conservation report - punches cross student...

Ringwood House, Summerfield,

Youghal, Co. Cork P36 WF62 024-25922

[email protected]

Conservation Report Addressing the Potential for Impact on the ACA

Proposed Student & Residential Accommodation Development

Punch’s Cross, Limerick

In Support of a Strategic Housing Development Application to An Bord Pleanála

Applicant: Cloncaragh Investments Ltd

An Bord Pleanála Case Reference: ABP-303210-18

DNAC Project No: 19_032

Report By: Daniel Noonan

Date of Report: 26th April 2019

Conservation Report | Proposed Student & Residential Accommodation at Punch’s Cross, Limerick

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................................................. ii

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 1

2. Desktop Assessment Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 3

3. Proposed Development ................................................................................................................................................ 3

4. Setting & Historical Environment of the Proposed Development Site ........................................................................ 3

Site Setting .............................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Origins of Punch’s Cross ....................................................................................................................................................... 4

5. Architectural Heritage Protection Measures ............................................................................................................. 10

Record of Protected Structures ........................................................................................................................................10 Architectural Conservation Areas ....................................................................................................................................11

O’Connell Avenue ACA ..................................................................................................................................................13 South Circular Road & New Street ACA .......................................................................................................................13 Ballinacurra Road ACA ...................................................................................................................................................14

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage .................................................................................................................15

6. Site Inspection ............................................................................................................................................................. 18

The Site ..................................................................................................................................................................................18 The ACAs ..............................................................................................................................................................................22

7. Assessment of Potential Impact & Mitigation ............................................................................................................ 26

The Site ..................................................................................................................................................................................26 Built Heritage & the ACAs ..................................................................................................................................................26

8. Sources & References Consulted ............................................................................................................................... 27

Copyright © 2019 Daniel Noonan Archaeological Consultancy Daniel Noonan Archaeological Consultancy retains the copyright of any commissioned reports or other project documents, under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 with all rights reserved; excepting that it hereby provides an exclusive licence to the commissioning client for the use of such documents and material by the commissioning client in all matters directly relating to the project.

All Ordnance Survey of Ireland (OSi) mapping is reproduced under Licence No. AR 0106619 © Ordnance Survey Ireland/Government of Ireland


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1. Introduction

Daniel Noonan Archaeological Consultancy (DNAC), acting on behalf of Cloncaragh

Investments Ltd, was engaged to prepare a Conservation Report, to address an item raised

in the Pre-Application Consultation Opinion of An Bord Pleanála (ABP hereafter) regarding a

proposed Strategic Housing Development application for a Student & Residential

Accommodation development at Punch’s Cross, Limerick (see Figures 1-2).

Item 6 of the ABP Opinion, reference ABP-303210-18, dated 19th February 2019, regarding

specific information that should be submitted with the application pursuant to the Planning

and Development (Strategic Housing Development) Regulations 2017, is as follows:

A Conservation Report that addresses the impacts, if any, of the proposed

development on the O'Connell Avenue ACA.

This non-intrusive report was prepared to evaluate and assess the potential impacts, if any, of

the proposed development on the O’Connell Avenue Architectural Conservation Area

(ACA hereafter). The southern boundary of the O’Connell Avenue ACA is located 60m north

of the proposed development site (see Figure 2).

The development site is a brownfield location that is not in any of the ACAs of Limerick City;

nor does it contain any Protected Structures as listed in the current Record of Protected

Structures (RPS) in the Limerick City Development Plan 2010-2016 (as Extended). The site is not

entered in the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) for Limerick, nor are there any known

archaeological sites or monuments within 500m.

Figure 1: Aerial view of the proposed development site.


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2. Desktop Assessment Methodology

This non-intrusive assessment of the proposed development site at Punch’s Cross was carried

out through background research into the location, the known architectural and general

heritage amenity in the locality, and the use of historical resources and all available historical

mapping. The research was supported by a site inspection, to view the ACAs in the locality in

relation to the proposed development.

The sources consulted include the listings of National Monuments, Preservation Orders,

Register of Historic Monuments, the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP); and the Record

of Protected Structures (RPS) and Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) detailed in the

current Limerick City Development Plan 2010-2016 (as Extended). Historical and Ordnance

Survey mapping, and historic photographic imagery was reviewed; along with the online

databases of the National Monuments Service (NMS), the National Inventory of Architectural

Heritage (NIAH), and the Placename Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). Documentary

sources such as local histories and antiquarian journals were also consulted.

3. Proposed Development

The proposed development at Punch’s Cross is for a combined development of student

accommodation (430 bedspaces) and ‘Build to Rent’ residential apartments (30

apartments) with basement car parking on a vacant site with vehicular access from Rosbrien

Road and Ballinacurra Road. The proposed development consists of a landmark building

with heights ranging between four and six storeys around two internal courtyards.

Full details of the proposed development can be found in the extensive package of design

drawings & concepts and other material submitted with the application to ABP.

4. Setting & Historical Environment of the Proposed Development Site

Site Setting

The Punch’s Cross area of Limerick is part of the southern suburbs of the modern City that

was developed on rural farmland from the late 18th, through the 19th and into the 20th

centuries (Browne 1998). The late 18th Century Georgian development of Newtown Pery as

a new town south of the Shannon River succeeded in becoming the modern commercial

and residential centre of Limerick. The later development of Punch’s Cross as an intersection,

on a road leading southwest from the City, witnessed the continuing expansion of the urban

landscape from the new town, to the present-day greater suburbs, such as Rosbrien and

Dooradoyle. During that time the urban landscape acquired a defined and distinct palette

of architectural design elements and characteristics in terms of its streetscape layouts,

buildings types and features.


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Figure 3: Extract from William Eyres’ County around Limerick, c. 1752. From the Limerick Historic Towns

Atlas. The approximate location of Punch’s Cross is indicated on the road west from the medieval City

to Mungret and Adare.

Origins of Punch’s Cross

The crossroads meeting at Punch’s Cross is formed by the roughly north to south axis of

today’s O’Connell Avenue – Ballinacurra Road, the R526 (formerly the Military Road) and the

east to west axis of Rosbrien Road – New Street, with the intersecting axis of the original

northward run of Ballinacurra Road, the R858 (also named Rosbrien Road on the modern

Ordnance Survey mapping) running roughly parallel (see Figure 2). The historic municipal

boundary of Limerick City travels south from Ballinacurra Road, turns west through Punch’s

Cross and continues along New Street.

The crossroads straddles the meeting of the townlands of Ballinacurra (Weston) - in which the

proposed development site is located, and Ballinacurra (Bowman), with a third townland of

Ballinacurra (Hart) located to the west. All three, form part of the historic townland of

Ballinacurra recorded in the historic Civil Survey (1654-56). Ballinacurra was a rural townland

in part of the parish of Saint Michael, in the barony of Pubblebrien, and was predominantly

used for arable farming.

The placename of Ballinacurra, and variations in it from Bealincurry, Belancurry, and

Bellanacorrie, comes from the Irish Béal Átha na Cora, translated as “The Ford Mouth of the

Weir” (ibid.; Mac Spealáin 1942). It has its topographic origins in marking the location of a

ford or crossing point over the Ballynaclogh River in the vicinity of Ballinacurra Bridge, which is

located 1km southwest of the development site. The Civil Survey of 1654-56, (an inventory of

the land proprietors and their holdings prior to the 1641 Rebellion in Ireland, the lands value,

use and contents) records that the townland was in the possession of a deceased Papist


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Thomas Arthur. It consisted of one plowland of 185 acres, of which 115 were arable, 15 under

pasture, 50 of marshland and 5 acres of woodland; with two principle buildings - a mill and a

broken-down castle (ibid., citing Simington 1938). Following the forfeiture of lands and their

redistribution following the Cromwellian Settlement the townland of Ballinacurra was given to

three English individuals, Bowman, Hart and Weston. With this the townland was divided into

three, with the corresponding names of Ballinacurra (Bowman), Ballinacurra (Hart) and

Ballinacurra (Weston). Captain Richard Weston, Cromwellian soldier, bequeathed the lands

at Ballinacurra to his son Nathaniel, and it is from him that it gained its name (ibid.).

Ballinacurra is located outside the bounds of the medieval city of Limerick, the defences of

which were located 1.8 km to the north around the Irishtown medieval suburb, sited on the

southern bank of the Shannon. Irishtown, along with the earlier Englishtown on the northern

bank (site of the 10th Century Viking and early Anglo-Norman settlement), and the later 18th

Century Georgian suburb of Newtown Pery, are the three historic towns that comprise the

City of Limerick (Thomas 1992, 142-153; Givens 2008, 195-196; O’Flaherty 2010, 1).

A medieval road ran southwest from the Mungret Gate in the City Wall of Irishtown, to the

historic town of Castlemungret or Mungret located 5km away (see Figure 3). Mungret was an

important medieval pilgrimage site, with an early monastery founded here in the 6th Century

by Saint Nessan (Bradley etal. 1989). The road passed through Ballinacurra, through what

was in the later 18th/early 19th Century to become the Punch’s Cross crossroads, and

crossed the Ballynaclogh River via the ford that gives the townland its name. The route has

become fossilised in the road network of Limerick over time, and eventually became the

road to Adare and further south into Limerick County and Kerry.

As part of the latter development in the area, the crossing roads of New Street and Rosbrien

Street, and the Military Road into and out of the City, servicing Sarsfield Barracks (completed

in 1795), that became O’Connell Avenue, were all developed, thereby leading to the

creation of the intersection at Punch’s Cross. The placename of Punch’s Cross or Punch’s

Cross does not appear to have been applied until the early 20th Century, when it first

appears on the Ordnance Survey 25-inch map of 1941. Local tradition holds that it acquired

the name from Punch’s public house located on the corner of New Street and Ballinacurra

Road.


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Figure 4: Extract from Map 103 of Taylor & Skinner’s road atlas of Ireland, 1777 version.

The road to Mungret and Adare was taken over as a turnpike or toll road sometime after the

Turnpike Act of 1729. A tollhouse or booth was located at Punch’s Cross near the modern-

day entrance to Punch’s Hotel, opposite the proposed development site (Browne 1998). The

route was also used as the Mail Coach road into the city from the southwest. The turnpike

road is indicated on the Taylor & Skinner road map of 1777 (Figure 4), while an embryonic

Punch’s Cross crossroads may be indicated by the kink in the road, with a 1-mile mark

indicated. This kink can be seen in the historic Ordnance Survey maps, and the tree-lined off-

shoot road shown heading to “Rosbrine”. The off-shoot can be traced in the later mapping

as the south-eastward extension of the modern Rosbrien Road the bounds the development

site to the north, and historically provided access to now disappeared Rossbrien House,

home of the Quin landowning family.

The toll was removed after the abolishment of the turnpikes in 1857.

To the south of the tollbooth location is the extant Quaker Burial Ground on Ballinacurra

Road (see Figures 2 & 5). This walled burial place was first used in 1833.

Extensive quarrying has taken place in the general Punch’s Cross area since the late 18th

Century, resulting from the drive for building limestone in the development of Newtown Pery;

with seven quarries in existence in the general area in 1850 (ibid.). From the first edition of the

1:10,560 Ordnance Survey mapping the quarries are evident on the proposed development

site (see Figure 8); with more openings present on the 1:2,500 mapping into the middle of the

20th Century, after which they were exhausted (see Figures 9-10).


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Following the closure of the quarry the grounds on the proposed Punch’s Cross site was

partially developed as Dan Ryan’s garage in the early 1950s (see Figures 6-7); and operated

as a car dealership into recent times.

Figure 5: Entrance to the Ballinacurra Road Quaker Burial Ground; behind the Inver fuel station.

Figure 6: Ryan’s garage, originally sited on the top corner of the development site, on the junction.

Source: Limerick - A Stroll Down Memory Lane, Book 5.


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Figure 7: Ryan’s garage, viewed looking east. Source: Limerick - A Stroll Down Memory Lane, Book 5.

Figure 8: Extract from historic Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 Limerick Sheet 005, dated 1844, not to scale.

The site location is indicated in red. Note the historic quarrying to the top of the site. The parallel lines of

the Military Road running north to south, became O’Connell Avenue. The Quaker Burial Ground is

labelled to the southwest of the site. The curve of the Ballinacurra Road, as possibly shown in the Eyre

(1752) and Taylor & Skinner (1777) maps, is visible; while parallel lines to the east of the site is the access

road to Rosbrien House, which is also on Taylor & Skinner. There are rectangular houses, shown with their

long axis to the street, on both sides of the western end of New Street (then known as Hore’s Street);

which may be 18th Century single storey cabins?


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Figure 9: Extract from Ordnance Survey 1:2,500, Limerick Sheet 005-14, dated 1902, not to scale. The

junction has now been developed to reflect its present-day layout; including the redirection of the

road to Rosbrien House, which forms today’s Rosbrien Road. Note the quarrying has extended to the

reminder of the development site. The cabins on Hore’s Street have been replaced by the two-storey

brick-built houses that form part of the ACA there, and the street name has changed, to perhaps

reflect the new developments. Some housing has appeared on what is now O’Connell Avenue; while

Ballinacurra Road north of the junction has been significantly built-up.

Figure 10: Extract from Ordnance Survey 1:2,500, Limerick Sheet 005-14, dated 1941, not to scale. Little

appears to have changed on the development site. However, both New Street and O’Connell Avenue

appear to be fully built-up by 1941.


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5. Architectural Heritage Protection Measures

Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000-2010 is the primary means of defining and

protecting the architectural and built heritage in the State. Built heritage can be defined as

the distinct palette of unique architectural design elements and characteristics in terms of

streetscape layouts, buildings types and features that identity and give a sense of expression

to a building or place. This built heritage, from buildings, groups of buildings and structures, to

smaller items such as street furniture, historic monuments and street markers, etc. is finite, and

it along with its setting, and the cultural significance it holds in determining the identity and

attractiveness of a place, must be protected.

The two-primary mean of protection enshrined in the Part IV of the Act are the: establishment

of a Record of Protected Structures (RPS); and the creation of Architectural Conservation

Areas (ACA). Under the Act, Local Authorities are obliged to create the RPS and establish

ACAs within the policy framework of their Development Plans.

For the purposes of this assessment, the relevant plan is the Limerick City Development Plan

2010-2016 (as Extended).

Guidance to Local Authorities (and of assistance to others including owners, occupiers,

professionals and specialist conservation trades) on built heritage, implementation of the

Act, and how to plan and devise policy for safeguarding it within the parameters of the Act

is to be found in the Department of Environment, Environment and Local Government’s

publication Architectural Heritage Protection – Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2004).

Record of Protected Structures

In terms of built heritage relating to this assessment, a Protected Structure can be defined as

a building that is entered in the RPS, which has been identified as having special

architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical

interest.

When designated a Protected Structure a building is protected under Part IV of the Act; and

owner/occupiers must ensure the structure and all elements of it are not endangered

through harm, damage, unauthorised works or decay.

A review of the Appendix II – Record of Protected Structures from the Development Plan has

found that there are no Protected Structures within the curtilage of the proposed Punch’s

Cross development site. There are eight Protected Structures within 500m of the

development site (see Table A below); all of which are now associated with Mary

Immaculate College.


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RPS NIAH Name Location Description CategoryRPS 365 21520002 Mary Immaculate

College - College Building

SouthCircular Road Detached eleven-bay four-storey rendered purpose-built college building, dating from 1899 (laying of foundation stone), built in the Italianate manner to the designs of George Byrne.

Architectural Historical Social

RPS 366 21520003 Mary Immaculate College - Chapel

SouthCircular Road Detached north-facing gable-fronted rendered chapel, built c. 1900, with triple-arched entrance, rose window overhead and apex surmounted by limestone ashlar belfry. Five-bay side elevations with buttresses articulating window piers.

Architectural Artistic Historical Social

RPS 367 21520004 Mary Immaculate College - Recreational Hall

SouthCircular Road Detached multiple-bay single-storey recreational hall, built c. 1900, with a plain temple front, now completely obscured by later accretions. Plain gabled rendered rear elevation with glazed timber-framed link corridor attached.

Architectural Artistic Social

RPS 368 21520005 Mary Immaculate College - Residential Block

SouthCircular Road Attached multiple-bay six-storey residential block, built in 1955, to the designs of Andrew Devane, of Robinson Keefe Devane. Distinguished by rock-faced ground floor elevations and modular elevation forming a reinforced concrete grid.

Architectural Artistic

RPS 373 21521079 Mount Saint Vincent Convent

Convent of Mercy, Mount Saint Vincent, O'Connell Avenue

Attached nine-bay three-storey over basement limestone convent building, built in 1850, with two-bay three-storey gabled breakfront end bays, and centrally-placed entrance porch with cruciform finial to apex.

Architectural Artistic Social Historical

RPS 374 21521080 Widows Residence Mount Saint Vincent Convent


Attached nine-bay two-storey limestone former almshouse, built c. 1860, with a single-bay two-storey breakfront end bays and gabled central breakfront with angled corner buttresses.

Architectural Artistic Social Historical

RPS 375 21521081 Mount Saint Vincent Convent


Attached five-bay single-storey corrugated metal clad building, built c. 1930. Pitched corrugated metal roof with timber barge and eaves boards.

Architectural Artistic Social Technical

RPS 421 21521078 Mount Saint Vincent Convent Chapel


Attached four-bay double-height limestone convent chapel, built in 1861, in the Gothic Revival style, on a T-shaped plan, with transepts adjoining the side elevation of the convent building.Three-stage tower and octagonal spire to south-eastern corner.

Architectural Artistic Social Technical

Table A: Protected Structures within 500m of the proposed Punch’s Cross development site.

Architectural Conservation Areas

An Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) is defined in the Architectural Heritage Protection

– Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2004) as;

…a place, area, group of structures or townscape, taking account of building lines

and heights, that is of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic,

cultural, scientific, social or technical interest or that contributes to the appreciation

of a protected structure, and whose character it is an objective of a development

plan to preserve.

The Limerick City Development Plan 2010-2016 (as Extended) defines their ACAs as follows;


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Limerick’s historic areas can be protected by means of Architectural Conservation Areas

(ACAs) under Section 81 of the Planning & Development Act 2000-2008. The aim of

designating areas is to protect their special characteristics and distinctive features from

inappropriate actions. External works that would affect the character as described by the

Planning Authority will require planning permission, whereas repair or refurbishment which

does not materially affect the external character will not require planning permission.

Limerick City and County Council’s stated development policy regarding ACAs is as follows;

Policy BHA.17 Development in Architectural Conservation Areas

It is the policy of Limerick City Council to protect and enhance the special heritage

values, unique characteristics and distinctive features from inappropriate external

works within the four Architectural Conservation Areas as follows:

o ACA 1A South City Centre & Newtown Pery o ACA 1B South Circular Road o ACA 1C O’Connell Avenue o ACA 2 John’s Square o ACA 3 Ballinacurra Road o ACA 4 Ennis /Shelbourne Road

Any development proposal in an ACA shall take account of the following:

o All unique elements contributing to the ‘Statement of Character and Identification of Key Threats’ for each individual Architectural Conservation Area as set out in the policies below.

o Works that impact negatively upon features within the public realm such as paving, railings, street furniture, kerbing etc shall not be generally permitted.

o Appropriate design, scale, materials and finishes for new developments. o Original materials and methods of construction should be retained. For

example, timber barge boards, windows and doors are not replaced with PVC, original roofing material types should be retained along with original forms and locations of openings etc.

o Features of historic or architectural value should not be removed. o Parties may apply for Exemption Certificates under Section 5 of the Planning

& Development Act 2000 – 2008 to ascertain whether Planning Permission is required for any works to buildings, properties or for any other development in an ACA.

o Sections 3.7 – 3.10 of the DEHLG Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines (2004) dealing with Architectural Conservation Areas.

The current southern boundary of the O’Connell Avenue ACA is located 60m north of the

proposed development site (see Figure 2); while the South Circular Road & New Street ACA

is 75m to the west, and the Ballinacurra Road ACA is 170m southwest.


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O’Connell Avenue ACA

The current southern boundary of the O’Connell Avenue ACA is located 60m north of the

proposed development site (see Figures 2 & 11). The ACA is described in the Development

Plan as follows:

ACA 1C O’Connell Avenue - consists of the following Streets/Avenues:

o O’Connell Avenue from the junction with St Gerard’s Street to 50m north of the junction of Punch’s Cross.

o St Gerard’s Street, Upper Henry Street between St Gerard’s Street and Quin Street, and St Alphonsus Avenue.

o Quinn Street and O’Connell Terrace, Mortell Villas, Violet Villas, Munster Terrace & Jasmine Villas (on O’Connell Avenue).

o The Model School and grounds.

o Verona Villas, Swanson Terrace, Auburn Villas, Mount Vincent Terrace, Ascot Terrace, Hawthorne Villas, Carlyle Terrace, Mount Vincent View.

The Statement of Character prepared for the O’Connell Avenue ACA is:

ACA 1C Statement of Character & Identification of Key Threats

This ACA extends south from the City Centre forming the main spinal route out from the historic

core of Limerick being lined by fine examples of ornate late nineteenth- and early twentieth-

century terrace dwellings and other understated but uniform vernacular red brick and render

terrace dwellings of the first half of the nineteenth century. The Model School located within

this ACA is important to Limerick in terms of its architectural and cultural associations where the

building retains a strong character and contributes to the mix of domestic architecture and

historic educational buildings located on O'Connell Avenue. See Map 8C Appendix I for detail.

The development policy objective of the Development Plan with regard to the O’Connell

Avenue ACA is:

Policy BHA.20 ACA 1C O’Connell Avenue

It is the policy of Limerick City Council to protect and enhance the special heritage values,

unique characteristics and distinctive features of ACA 1C (O’Connell Avenue) as shown on

Map 5.1C of the Development Plan, from inappropriate development affecting the external

materials and features defined in the ‘Statement of Character’ and ‘Key Threats to Character’.

South Circular Road & New Street ACA

The current southern boundary of the South Circular Road & New Street ACA is 75m to the

west of the proposed development site (see Figures 2 & 12). The ACA is described in the

Development Plan as follows:

ACA 1B South Circular Road & New Street - consists of the following Streets / Avenues:

o South Circular Road from the Redemptorist’s Church Site and Quin Street to the junction with Courtbrack Avenue.


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o South Circular Road including Shannon Terrace, Laurel Villas, Victoria Terrace, Summerville Terrace, Bellview Terrace, Sarsfield Terrace, Mount Prospect Terrace.

o Mary Immaculate Training College. o New Street including Rose Terrace and Fern Villas, Lincoln Terrace, Friend Terrace,

Shamrock Villas, Oakville Terrace, Washington Terrace. o South Circular road including Rutland Villas.

The Statement of Character prepared for the South Circular Road & New Street ACA is:

ACA 1B Statement of Character & Identification of Key Threats

This ACA extends south from the City Centre and consists mainly of residential, religious and educational uses accessed from the South Circular Road and onto New Street. The defining features contributing to the architectural character of this area commences at the mid nineteenth century Saint Alphonsus Ligouri Redemptorist Church and Monastery, then continues southwards taking in numerous fine early twentieth century terrace dwellings many with existing front boundary walls and railings, and original front facades intact. The ACA then takes in the imposing Mary Immaculate College site and also the Mount Saint Vincent Covent site accessed off O’Connell Avenue. The ACA then extends further south and east taking in the numerous examples of mid nineteenth century to early twentieth century vernacular terrace dwellings on New Street with original facades, fenestration detailing and front boundary treatments. South Circular Road continuing to New Street is recognised as an area of significant architectural heritage character given the combination of community orientated elements along these key historic Limerick Streets. Please see Map 8B Appendix I for detail.

The development policy objective of the Development Plan with regard to the South

Circular Road & New Street ACA is:

Policy BHA.19 ACA 1B South Circular Road & New Street

It is the policy of Limerick City Council to protect and enhance the special heritage values, unique characteristics and distinctive features of ACA 1B (the South Circular Road and New Street)as shown on Map 5.1B of the Development Plan, from inappropriate development affecting the external materials and features defined in the ‘Statement of Character’ and ‘Key Threats to Character’.

Ballinacurra Road ACA

The current southern boundary of the Ballinacurra Road ACA is 170m southwest of the

proposed development site (see Figures 2 & 13). The ACA is described in the Development

Plan as follows:

ACA 3 Ballinacurra Road - consists of the following Streets/Avenues:

o The western side of Ballinacurra Road including (From South to North): Brookvilla Terrace, Querrin Villas, Vokes Villas, Greenpark Villas, Ferndale, Ballinacurra Terrace, County View Terrace, Sydenham Terrace, Lifford Terrace, St Mary’s Terrace.

The Statement of Character prepared for the Ballinacurra Road ACA is:

ACA 3 Statement of Character & Identification of Key Threats

This ACA extends along the eastern side of Ballinacurra Road, the main spinal route into the City Centre from the south. This area has been identified due to the architectural character presented by the numerous rows of red brick late nineteenth-century early twentieth century terrace houses along this focal gateway road. Terraces of uniform houses some with fine pre-cast detailing, ornate mouldings and front railings gave 'instant architecture' to the simply


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designed houses, which is a product of the era of mass production where the uniformity of most of these terraces remain all virtually intact. Such detailing proved an expedient and economic solution to the high demand for good quality housing for a large middle class population in Limerick’s architectural history. Please see Map 8E Appendix I for detail.

The development policy objective of the Development Plan with regard to the Ballinacurra

Road ACA is:

Policy BHA.22 ACA 3 Ballinacurra Road

It is the policy of Limerick City Council to protect and enhance the special heritage values, unique characteristics and distinctive features of ACA 3 (Ballinacurra Road) as shown on Map 5.3 of the Development Plan, from inappropriate development affecting the external materials and features defined in the ‘Statement of Character’ and ‘Key Threats to Character’.

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) is an inventory process undertaken

by the then Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, to identify

and record the architectural and built heritage of Ireland, on a county by county survey

basis. The intent of the NIAH is to advice the relevant Minister of the buildings and features

that may be recommended for inclusion in the RPS, if they are not so already. NIAH entries

do not enjoy the more direct protection afforded to Protected Structures.

A search of the online database of the Building Survey of the National Inventory of

Architectural Heritage for an area within 500m of the proposed development site at Punch’s

Cross found 23 buildings or features of architectural interest. The inventory includes all eight

of the Protected Structures in Table A above; the remainder are individual houses in the

O’Connell Avenue and South Circular Road & New Street ACAs (see Figure 14 for a

distribution of the NIAH entries).

There are no historic gardens or landscape features on the Punch’s Cross site entered in the

NIAH Garden Survey.


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Figure 11: O’Connell Avenue ACA.

Figure 12: South Circular Road & New Street ACA.

Figure 13: Ballinacurra Road ACA.


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Figure 14: Screengrab from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht online database

Historic Environment Viewer (www.archaeology.ie) showing the NIAH inventory entries (blue dots) within

500m of the Punch’s Cross development site.

http://www.archaeology.ie/


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6. Site Inspection

The Site

The proposed development site is a broadly square brownfield location, of approximately 0.7

hectares in size (see Figures 1-2), located on the southeast side of the Punch’s Cross road

junction. It is bounded by Rosbrien Road to the northeast, new office construction, and a

discount store to the southeast, a small shopping centre and ESB station to the southwest,

and Ballinacurra Road to the west/northwest.

Figure 15: View of the site looking west, from Rosbrien Road, at the southeast corner.

Surrounded by wire fencing all-round, the site is a derelict brownfield site, with extensive

concrete surfaces (Figure 1). The site is generally the same level for the majority of its

footprint, and may have seen extensive infill following the exhaustion of the quarries that

were historically present here. The southern part of the site falls significantly from north to

south; evidence of the historic quarrying that took place here. This change in level was used

to an advantage in construction the semi-ruinous one-and-two storey, 1960s era industrial

unit that stands on the site. The building operated as the John Moloney Honda Garage on

the upper level and the Parnell Trailer & Castor Centre on the lower level.

Figure 16: View of the site looking west, from inside the eastern boundary fence.


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Figure 17: Panoramic view of the site looking south, from inside the northern boundary fence.

Figure 18: Panoramic view of the site looking northwest, on Ballinacurra Road.

Figure 19: View of the site looking southwest from Punch’s Cross junction.


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Figure 20: Partial view of west elevation.

The rectangular single storey element of the building presents onto the east side of

Ballinacurra Road, with an elevation measuring 32m roughly north to south and 11m east to

west, standing to a height of 4.8m. This elevation is substantially overgrown, but it appears

that be a concrete block-built structure, originally with seven bays, now sealed with

corrugated sheeting, that operated as retail space, probably showroom space for the

garage. The roof over the first two bays from the south has collapsed.

Figure 21: View of south elevation of the two-storey structure.

The two-storey element of the building is to the rear, and presents to the east of the site as a

cement rendered, concrete block-built, seven bay industrial-type unit; with four bays on the

return to the south. The west elevation adjoins the single-storey structure and is obscured by

it. The north elevation presents as a single storey, upper level, where it has been terraced into

the higher ground of the site. With a flat barrel roof with steel frame, the structure stands to

an eve height of 10m, with a rectangular footprint measuring 30.5m north to south by 15.5m


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east to west. A 7.5m long run of concrete steps is attached to the northeast corner of the

structure, and rises up through 5m to give access to the northern side of the site. The

windows to the structure are large, multi-pane, steel frame units, in combinations of 5 over 4,

six over 4, and 5 over 2 units. The central bay on the east elevation has been altered to take

a roller-shutter door; as have the two westernmost bays in the lower part of the south

elevation. The roof cladding of the northern two bays has been removed.

Sequentially, it appears that the two-storey structure was erected first, with the single storey

extension erected for showroom space to the Ballinacurra Road to the west.

Figure 22: View of north elevation of the two-storey structure.

Figure 23: East elevation of the two-storey structure.


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Figure 24: Derelict interior upper level of the two-storey structure.

No surface indicators of the earlier Ryan garage of the 1950s, once located on the northwest

corner at the Punch’s Cross junction, were observed during the site inspection.

No surface indicators of any other structures, or potential features of architectural or

archaeological interest were observed during the site inspection.

The ACAs

As part of the site inspection for this assessment, the nearby ACAs were visited. The proposed

development is outside all of the designated ACAs for Limerick City. The elements that

constitute the significance of the three ACAs – at O’Connell Avenue, South Circular Road

and New Street, and Ballinacurra Road, all relate to architectural character of the two-storey

late 19th and early 20th Century brick, and stone built terraced houses, placed along the

long and straight vistas of their respective streets.

The proposed development will not sit in the streetscape in such a way that it would form a

backdrop behind the long axis of any of the ACA streets. When viewed from street level, the

new build will be in the background; and given the orientation of the streets, the view will be

narrow, almost tunnel-visioned into a small part of the field of view. The lower storeys of the

new development will be hidden by the buildings of the ACAs, such that they will not

significantly detract from the view of the street level observer.

With regard to the individual ACAs; O’Connell Avenue is a rectangular area on higher

ground to the north of Punch’s Cross, with the narrow end of the designated space


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presenting to the development, and is orientated in such a way that the visual of the new

build is only accessible when viewed directly from the south.

The New Street element of the South Circular Road and New Street ACA is the area of

interest in terms of this assessment. The positioning of the Patrick Punch public house on the

end corner of New Street effectively screens the lower stories of the new build from view

within the ACA.

The Ballinacurra Road ACA is the most distant from the proposed development site, and is on

lower ground that slopes away from Punch’s Cross; while the street turns to the west in such a

way that only the extreme northern end is in line of sight with the development. All of these

features mitigate any perceived visual impact.

Figure 25: O’Connell Avenue, viewed from south end at Punch’s Cross junction. Note the rising ground level to the north.

Figure 26: View from south end of O’Connell Avenue ACA towards the Punch’s Cross junction. The proposed site location is arrowed.


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Figure 27: New Street, viewed from west end at Punch’s Cross junction. Note Patrick Punch’s to the left. Note City boundary marker to the right.

Figure 28: View along New Street towards Punch’s Cross. Location of Patrick Punch’s is arrowed.


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Figure 29: Ballinacurra Road, looking south from junction with Childer’s Road.

Figure 30: View from north end of Ballinacurra Road ACA towards junction with Childer’s Road, with Punch’s Cross in the distance. The proposed site location is arrowed.


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7. Assessment of Potential Impact & Mitigation

The Site

The proposed works for the Punch’s Cross site will involve the clearance of all existing

structures. These structures are not of architectural significance and their removal is not a loss

of built heritage. The buildings may have some limited resonance to past occupants or

locals; however, any sentiment for them is far out-weighed by the positives that a suitable

redevelopment of this derelict site will bring to the area.

There is no potential for archaeological material to be present, given the extensive quarrying

of the site in the past; therefore, there will be no archaeological impact.

Built Heritage & the ACAs

The proposed landmark development at Punch’s Cross, of a vacant and unkempt

brownfield site on a prominent intersection of Limerick City, is a progressive development of

an unused space that can be utilised to address an accommodation need; while leading to

an overall improvement to the area.

While the development proposed is large and destined for a prominent site in public view,

and is in visual proximity to several ACAs including the O’Connell Avenue ACA, it will not

physically impact on any Protected Structure or on the ACAs. Given the scale of the

proposal, it will be readily visible throughout this part of the City. A keystone to the thinking

behind the development of the ACA concept is to provide for change, while protecting the

character of their subject locations. Any perceived visual impact to the ACAs is fully

mitigated by the high design quality of the proposal, with a palette of modern design

characteristics, features and landscaping layouts that promote high quality change and

redevelopment. The new development is peripheral to the ACAs, and will not be a

significant backdrop to them.

With regard to the small and unobtrusive Quaker Burial Ground on the west side of

Ballinacurra Road, this cemetery has lost its former rural context due to historic and recent

developments in the area. These include the garage to the south and hotel to the north that

effectively wrap around it. The new development will be located to the northeast of the

cemetery and will not present a dramatic visual impingement of the burial place. Any

perceived impact is mitigated by the existing mature trees, vegetation and tall stone

boundary wall that surround the cemetery.


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8. Sources & References Consulted

• Ordnance Survey Historic Mapping;

• National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) www.buildingsofireland.com;

• National Monuments Service (NMS) www.archaeology.ie;

• Record of Monuments & Places for County Limerick 1997;

• Online excavations database www.excavations.ie;

• Limerick City Development Plan 2010-2016 (as Extended).

Bradley, J. 1989 The Urban Archaeological Survey of County Limerick. Unpublished report

commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Browne, T. 1998 Ballinacurra – Three Urban Townlands. The Old Limerick Journal, Vol. 34, pp. 40-42.

Curtain, S. 2005 Limerick - A Stroll Down Memory Lane, Book 5. Limerick Leader Publications, Limerick.

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government 2044 Architectural Heritage Protection

Guidelines for Planning Authorities. The Stationary Office, Dublin.

Givens, J. 2008 Irish Walled Towns. The Liffey Press, Dublin.

Mac Spealáin, G. 1942 Note on Place-names in the City and Liberties of Limerick. North Munster

Antiquarian Journal, 3, No. 2, pp. 90-117.

O’Flaherty, E. 2010 Irish Historic Towns Atlas No. 21 Limerick. Royal Irish Academy, Dublin.

Simington, R. C. 1938 The Civil Survey A.D. 1654–56 county of Limerick vol. IV with a Section of

Clanmaurice Barony Co. Kerry. Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin.

Thomas, A. 1992 The Walled Towns of Ireland. 2 Volumes. Irish Academic Press, Dublin.

http://www.buildingsofireland.com/

http://www.archaeology.ie/

http://www.excavations.ie/

http://www.irishmanuscripts.ie/digital/The%20Civil%20Survey%201654%20Vol%20IV%20Co%20Limerick/

http://www.irishmanuscripts.ie/digital/The%20Civil%20Survey%201654%20Vol%20IV%20Co%20Limerick/

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