Franciscan Friary

Formerly known as Saint Francis Abbey

Franciscan Friary, Henry St, LimerickGoogle Maps

This Franciscan Friary, built by architect William Corbett in the late 19th century, sits on the site of an older chapel. The Franciscans, who left the city in 2008, were present in Limerick for around 700 years.
This site was one of twelve listed venues for the 24th edition of EVA in 2000, curated by Rosa Martínez (b. 1955, Spain) and titled friends + neighbours.
Here, Sergio Vega (b. 1959, Argentina) presented Stairway to Eden (1999–2000), a sculptural installation that included a statue of St. Francis, a taxidermied parrot, a step ladder, and a 30-minute soundtrack of field recordings in the Amazon rainforest. Placed close to the altar of the then-functioning church, Vega’s work offered itself as an alternative model of Eden. Vega works in various media, including text, photography, video, sculpture, dioramas, miniature models, and installations. His work deals with social issues, such as colonialist theories and the development of cultural and social conditions.
In 2017 the Limerick City Museum moved from its home in John’s Square to the old Franciscan Friary on Henry Street. Established in 1916, this museum is the oldest local authority museum in the state. It still operates as a museum today, dedicated to the collection of archaeological material.