A NEW community creche, the first building project completed under Limerick’s multi-billion euro regeneration programme, was officially opened by President Mary McAleese yesterday, on her final visit to the city as the Republic’s first citizen.
The €1.4 million King’s Island Creche is located at St Ita’s Street in St Mary’s Park, one of four areas in Limerick earmarked for redevelopment under the plan.
The creche is the last newly built community creche under the national childcare programme. It will cater for 65 children.
“This is Limerick at its absolute best, putting out its best for its children so that they will be the best and they will have the best,” Mrs McAleese said.
In 2008 Mrs McAleese unveiled the vision documents for regeneration in Limerick, initially mooted as a €3 billion project but since revised downwards.
Mrs McAleese said the plans for regeneration were unveiled during a different economic period, but encouraged all those present not to lose hope. She said it was 14 years since the idea for a new creche in King’s Island was first conceived and yesterday’s sunshine was like “a beautiful blessing in the sky on 14 years of hard labour. We are here today because people didn’t give up.”
She recalled being in Limerick for the launch of the regeneration programme three years ago and said yesterday was an example of “the outward expressions of people’s inward desires becoming real in front of their eyes”.
Speaking at the official launch, Brendan Kenny, chief executive of Limerick Regeneration Agencies said that the creche captured the essence of what the regeneration programme was all about.