You will know you have arrived when you spot the crisp flat signage, featuring a sharp square geometric logo paired with the clean block letters of Ormston House.
It is hard to believe looking at this ornate Venetian-palazzo style building, originally designed to resemble an Italian palace, but this was actually Limerick's very first self-service supermarket. Opened by Jack Ormston in nineteen sixty-one, the place brought a sudden wave of modern convenience to the city.
Fast forward to two thousand and eleven, and the space saw a very different kind of innovation. A group of enterprising art students occupied the ground floor of this nineteenth-century structure. With backing from the Creative Limerick scheme, they transformed the empty unit into a thriving contemporary art gallery.
By two thousand and eighteen, the center faced a serious threat. A New York investment firm bought the building's loan book from NAMA, the National Asset Management Agency, and put the site on the open market. But... they severely underestimated the locals. Over three thousand people signed a petition to save it, leading the Limerick Council to officially purchase the ground floor and basement in two thousand and twenty-one, granting the gallery a secure thirty-year lease.
Today, they have worked with over three hundred artists across twenty-five countries, sponsor the Limerick Lady Podcast, and even created an award-winning mobile app highlighting the historical women of the city. If you happen to visit between Wednesday and Saturday from twelve PM to six PM, you can step inside to see their latest exhibition.
It is a brilliant example of how community passion can preserve a city's creative soul. Feel free to admire the facade. When you are ready, we can head to the next stop.
