The Celtic Tiger: From roar to snore?

WALKING around the west Limerick town of Newcastle West, there are two things that strike you— firstly, what a beautifully designed old fortress town it is and, secondly, just how can such a small population sustain an elite interiors shop like Objekt Design Space?

The shop in question is situated on the main Newcastle West-Tralee Road and can’t be missed by passing traffic. With all glass frontage and running over 8,000sq feet, it’s a riot of colour, modern design and pattern.

Objekt could sit in Montparnasse in Paris or on Sachs Avenue in New York and not look remotely out of place. The west Limerick shop just exudes the confidence, money and ambition of Celtic Tiger Ireland.