Denise Chaila and Richard Harris grace walls of vacant Limerick tourist office
Luc Djiopouig, Castletroy, gets a selfie with the murals at Arthur's Quay Park, Limerick. Picture: Brendan Gleeson
A vacant Limerick building, which had become a magnet for vandalism and anti-social behaviour, has been given a colourful new lease of life thanks to a local artist.
The former tourist office at Arthur's Quay Park has stood vacant since it was temporarily occupied by the HSE as a vaccine centre in June 2021.
During this time, many of its windows had been broken, while graffiti and litter covered the outside of the city centre location.
However, the iconic building, which the council is in the process of buying, has now been given a revitalisation, with a locally trained artist responsible for the facelift.
Cormac Dillon, who studied at Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD), brought together a team of local artists on behalf of Limerick City and County Council to brighten up the area.
“The council contacted LSAD, who reached out to me and asked whether I would be interested in doing this,” Mr Dillon said.
“For me, it was about portraying Limerick culture, for Limerick people. It needed to reflect the spirit that this city has, and the people who belong to the city,” he added.
Murals at the site include images of Limerick actor Richard Harris, singer Denise Chaila, and up-and-coming breakdancer Toviyah O’Connor Omoteso.
The artists involved in this project alongside Mr Dillon were Lukasz Malawski, Joseph Kennedy, Louise Keeley, and Bartosz Wolniak.
The site has previously been mooted as a perfect base for a number of life-saving organisations in Limerick.
Suicide support group Haven Hub, Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention, and Limerick Land Search and Rescue are all in search of a new base, and members from the three groups had suggested the former tourist office due to its central location and proximity to the river.
The three groups only last week met with the council and agreed to collaborate with each other in the search for a new base.
Leona O'Callaghan, founder of Haven Hub, had previously said that the new shared base could save lives.
"It could turn us from the point where we are leading in suicide numbers to leading the way when it comes to suicide prevention,” said Ms O’Callaghan.
Speaking following a meeting between the three groups over the weekend, Ms O’Callaghan said this was a milestone for Limerick.
She said that, for many years, Limerick has called on suicide prevention groups to put differences aside in their common aim to support people in their lowest moments and be willing to work together and, now, this was a reality.
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