Facelift for plaque honouring Limerick Civic Trust founder
Historical body's chief executive confirms plan
LIMERICK Civic Trust are planning to give the memorial to its founder a welcome facelift.
Denis Leonard, who founded the heritage group in 1983, sadly died in 2009, and is remembered with a stone plaque at the People’s Park in the city centre.
Its current chief executive David O’Brien says the group is working with Irish Natural Stone to restore the memorial to its former glory, and also prevent it from future damage.
“Rather than just fixing what is there which will be damaged again as it's on the ground, I want to talk to the council about lifting it up. Frank McCormack from Irish Natural Stone up in the Burren is committed to doing it,” explained Mr O’Brien.
“It won't be instant, but we will take care of it.”
The chief executive says they always look to “stand on the shoulders” of Mr Leonard, who hailed from Raheen.
“Denis was a deep thinker. He had an incredible work ethic. What Denis started the Civic Trust to do wasn't the big building projects. What he did was gather volunteers to take down the fly-postering in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They just went around tidying things up and fixing them, and that led to the first big project, the Potato Market, which was a halting site at the time,” Mr O’Brien said.
Historian, businessman and ecclesiastical decorator Randel Hodkinson, who is based in Henry Street, also called for the repair of the plaque.
“Denis was an absolute gentleman. He was a visionary for the time. In the 1980s when he set up the Civic Trust. He was a man absolutely committed to Limerick city and improving the heritage and environment of the city,” said Randel.
“I don't think there has been anyone like him since who has been at the helm of the trust. It was like a vocation to him. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty.”
This Friday, the Civic Trust will welcome Mayor John Moran to its business lunch at the Savoy Hotel.