Friday, January 11, 2013

Heritage Lecture Series to Examine Limerick’s Past, Present and Future

Limerick County Council has announced details of its sixth season of biennial lectures on the Built Heritage of Limerick.

The themes of the public lectures include Medieval Limerick City, the architectural history of the University of Limerick, the Archaeology of Mills and Milling in County Limerick, Limerick’s Ringforts and the ‘Limerick 2030’ strategy.

The series, which will be held at Limerick County Hall in Dooradoyle, commences on Tuesday January 29th at 8pm and continues fortnightly through February and March.

“The lectures focus on individual aspects of the built heritage surrounding us in the landscape of Limerick City and County, from the historic landscape right up to the present or on this occasion the future,” explained Joan MacKernan, Arts Officer, Limerick County Council.

“The idea behind the lecture series is that the built landscape of Limerick is the result of what our ancestors created and deemed important. What we design, build and preserve today will become Limerick in the future. The built heritage is a reflection of our society, its values, its hierarchies, its fashions and its trends. Through the six series the lectures spotlight a variety of architecture through the ages, this series looks at aspects from early medieval to contemporary and future design of Limerick, city and county,” she added.

The first lecture goes a bit further back into the past than any lecture in previous series to look at one of the most common features of the Limerick landscape, the Ringfort, and is delivered by Dr. Matthew Stout.

Other topics covered include ‘Medieval Limerick City Today’ presented by Brian Hodkinson of Limerick City Museum; ‘The Archaeology of mills and milling in Co. Limerick from the early medieval period to c.1900’ hosted by Dr. Colin Rynne of UCC; and ‘The University of Limerick: a technological university on the banks of the Shannon’ presented by architect, historic building consultant, architectural historian and writer, Judith Hill.

The final lecture on March 26th is ‘Limerick 2030: An economic Strategy and Spatial Plan for Limerick’ presented by the principal author of the report, Gerry Hughes of GVA. The blueprint is described as a ‘once in a generation strategy’ to guide the economic, social and physical renaissance of the city and wider county and city region.

For further information contact: Limerick County Council, County Hall, Dooradoyle, Limerick; or Tel: 061 496498 / 496300.