The Limerick Blogger: latest Limerick news and Limerick events

Just a note to let you know that there is a new addition to our list of Limerick blogs on the right hand side.

If you are interested in all things fashion, then you have got to see the Style Treaty blog.

Here is wishing Maz and all involved the best of luck with the new site.

Remember, if you have a Limerick related blog, do not hesitate to send us a link for the list. Our email address is limerickblogger@gmail.com.

Statement from Cllr Diarmuid Scully in relation to the recent Census results. The Census couldn’t have taken place on a worse date for Limerick City.

The statement is as follows:

The former Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Diarmuid Scully, has cast doubt on the
accuracy of preliminary census figures for Limerick City and its suburbs.
The census showed a fall of 2.7% in the population of the Limerick City and
a modest increase of just 5,637 in the total population of the city and all
its suburbs an area that corresponds with the Dail Constituency of Limerick
East.

“The figures don’t add up. The 5,600 increase is more that accounted for by
Polish immigration alone. According to the Irish – Polish Business
Association, there are over 8,000 Polish people, living and working in
Limerick, the vast majority in the city and its suburbs. That is not to
count our thousands of other immigrants from elsewhere in Eastern Europe and
throughout the world.

“If both figures were correct this would imply a significant fall in the
Limerick born population. This isn’t true either. Over the last four years
we have seen a record number of births in Limerick and the excess of births
over deaths in the urban area should have resulted in a reasonably
significant increase in the indigenous population.

“In my own electoral area of Singland B, the census shows an increase in
population of just 15, despite the predominance of young families in the
area, the corresponding high birth rate and the building within the last
four years of several new housing developments�

“I raised concerns at the time regarding the choice of date for the census.
Given the participation of the Limerick hurling team in an important match
in Thurles and the Munster rugby teams clash with Leinster in Dublin, many
thousands of people that would normally have been in Limerick on census
night were out of the city.

“It now seems likely that this has had a significant effect on the outcome
of the census. According to the CSO’s own figures one in six homes
nationally, some 300,000 residences in all, did not complete census forms.
Many of these are clearly un-let rental units or holiday homes. It would
help clarify matters if the CSO would reveal how many of these empty
residences were in Limerick. While Limerick is becoming a more and more
popular destination for tourists, there are as yet, few if any holiday homes
in the city and its suburbs, therefore a high number of empty homes would
strongly suggest an inaccurate census.�

Rattling around a house which does not have internet access can be quite tedius. One has to resort to the demon medium that is television.

I confess to being a fan of the Big Brother show. But with less time spent on the internet, I have been able to spent more time watching the live feed on E4.

There are a lot of people out there that simply detest Big Brother. That is fair enough, however I just thought it would be worth mentioning something as it is Limerick related concerning the show.

It turns out that one of the housemates in this year’s series has Limerick roots.

Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace has family from county Limerick on her mother’s side. I would love to know which part of Limerick her family comes from, so if anyone out there has any more info, then contact me at limerickblogger@gmail.com.

I have received several emails questioning whether or not I have given up on LimerickBlogger.org

Just to answer, no, I have not. A family emergency has limited my time on the internet, so I cannot concentrate properly on writing stuff for the blog at the moment.

However, the news is good, and things are looking up, so in the next few days I should have more time to write here.

I just wanted to put out a quick thank you to those who have asked after me, and also a very special thank you to the other writers for the site who have kept things moving. guys it is much appreciated.

I will be writing some stuff over the weekend, but may not be able to post for a few days afterwards. but, don’t worry, I ain’t moved to St. Lawrences yet.

A 21-year-old Irish student has drowned while holidaying in Ibiza. The man from Hospital, in Limerick was a student at LIT.

Meanwhile, the row over the future of Hogan Park appears to have been settled for the moment as it now appears that the FAI and Fr Joe Young are believed to have agreed a 25 year lease on the 14 acre site in Rathbane.

In some more catching up news, it appears the the band Parade which was dropped this year that normally tied in with the St Patrick days festivities is to return on its own dedicated day next year. As Patricks day is on the saturday, logic would decide that the band parade will take place on the Sunday!!

Christy Moore said on the late late show last year that Dolans was one of his favourite venues in the country and it seems as if Sharon Shannon agrees. Last week, Sharon played two nights at the Dock Rd venue that were recorded for a live double album and a DVD release that will be out before Christmas. Amongst the guests that joined Sharon on stage were some of Irelands best musicans and artists includin Limericks own Jon Kenny, Mundy, Roesy, Damien Dempsey, Declan O’Rourke and the biggest shout of the night went out to the legend from Inis Boffin- Dessie ‘O Halloran. HIghlights of the night included Dessie singing along to Say You love me, and an encore that included Courting in the Kitchen, The Galway Girl and a cover of Ring of Fire. At that stage there were over 20 musicans on the stage and there wasnt room for much more!! A good nights entertainment and the resultant cd and dvd is bound to be a big seller for Christmas . The reason that Dolans was chosen is that it had the best atmopsphere of all the shows on the tour that Sharon and guests played earlier in the year. Another plus for Limerick!!

In this the second of two catch up reports we concentrate on …..BUSINESS

To start with, Ryanair last week announced that it is dropping its Shannon to Luton service but at the same time announced two new routes from Shannon to Bournemouth and Edinburgh starting on the 31st of October. “Ryanair’s Shannon base has performed strongly this summer and has firmly established itself as an important driver of both tourism and business in the west of Ireland,� said Ryanair’s Peter Sherrard. “Today’s new route announcements will allow passengers from the mid-west to enjoy more low fares to even more destinations.� Ryanair currently connects Shannon to 25 destinations, sustaining 1,700 jobs in the mid-west and delivering 1.7 million passengers per annum.

Another large company in the mid west, actually its largest- Dell has confirmed some news that in the long term may have people fearing for the long term viability of its manufacturing plant in Raheen. According to Jimmy Woulfe in the Examiner, some of the 3,000 staff at its Limerick plant have been asked if they would be prepared to move to a new manufacturing plant that the company wants to set up in Poland. WIth manufacturing costs increasing here, there is a fear that in the medium term Dell could move part of or even all of its european manufacturing base to Poland where costs and labour are a lot cheaper. The Limerick plant is the most efficent factory that Dell has worldwide at the moment but that could count for nothing if the company can get the job done for cheaper somewhere else. It looks as if the effects of high inflation, high wages and exhorbitant house prices in this country may be about to start biting us in the arse. Dell’s share price is trading at five year lows on reduced demand for computers and increasing costs. If it gets to a stage where cuts have to be made, they will be made outside of the USA first. Speaking of house prices, there will be a Limerick special report on same in the near future….

In Hotel news, the Quality hotel up near Carew Park has confirmed that it’s going to open at the end of August and is now recruiting for staff. Still no news on a definite date for the George hotel in town to re-open though. Things appear to be on a bit of a go slow there but doubtless someone will correct me and it will probably open in a week or two!! The site where the Clarion hotel group were going to build a three star hotel, ie the old Top Garage on the Dock road is up for sale which answers why we had seen no action down there recently!! Perhaps with the Clarions decision to open their Suites complex at the old Ardhu Ryan hotel on the ennis rd, they have decided to concentrate on the upper end of the market. Doubtless it has a pricetag of a few million euro at this stage!

Ah, yes due to the joys of dial up being even more shite than normal i haven’t even been able to log on to write some shite for you all to skip over for the last few weeks… My apologies to the two people who have told me that they actually read my contributions but once again in no particular order here is a brief synopsis of a few things that have happened in the last few weeks..

SPORT
In Hurling, Limerick put up a good fight against Cork and despite all the controversies over balls and the like they came up a point short for a finish. TJ Ryan announced his retirement in the days that followed and its not known what will happen the interim managment team whose names i got wrong in a previous post and am too pissed off waiting for a page to load to check again!! Anyway by all accounts some pride has been restored to Limerick hurling. Anyone who wants to contribute some knowledge to this debate is welcome to as as previously admitted my knowledge of GAA life is even less than some other shite i talk about!

In Rugby, Christian Cullen has agreed a one year extension to his deal with Munster. In Heineken cup news, the dates and fixtures have been released so start saving up now..Munster will launch their defence of the Heineken Cup with a challenging trip to former double winners Leicester Tigers in a Pool 4 clash of past and present champions at Welford Road on Sunday, 22 October (kick-off 15.00). The Irish province travel to the home of the 2001 and 2002 champions for their first tournament match as holders of European club rugby’s most coveted trophy, with Leicester Tigers making the return trip to the Thomond Park fortress in Round 6. So once again, there may be need for a last match miracle in fortress thomond!! Remember all Games will be on sky sports, no live matches on RTE this year, so subscription to sky sports required or else an early journey to Clohesseys or Flas and all other rugby pubs in town to get a good seat!!.. Dates and times of matches below..

Sunday 22 October
Pool 4 Leicester Tigers v Munster 15.00 Sky Sports
ROUND 2
Saturday 28 October
Pool 4 Munster v Bourgoin 17.30 Sky Sports
ROUND 3
Pool 4 Cardiff Blues v Munster 13.00 Sky Sports
ROUND 4
Saturday 16 December
Pool 4 Munster v Cardiff Blues 17.30 Sky Sports
ROUND 5 – 12 / 13/ 14 January, 2007
Pool 4 Bourgoin v Munster
ROUND 6 – 19 / 20 / 21 January
Pool 4 Munster v Leicester Tigers
QUARTER-FINALS
30 / 31 March / 1 April

SEMI-FINALS
20 / 21 / 22 April
HEINEKEN CUP FINAL

In Soccer, despite their heroics in cup games of late, Limerick Fc’s league form has gone to shite in the last while. Last Friday they suffered their fourth reverse in a row going down to a one nil defeat away to Galway. The Shannonsiders have now slipped to fifth in the Eircom League first division, four points behind Shamrock Rovers.