Masterplan Objective 08 – Community & Connectivity

Masterplan Objective 08 Community & Connectivity 08

Mary Immaculate College is proud to be the longest established third-level educational institution based in the centre of Limerick City. While originally fronting onto the South Circular Road, the acquisition and development of the John Henry Newman building has extended the Limerick Campus onto the City’s primary road artery on O’Connell Avenue which gives the College a reach and connection unmatched by others.

MIC Thurles is similarly well placed. Although the existing College building is set well back from the public road, the campus itself is within a short distance of the town centre and the proposed relief road that will traverse the campus east-west will also open up the College lands and create greater connectivity. Over the past 20 years since the publication of the College’s first Masterplan there has been an increasing focus on the development of facilities that benefit not only the College community but the city of Limerick as a whole. The Campus itself has developed significantly in the intervening period with the construction of Tailteann (2007) and TARA (2010) buildings and the associated site development works and including the Courtbrack entrance to the Campus, the Sports Pitch and Training Area and enhanced road network and car parking.

Works in and around the Foundation Building have also been significant in reinforcing the position of the College in Limerick City. The lowered boundary wall fronting onto the South Circular Road, reconfiguration of car parking and enhanced landscaping to the front of the Foundation Building have opened up a new vista into the College. The construction of the new Main Entrance and Foyer, refurbishment of the Halla, creation of the Quad and the gradual refurbishment of some of the older areas of the original College buildings have begun a gradual transformation of the original College buildings in line with the evolution of the College.

With these changes, the campus has become part of the fabric of the city and has been embraced by its citizens. The College grounds are an amenity enjoyed by the general public who have access also to its sports facilities. The opening of the Lime Tree Theatre, in the TARA Building, has heralded a new dawn in the provision of a state-of-the-art venue for the performing arts which has been embraced by both local groups as well as staging national and interna-