Southill, Limerick facts for kids

Southill (Irish: Cnoc Theas) is an area in the south of Limerick, Ireland. It is made up of four main housing areas: O'Malley Park, Keyes Park, Kincora Park, and Carew Park.

In the past, Southill faced some challenges. Many adults found it hard to find jobs, and some young people left school early. The area also had problems with crime and poverty, which made life difficult for some residents. However, people have been working hard to make Southill a better place to live.

Making Southill Better

In 2008, exciting plans were announced to improve Southill. The idea was to rebuild about 2,000 homes in Southill and another area called Moyross in Limerick City. This decision came after talking with the people who lived there, as they wanted to feel safe and happy in their homes. A big goal of these plans was to make the area much safer by reducing crime.

About 760 houses in O'Malley Park and Keyes Park in Southill were going to be taken down and new ones built in their place. People who lived in these homes would need to meet certain requirements to get a new home in the improved area.

Mary McAleese, who was the President of Ireland at the time, was very happy about these plans. She said it showed that communities were ready to move on from past problems and create a much better future. In 2009, President McAleese even officially opened the new Southill Area Centre. This was a special building made just for the community to use.

However, in 2012, the plans had to be stopped. This was because of a big economic problem called a recession, which meant there wasn't enough money to continue the project. The plans are still on hold.