Moran promises to support ‘Museum of Gaming’ for disused Franciscan Church
Front running mayoral candidate, John Moran, has announced that if elected he will throw the weight of his office behind a currently stalled project for a Museum of Gaming in Limerick.
Building on Limerick’s tradition as home to Atari, the project was to have seen a world class attraction, GameCube, installed in the former Franciscan Church on Henry Street in conjunction with Limerick City and County Council who own the empty building.
The project which he first proposed to the board of the Hunt Museum back in 2015 while he was chair of that institution has been used by him as an example of what he means by having #MoreforLimerick – his electoral rallying call for Limerick.
“This is precisely the kind of attraction we should be looking at, where we follow an unconventional approach to traditional attractions and cultural offerings. The GameCube concept is an attraction that will bring visitors on a journey through the history of games, from pre-historic times all the way up to modern day and – importantly – beyond, where we offer glimpses into what the cutting-edge companies are already working on. It would be a unique tourism asset right here in Limerick but for the country as a whole. As well as offering visitors the chance to learn about, engage with, and play games from each of the eras”, he noted.
Observing that GameCube could host international games events, Mr Moran said he envisaged it partnering with local universities and schools to host workshops, classes, summer camps and courses where people - young and old - could learn or refine their IT skills, while at the same time tapping into a global gaming economy worth over $211 billion worldwide. The project has been stalled due to a lack of funding and focus by Limerick councillors who were unable or unwilling to see the obvious benefits and move the project forward to realisation.
“To be honest, this is a perfect example of why Limerick is ‘stuck in neutral’ where completely doable projects just run out of momentum and energy and are parked up in the already crowded lay-by of ideas. If I am done the honour of being elected as Mayor, I will use my office and my experience of how government works to clear roadblocks to good and deliverable projects such as this. Responsibility will be given to individuals and timelines for delivery will be set out. I know how to develop new innovative approaches to funding and in that way breathe new life into abandoned heritage buildings”, he said.
“We all know our city centre is dying – it’s the single biggest complaint I hear from the dozens of individuals contacting our office and website every day - and we need new answers that go beneath the ‘skim’ solutions that we have been getting for years now. Gamecube would be an attraction of international scale that will put Limerick on the map and attract people from across the globe. I don’t know why our councillors allowed the project to be ‘parked up’ – but that’s really been the story of so much about our great city’s position and why we need to get some energy and expertise into office. It’s a brilliant tourist offering that also plugs Limerick right into one of the biggest entertainment industries and allows us to establish links with the software companies working in that massive area. If I’m elected this is going to happen. As soon as I get the newly elected council to come on board with my mayoral programme, that project will be taken out of that lay-by and will be back on the road again with a dedicated person driving it towards establishment and success”, he concluded.
Anyone looking for more details can find more information at www.johnmoran.ie.
ends
For more information about John Moran and his campaign for mayor, visit www.johnmoran.ie.
For other media inquiries, please contact:
Caillum Hedderman
+353 86 301 8161