King John’s Castle

Nicholas St, LimerickGoogle Maps

The castle was built by the Anglo-Normans in the early 13th century.
During the 18th century, the castle was adapted for use as a British Army barracks, which it remained up until the 1920s. Following independence and the Irish Civil War, the castle became the site to a unique council housing development which remained until 1989, when the houses were demolished. The castle was then declared a National Monument.
The King John’s Castle Visitor Centre was designed by Murray O’Laoire Architects in the early 1990s, and further modified by Healy Partners.
This site was one of 10 venues for the 32nd edition of EVA in 2008, curated by Hou Hanru (b. 1963, China) and titled too early for vacation.
That year, Séamus Farrell (b. 1965, UK) presented the sculptural installation Neo Ruin Irish Folly (2008), which consisted of a ‘ruin’ assembled from domestic belongings and household appliances.