Rebuilding and compassion to fore as Limerick looks to future

Aisling Kiernan hears how the city and its businesses are reassessing strategies as new developments come on stream

Construction has begun on the new Opera Centre that will provide world-standard space for up to 3,000 employees.

No section of the Limerick business community was untouched by the impact of the pandemic but significant construction projects are bringing some positivity for the region, according to Limerick Chamber.

“Undeniably the loss of life across the country was the biggest challenge and heartbreak for 2020,” Dee Ryan, CEO Limerick Chamber said.

“From a strictly business sense, it was a year like no other. When Covid hit, we drew on collaborative relationships forged in the aftermath of the ‘08 recession.

“Different sections of our business community were impacted in different ways, common to all was a need to act fast — reassess strategies, protect teams, mitigate losses, and where possible develop new revenue streams.

“No section of the business community was untouched by the impact of the pandemic.” 

However, the collaborative approach in Limerick saw the Chamber, Limerick City, and County Council, and the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) create the new online platform ‘Shop Limerick’, which highlighted retail and hospitality businesses across the county that continued to trade through lockdown restrictions.

The Chamber also provided sector-specific training for employers to comply with the government’s ‘return to work safely protocol’ and assisted hundreds of businesses to reopen with specific training on what was necessary for different types of workplaces: offices, restaurants, hotels, bars, nursing homes, and hairdressers.

"There’s a huge amount of work to do still as many small businesses only survived," Limerick Chamber CEO Dee Ryan.

“From a strategic perspective, 2020 was due to be an important year for the much-anticipated investment in Limerick City and the good news is that work on the Opera development, which will provide world-standard space for up to 3,000 employees across a 450,000 sq ft campus, commenced in late November,” continued Ms Ryan. 

“Private investment is coming through in the form of the nine-storey Bishop’s Quay mixed-use development and the striking architecturally designed International Rugby Experience — which is proceeding at pace — is due to finish next year in what will be a major addition to Limerick’s tourism offering.

“There was also a move towards ‘shop local’ and if anything, people have a greater appreciation than ever now for what’s available locally.

“They saw local businesses going to great lengths to keep shoppers safe and stay trading and there was a determination on the part of the consumer to support them.

“But there’s a huge amount of work to do still as many small businesses only survived because of government supports and, in the long run, must accelerate their own business plans to adapt and evolve in order to successfully compete with online retail.

“They will need continued support in the New Year to ensure they continue to trade through what is going to be another challenging six months or so and be best prepared to take advantage of the lift that happens later in 2021 as we hope some semblance of normality will return.” Membership of Limerick Chamber spans numerous sectors, from the smallest business to the multinationals and other large indigenous employers.

We lobbied hard throughout the year for Shannon and there is recognition by the Government that a change is needed in aviation policy

And, there was a huge focus this year by the Chamber on Shannon Airport because of its importance to the region.

“We lobbied hard throughout the year for Shannon and there is recognition by the Government that a change is needed in aviation policy to support the long-term development of regional economies and recovery in the aviation sector,” added Ms Ryan.

“We have been to the forefront in highlighting this nationally and highlighted with accompanying evidence that direct grants to airports outside of Dublin would not contravene EU state aid rules.

“There was also a move towards ‘shop local’ and if anything, people have a greater appreciation than ever now for what’s available locally". Picture Dan Linehan

The fact that both Cork and Shannon airports were included in the €80m support package for the aviation sector announced in November reflects the efforts of many, including ourselves, to support Shannon.

“But the task of resetting aviation connectivity into the country in a more equal way that spreads opportunities for economic and social prosperity is only beginning.” 

Meanwhile, despite the hardships of 2020, the Limerick Chamber chief says there is a bright future ahead for the county.

“There’s unprecedented investment underway and about to flow into the city and county,” she continued.

“In addition to policy change to address imbalances in connectivity and supporting airports outside the capital, a big hope we have for 2021 is that the Government will develop a strategy to capitalise on the incredible opportunity to develop floating offshore wind here on the Atlantic Coast.

“It would be transformational from a climate change perspective and in meeting our emission reduction targets nationally, not to speak of the thousands of jobs that could be developed over the course of the next decade on the west coast.

“More locally for Limerick itself, key issues on the agenda are the Limerick Northern Distributor Road; the Limerick/Shannon Metro Area Transport Strategy; and delivery of the Foynes to Adare road to facilitate the huge off-shore wind potential.