The Limerick Blogger: latest Limerick news and Limerick events

Leeds United have confirmed that their reserve team will be in Limerick on July 18th to play Limerick FC in a friendly game. A news item on the Leeds club website states “Leeds United were very impressed with the training facilities at the University of Limerick.”

The club also hope to have Munster’s Heineken Cup on display at Hogan Park on the night.

Tickets for Limerick vs Leeds United Reserves can be purchased on the Limerick FC ticket line on (353) 61 702070 and the club will also provide hotel information on that line for supporters wishing to travel from outside the city.

Kickoff is at 7.30pm on Tuesday July 18th.

Limerick FC have announced a friendly against English club Leeds United, to take place on Tuesday July 18th at Hogan Park. However, the official Leeds website has Leeds in Norway the night before and no mention of Limerick FC in their pre-season schedule.

Confusion stems from the fact that Leeds take on Norwegian side FK Ulf Sandnes at 6.30pm on July 17th, leaving any game against Limerick the following night impossible, at least for the Leeds first team.

Anybody still wishing to book tickets for the Limerick vs Leeds game, however, are still being urged to call the ticket line on 061 702070 where tickets can be bought for €12/€6.

Crimestoppers, the national telephone helpline set up to fight crime, have offered a €10,000 reward to anyone who can provide information that will lead investigators to the whereabouts of Mathew Carroll.

The telephone number is 1800 25 00 25. Callers do not have to leave their name or address, and should they decide to do so, such information will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

Alternatively, those with info can call Det Gda Tom O’Connor at Roxboro Garda Station at 061 214340.

CrimeLine Reconstruction detailing the last known movements of Mr. Carroll.

The fella on the right is a Mr. Tom Moran, he owns lots of hotels including the Red Cow Hotel in Dublin. This picture of him appeared in the Limerick Post on page 13. He is the one on the right.

The picture acompanied a story declaring that he plans to take over the Great Southern Hotel Group which the Government is hoping to privitise. It also states that he has pulled out of a consortium hoping to take over Brittish football club Sunderland AFC.

But this is not what interests me. Take a look at the newspaper Mr. Moran is reading. It appears to be the County edition of the Limerick Leader, however, between the time the picture was taken and the time it ended up on Page 13 of the Limerick Post, the banner on the paper seems to have been obliterated by some lousy photoshoppage. Actually it looks more like an MS-Paint job.

And to think the bastards accused ME of scrubbing!! Click on the image for a closer look if you don’t believe me. They have some cheek!

Fifteen years after a bench warrant was issued after he failed to turn up in court, Gregory Conway, of Fr Murray Park in Dundalk, is now in custody awaiting trial for manslaughter.

Conway stands accused of manslaughter and causing Grievious bodily harm to Dennis Quinlivan at Palm Court in Southill in 1991. The bench warrant was issued in 1992. Mr. Quinlivan died after spending months in hospital from his injuries, after he was beaten up.

The court was told that he had spent many of the intervening years in England.

The man who took part in an arson attack on the house of Owen Treacy’s father five years ago, has received a three year prison sentence.

Keith O’Dywer, from Moylish Crescent, Moyross was one of three people who threw a number of petrol bombs into the house in Clonlara in May 2001 causing over €14,000 euro worth of damage.

The attack happened at a time when a bitter inter-family feud in Limerick was at its most violent.

The court was told that O’Dwyer was influenced by the two other people who took part in the attack and that he was sixteen years old at the time. It was also told that he had left the country for Lanzarote but returned to face his punnishment.

Describing the attack as “dreadful” Judge Carol Moran handed down a three year sentence.

Orla Keiser and her supporters were free to march on Dail Eireann today as the order for commital to prison brought agains her by Limerick County Council was adjourned until July 6th.

Five people made the journey to Dublin yesterday morning to face the court, four of whom undertook to abide by a court order forbidding them from obstructing work on the introduction of the Shannon Estury Water scheme into their area.

However, Mother of two, Orla Keiser, refused.

Counsel for Limerick County Council told the court that it was not pressing the court to imprison Ms Keiser, stating that it would like the status quo to remain for the time being.

A meeting between objectors to the introduction of the scheme to the Palaskenry and Kildimo area, and Limerick County Council is due to take place tomorrow.

Justice Iarlaith O’Neill, presiding, adjourned the matter until July 6th.

RTE News has more, as does Indymedia and NewsWire.

The architect behind the Arthurs Quay Shopping Centre has a major vision of how Limerick City Centre should look in the year 2010. It is doubtful that it will happen, nonetheless, it is nice to dream.

From the Limerick Post newspaper:

Michael Tiernan’s vision for a new and extended city centre involves the demolition of the block occupied by Roches Stores, Penneys and Burger King, the demolition of the block occupied by Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre, demolition of the unoccupied premises on Liddy Street, the demolition of Dunnes Stores on Sarsfield Street and to the rear on Howley’s Quay and the possible demolition of the tourist office.

Arthurs Quay is only 20 years old, and has numerous tennants. All of them would be seriously discomoded for the next few years. Turning Arthurs Quay and most of Patrick Street into a building site again would send us back to the 80s.

The plan also involves development of Arthurs Quay Park. For starters, the area would have to be rezoned from park lands to commercial. Limerick City Council is currently leasing the land from the Department of the Marine. Rezoning the land could be a controversial decision.

Speaking to the paper Cllr Michael Hourigan expressed fears that the Shannon Foynes Port company would look for “an arm and a leg” if the land was rezoned.

It is also invisioned that traffic would travel by means of a tunnel underneath Henry Street to facilitate the pedestrianation of Patrick Street and O’Connell Street.

According to John Gilligan, however, councillors have not yet been acquainted with the plan, and it will not be fully examined by City Council until later this year.

So mr Tiernan wants to tear down several city blocks, pedestrianise two streets, dig a tunnel and mull through the rezoning of a park, as well as accomodating the discomoded tennants of all these buildings. Can it all be done by 2010, I don’t think so. If the project does get the green light, then it will be behind schedule and over budget. And that is if it gets past those stodgy councillors who want to have every hole in the ground in this city listed as a protected structure.

Heineken Cup champions Munster will be up against Cardiff Blues, Bourgoin and former holders Leicester Tigers in Pool Four when they open their defence of European club rugby’s premier title in October. Leinster are in pool two along with Edinburgh, Agen and Gloucester. Ulster have Toulouse, London Irish and Lnalelli in Pool five. The first round of the tournament will be played on the weekend of 20/21/22 October.

In Gaa news, after being beaten and kicked out the gate by Clare last week in the first round of the Hurling qualifiers, the manager Joe McKenna decided enough was enough and walked away. Now, as a consequence,Limerick County Board has appointed an interim management team for the county’s senior hurlers consisting of existing selector Liam Lenihan along with Richie Bennett and Tony Hickey. Ex hurler, Gary Kirby has also been appointed in an advisory role. Someone with more knowledge of Gaa land in Limerick may wish to comment but from the outside it looks like there is major shite going on behind the scenes. Looks like Lazarus may be on holidays for another year.

Lawrence McCarthy, the Limerick man who was accused of conspiring to gain posession of guns in London has been given an 11 year jail sentence for two charges of conspiracy to obtain weapons.

McCarthy was supervising the delivery of weapons to another man

There were two other people sent down for offences relating to McCarthy’s Jailing.

From 24dash.com

Among those in the dock was “armourer” Mark Downs, 39 today, who actually lived in the “factory” on the Nye Bevan estate, Hackney, east London.

He was jailed for 11 years after first admitting conspiring to sell ammunition and then being convicted by a jury of conspiring to possess the pistol with intent to endanger life and conspiring to possess the prohibited weapon.

Passing sentence Judge James Wadsworth told him: “One cannot live in this country these days without knowing the appalling danger such weapons and ammunitions can cause in the hands of criminals.

“You had been acting as an armourer, keeping and supplying the sort of ammunition for those who could have only wanted it for criminal and dangerous purposes.”

Downs’ partner Patricia Cremin, 43, who lived with him and was convicted of possessing ammunition, got three years.

The judge said she only had herself to blame for her predicament because instead of “walking away” and telling police what was going on, she happily babysat the factory whenever her boyfriend was away.

Someone in the comments was asking for an update on Lawrence McCarthy and this story happened to break today. Guess we won’t be hearing from him until 2017 then.