Limerick Courthouse

Formerly known as Courthouse

The Courthouse, Merchant’s Quay, Co. LimerickGoogle Maps

Situated on Merchant’s Quay and looking onto the River Shannon, this courthouse was designed by Nicholas and William Hannan and opened in 1809.
In 2003, the building was extensively refurbished by Murray O’Laoire Architects, restoring its historical details, some of which had been lost in earlier remodellings of the site.
Murray O’Laoire Architects were one of Ireland’s most prolific architectural studios during the 1990s and 2000s, designing buildings such as Terminal One at Dublin Airport and CIT Cork School of Music. The studio was formed in 1979 by architects Sean O'Laoire and Hugh Murray, who was chair of EVA for more than 30 years.
The site has been used as a venue for EVA for two editions, in 1995 and 1994.
In 1994 this site was one of 19 listed venues for the 18th edition of EVA, curated by Jan Hoet (b. 1936, Belgium; d. 2014).
Here Bruce Nauman (b. 1941, USA) presented his seminal video work Clown Torture (1987). The work explores the poetics of confusion, anxiety, boredom, entrapment, and failure.