A landmark building in Limerick city which previously served as the International Rugby Experience is set to be gifted to the state by JP McManus and become a branch of the National Museum of Ireland.
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan announced plans to accept the building on O’Connell Street, Limerick under the State Property Act 1954.
It is proposed the building, which won the RIBA Stirling Prize for architectural excellence, will host a permanent exhibition telling the stories of women in Ireland.
The announcement comes over a year after the International Rugby Experience closed when negotiations to gift the building to Limerick City and County Council collapsed.
Talks are now set to take place with the McManus family, the Board and Management of the National Museum, the Office of Public Works, and other key stakeholders to explore the expansion of the galleries of the National Museum of Ireland and develop a permanent women’s museum in Limerick.
Minister O’Donovan said the plan provides a unique opportunity to enhance the regional balance across the National Cultural Institutions and provide a new quality cultural offering in Limerick and the Mid-West.
The site could also provide space for other exhibitions, including temporary exhibitions, under the National Museum of Ireland.
"This magnificent building presents a wonderful opportunity to enhance the cultural footprint in Limerick and the wider Mid-West and I would like to thank Mr McManus and his team for supporting this shared vision for the region," the minister said.
He said it is a significant step in expanding the reach of national cultural institutions beyond the capital.
"It will join the Crawford Gallery in Cork, now undergoing a major redevelopment project, and the Museum of Country Living in Co Mayo as a new regional centre," he said.
Minister O’Donovan said he is conscious that there is a detailed process to undertake to realise this proposal, and that developing any new museum is a sensitive and complex process.
"There are many factors to be considered, which will take time to fully work through.I am committed to working collaboratively with all involved to fully explore the potential and feasibility of this," he said.
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