Derelict estates and abandoned dreams in Limerick's Regeneration Plan

The rows of concrete wreckage which form streets through St Mary’s Park are a stark definition of how the much-vaunted Limerick Regeneration Plan has failed this community, writes Jimmy Woulfe

The plan, launched in October 2008, was heralded as the most spectacular venture ever in urban renewal in this country. Four black-spot estates in the city, Southill, Ballinacurra Weston, Moyross, and St Mary’s Park, were selected for massive redevelopment, with a budget of €3bn.

The plan provided for the replacement of 2,450 houses and the construction of 4,790 new ones.