Limerick earl wins planning appeal for WWI memorial

An Anglo-Irish peer has emerged victorious in a planning row with his local council over plans for a memorial to honour Limerick people killed during the First World War. Edmund Pery, the 7th Earl of Limerick, has successfully appealed the decision of Limerick City and County Council to refuse planning permission for his project to erect a monument in the city’s People’s Park to commemorate more than 1,350 Limerick men and women, both military and civilians, who lost their lives during the war.

An Bord Pleanála has ruled that the proposed memorial, which consists of a 4.25m-high stone cross plus eight stone tablets containing the names of the victims and three stone benches, would integrate in a satisfactory manner with the existing park. Subject to a number of planning conditions, the board says it would not adversely impact on the existing recreational uses of the park, nor detract from its character and setting.