LIMERICK JULY 2025
The former Dunnes Stores site at Honan’s Quay in Limerick City has become a focal point of discussion, not just for its ambitious artistic transformation, but also for the controversies surrounding its acquisition by the University of Limerick (UL). This site, now adorned with a striking mural and ground artwork, represents a complex interplay of urban revitalisation, artistic expression, and financial scrutiny.
The Art: Weaving Nature and Urbanity
The artistic endeavour at Honan’s Quay is a collaborative masterpiece, spearheaded by local artist collective Draw Out in partnership with Limerick City and County Council and the University of Limerick. The project initially saw internationally renowned urban artist Digo Diego adorn the walls of the UL City Centre Campus building with a captivating mural. This artwork, characterised by vivid colours and interlocking organic shapes, symbolically articulates the interactions between the city, the River Shannon, and nature, embodying an ethos of sustainable growth.
What makes this project truly innovative is its evolution into Limerick’s first ground mural. Elements from Digo Diego’s original wall painting have been distilled and extended onto the adjacent horizontal spaces, creating a seamless and immersive experience. Catherine O’Halloran of Draw Out emphasised the collaborative process with Digo Diego to ensure harmony between the two artworks, stating, “We wanted to distil the existing design pattern… and extract the DNA to ensure all the design elements translated effectively to the flat.”
The ground mural, with its “glowing extension of vibrancy and luminosity,” has transformed Honan’s Quay into a “dreamland of colour and imagination.” It’s envisioned as a dynamic public sphere for cultural and recreational purposes, inviting interaction and contemplation. The space now features a Mobile Urban Forest, seating areas, and even table tennis tables, actively encouraging people to “play, pause and be mesmerised by the impact of art on an urban landscape.”
Digo Diego, known for his work’s emphasis on environment and social issues, views his murals as a canvas to “enhance, revitalise and educate.” He expressed excitement about the project’s evolution, noting, “It is very interesting to me to create a piece that has evolved into something bigger.” The artwork’s success lies in its ability to inject warmth, joy, and playful energy into the urban fabric, demonstrating how public art can reshape our experience of a place.
The Artist: Digo Diego and Draw Out
Digo Diego is an urban artist and muralist whose work is deeply influenced by environmental and social concerns. His artistic philosophy centres on using large-scale murals as a medium for enhancement, revitalisation, and education. His distinctive style, evident in the Honan’s Quay project, often incorporates organic forms and vibrant palettes to create visually striking and conceptually rich pieces. His involvement brought an international perspective and a high level of artistic integrity to the project.
Draw Out is a local artist collective based in Limerick, playing a crucial role in bringing ambitious public art projects to fruition. Their expertise lies in translating artistic visions into tangible urban interventions. For the Honan’s Quay project, they were instrumental in the collaboration with Digo Diego, ensuring the seamless transition of the wall mural’s design elements into the groundbreaking ground mural. Draw Out, along with Limerick City Build, is also committed to cultivating a professional team of local practitioners, aiming to roll out similar projects to address derelict or underdeveloped spaces across the city. This highlights their dedication to community engagement and urban renewal through art.
The Concept: Art as Urban Regeneration
The underlying concept behind the Honan’s Quay mural project is the transformative power of public art as a tool for urban regeneration and civic engagement. The goal was to convert a previously underutilised or “derelict” space into a vibrant and inviting public realm. By introducing dynamic and visually arresting artwork, the project aims to attract people, foster a sense of community, and provide new opportunities for cultural and recreational activities along the riverfront.
This initiative is a testament to the belief that art can not only beautify an urban landscape but also imbue it with new meaning and purpose. The “tapestry of vivid colour, overlapping and interlocking shapes” creates a “new public sphere” that encourages interaction and changes the perception of the site. The project also champions sustainable growth as a hallmark for future campus development, aligning with Digo Diego’s environmental leanings. It’s a bold statement about Limerick’s commitment to utilising creative solutions for urban revitalisation and enriching the lives of its citizens.
The Site’s Shadow: Overpayment and Uncertainty
While the artistic transformation of Honan’s Quay has been widely celebrated, the site’s acquisition by the University of Limerick in 2019 for €8 million has been a subject of significant controversy. The Comptroller and Auditor General sharply criticised the purchase, stating, “It is difficult to see how the purchase represented value for money.” A retrospective valuation in 2023 further reinforced these concerns, concluding that UL had paid approximately one third more than the market value of the property four years prior. This financial discrepancy led to the university incurring a €3 million impairment charge on the acquisition in its 2022-2023 annual financial statements.
Despite the substantial investment, UL has made only limited use of the building, with only 20% of the space brought back into operation. The university is now exploring the feasibility of relocating its School of Medicine to the redeveloped city campus at Honan’s Quay, as per a proposal brought to its governing authority by acting president Professor Shane Kilcommins. He acknowledged the site as “one of the most strategically located sites in the city and it is incumbent on the university to seriously consider its intentions for the site.” However, this proposal indicates that a full and final decision on the site’s long-term use and development is yet to be definitively decided, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the initial investment.
Dunnes Stores’ Departure and the Site’s Dereliction
The Dunnes Stores at Honan’s Quay, which had been a prominent city-centre retail outlet, ceased trading there in August 2008. This departure left the significant building vacant and largely idle for over a decade, becoming what local officials and citizens often described as a major “eyesore” at a crucial gateway to Limerick City’s waterfront.
The exact reasons for Dunnes Stores’ decision to abandon this specific city centre location are not explicitly detailed in publicly available records. However, it’s a common trend for large retailers to consolidate operations or relocate to out-of-town retail parks that offer larger footprints, ample parking, and easier access for shoppers who prefer driving.
The site did indeed become derelict or unoccupied for an extended period of time, contributing to concerns about urban decay in Limerick city centre. This protracted vacancy prompted discussions and even calls for Limerick City and County Council to impose vacant site levies on Dunnes Stores to encourage development or sale. The argument was that a successful, profitable company was neglecting a substantial, strategically located site, hindering the city’s broader regeneration plans like “Limerick 2030.”
The University of Limerick’s acquisition in 2019, despite the later controversies regarding the purchase price, was seen by many as a positive step towards addressing the dereliction and bringing life back to this key city center property. The subsequent artistic interventions, preceding a full development plan, further aimed to visually transform the “eyesore” into a vibrant public space.