PLANS are afoot to bring four historic, and long derelict, buildings in Limerick City Centre back to life.
Proprietors of the well-known JJ Bowles pub, Aengus and Rioghna D’Arcy, have applied to Limerick City and County Council for permission to renovate the four Toll Cottages on Verdant Place – which have been empty for almost five decades – for use as a bar and café with a veranda overlooking the River Shannon.
Last year, following an expression of interest process, Limerick City and County Council’s evaluation committee accepted an offer made by the D’Arcys for the properties on the basis of reuse as a riverside café and bar, which was considered a suitable use.
“I often looked over at the cottages and thought I would love to buy them if they came on the market,” Aengus told the Limerick Post.
“They were CPO’d by the Council. They’ve been derelict for about 50 years. So when they came up for sale, the Council wanted to see what plans would be put in place and they liked our idea.”
The husband and wife team are aware that the cottages stand in an architectural conservation area and want to ensure that any renovation is done with sensitivity.
To that end, they have employed conservation architects and an engineer to draw up the plans, which aim to link all four cottages internally while preserving the historic aspect of the buildings.
Should planning permission be granted, it is envisaged that the new business will keep the original footprint of the cottages and use sympathetic and tradition materials in the work.
Aengus told the Limerick Post that the café bar would cater for about 100 to 140 customers “and it will open during the day as well as in the evening”.
The application has been submitted to the Council and a decision is due at the end of August of this year.
