The King's Island area of Limerick city has undergone huge revitalisation and tourism leaders now consider the area is primed for private sector investments.
In recent years £10 million has been invested in key projects, including the development of the 13th-century King John's Castle as a visitor centre, the development of Castle Lane beside it, the Hunt Museum, St Mary's Cathedral and the Limerick navigational project. The latest initiative was the £3.8 million Castle Lane project which houses the Castle Lane Tavern and Limerick City Museum.
According to the chief executive of Shannon Development, Mr Paul Sheane, "it is now time for the private sector to look at exploiting the potential of this area. Limerick City is poised on the brink of an exciting new era with all the developments that have taken place to date and new developments. Opportunities for private sector investment will emerge in the future", he added. The head of tourism at Shannon Development, Mr John Leonard, believes Limerick has huge potential for expansion in the tourist industry. "Limerick has unrealised potential and this is something Shannon Development, Limerick Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce are working on at the moment."
Shannon Developments through its subsidiary company, Shannon Heritage, has developed a portfolio of visitor attractions which have been designed to benefit a range of tourism businesses in the region. The spin-off benefits to the local tourism industry from the medieval banqueting operation alone is estimated at £15 million annually.