action plan, identifying obstacles, and making recommendations on investment, business growth, culture, and infrastructure. The group is expected to deliver a high-level implementation framework later this year.
The Limerick case involves just 76 homes on a single block, far from any sweeping city renewal. Still, task force supporters point to it as a clear-cut example—a site that should speed up if national and local agencies align.
Risks remain. Planning permission does not guarantee when construction will begin; the team still faces conditions, funding hurdles, and scheduling issues. The property falls within the Newtown Pery Architectural Conservation Area, a heritage-protected zone, and a bat report flagged the site's proximity to Lower River Shannon's protected habitats. Both factors could increase the complexity and cost of demolition and building.
It is not just private apartments seeing demand in Limerick. In February, the council called on developers, builders, and landowners to submit ideas for social and affordable housing—houses, duplexes, and apartments. They stressed that demand for homes, across both city and county, is strong now and in the future.
The Catherine Street approval marks a small but noticeable move in the city centre. The main issue hanging over all this: will the government back Limerick's call for a task force—one with the political muscle currently behind Dublin and Cork?
