The Limerick Blogger: latest Limerick news and Limerick events

Following the recent fire, the City Council finally got up off of it’s arse and tore down the Ballinanty flats.

The images below come from Maurice Quinlivan, who said that there was a sense of relief in the community of Knockalisheen Avenue now that the flats were coming down.

“The vacant flats were being used for Anti-Social behaviour and drug misuse. Whilst the City council have belatedly lived up to their responsibility in having these flats removed it is a pity that there weren’t removed before the fires of the last few weeks. Local people have had to live with the eyesore that the flats had become for too long and the criminality associated with them. If Flats need to be demolished in the future, these future demolitions should take place as soon [as] practical after the last tenant leaves. The mistakes made here should not be repeated again in our city.“

The election candidate now hopes that the council will consult with locals on what will be put on the now vacant site.

The performance from last week by Limerick’s Richie McCoy brought to you through the magic of RTE repeats.

Eddie Halvey, former Munster and Ireland international rugby player, has had his case for dangerous driving causing death sent forward to Nenagh Circuit court.

The charge arises after an motor accident on the N7 where 16 year old Kevin Walse, Sycamore Drive, Bruff, County Limerick, lost his life.

Halvey was ordered to appear before the Circuit Court on February 13

Full story in the indo.

Limerick middleweight Andy Lee kept his unbeaten record intact with a sixth round stoppage of American Arthuro Ortega in Las Vegas last nightby taking all five rounds before the referee stepped in and stopped the contest midway through the sixth at the Orleans Hotel & Casino.

The 22-year-old was in top form to record his third victory in Vegas, and his seventh win in total since he signed a professional contract with the Detroit Kronk last March. Lee’s renowned coach and manager Emanuel Steward reckoned that last night’s win was one of his Lee’s most impressive so far.He said: ‘Ortega has never been stopped before and Andy was in control throughout the fight and it was a very impressive display.’ Speaking after the fight, Lee, who was at ringside with Las Vegas-based Wayne McCullough, said he was delighted to get 2007 off to a winning start. Lee admitted: ‘He was a tough customer and it took a while to break him down but I kept racking up the points and I finally began to break through in the fifth. ‘I thought the ref was going to stop it in the fifth to tell the truth, but he did stop it in the sixth and I’m delighted to get the year off to a winning start.’ Lee will now go into training camp with world champ Wladimir Klitschko in Majorca Spain. The Limerick man is due to appear with fellow Irish middleweight John Duddy (in separate bouts) on the ‘Erin Go Brawl’ Irish Ropes promotion at Madison Square Garden in New York on 16 March.

The main part of the Ennis bypass is due to open today so for anyone going or coming to Limerick via Galway and the West, travel times should be reduced.

Cheebah’s roots nights at the Underground in Baker’s Place continues with an artist who has performed no where else in Ireland.

Nicolette (Massive Attack, Shut up and Dance, Early Records) returns to Limerick for her second appearance at a roots night on Friday 26th January. The last one in July attracted record crowds for the Boat Club and we had to turn away over 150 so while the capacity is slightly bigger this time in the new Underground at Baker Place, it should be still a big night. Joining her on the night will be Hazo (ill dependents) and support will also come from the broken funk crew of Pete and Paul. Admission €12.50. Tickets available in advance at the venue. Tickets available tomorrow night from 10 pm onwards.

Over 500 permanent and 200 contractors are in danger of being laid off at Aughanish Alumina as supplies of one of their main raw materials have been cut off.

59 people are dead in the African country of Guinnea following an ongoing general strike, which has cut supplies of the bauxite ore which is required by the aluminium company.

The strikes and subsequent violence is a result of protesters who want the country’s leader, Lansana Conté to cede power.

Conté seized power in 1987 as part of a coup, and has ruled with an iron fist ever since.

It is feared that if Conté does not step down, the country could decend into civil war.

Aughanish has however denied that they are planning on laying anyone off, stating that they have enough bauxite ore both in storage and in transit to keep them going until the end of February, and they will reduce production rather than carry out lay offs, but how long they will be able to maintain this remains to be seen.

One of the witnesses in the Liam Keane murder trial who justice Paul Carney described as suffering from “collective amnesia” is himself before the courts for perjury.

Roy Behan, formerly of 4 St. Sennan’s Street, St. Mary’s Park, but currently living at Cherrydale Park on the Dublin Road was accused of denying in court that he witnessed an incident at Lee Estate involving Liam Keane and the late Eric Leamy.

Behan was one of the witnesses whose court testimony, or lack of it, resulted in the collapse of the subsequent murder trial following the incident.

This image of Liam Keane was taken after he walked free of his murder trial. When it appeared in newspapers it sent the Government into a tailspin

In court today State Solicitor Michael Collins BL said that Behan had given a detailed statement to Gardai about what happened on the day Eric Leamy met his death.

Behan’s Garda statement claimed that he had witnessed Liam Keane hit Eric Leamy over the head with a board.

It went on to claim that he had tried to break up the fight between the two by standing between them, however they managed to get around him.

Behan is also alleged to have told Gardai that he witnessed Keane stick a knife into Mr. Leamy. It was claimed that Behan told Gardai that he accompanied Mr. Leamy to hospital.

The trial is expected to conclude on Friday.

If you have ever had to go about your business at city hall would would be familiar with having to walk the gauntlet of Gardai, scumbags, paddy wagons and TV crews. But this is soon to be a thing of the past, that is, if Tom Mackey, city manager gets his way.

Mr. Mackey has written to court authorities requesting that the courthouse move away from city hall.

Both council members and the City manager are not happy with the site of City hall on the news whenever a high profile crime is being reported on national TV.

They have also voiced their concerns about the impression visiting dignitaries get when they come to meet the Mayor or the councillors, as well as ordinary people who come to pay their car tax.

A site near the prison on Mulgrave Street has been earmarked as a possible new home for the courthouse.

The full story will appear in this morning’s Limerick Post newspaper. You can read the full story by clicking here.

Despite all the big fanfare about the new National Development plan, which will run for the next six years, most of what is being promised has been revealed already.

The plan promises a motorway between Limerick and Dublin, a railway line to Mayo, and urban renewal for Limerick City Centre.

But the reaction from the opposition parties has been critical.

“There is nothing new or exciting in it,” Michael Noonan, Fine Gael TD told the Limerick Leader when asked about the plan, “It is just the capital programmes in the budgetary process all added up together.”

“The amounts of money are very large, but if you added up all of your pay packets over many years, you might think you were a millionaire. ” he said.

Those sentiments were echoed by West Limerick Fine Gael TD Dan Neville. “There was little new, no detailed costs and little reason to believe that this Government could or would deliver on their “newâ€? National Development plan” he said.

He also voiced his disappointment at what he believes is the neglect of West Limerick in the plan.

“Key West Limerick Roadwork needs have again been excluded from the Plan announced by the Taoiseach yesterday. It is a disgrace that the Adare, Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale By-passes are not included in the programme to 2010. The Croom Mallow road is included in the Atlantic Corridor and is given some priority. However, I have recently learned that there is a complete review of this project, which will set it back indefinitely. Up to 2013 the major focus is on the major interurban motorways. There is no indication as to when the 3 urgent by-passes in West Limerick.

This is extremely disappointing information and is a failure of the Government to invest in urgent infrastructure in West Limerick. There will be a continuing increase in traffic in the Primary and Secondary Roads in Limerick West and the traffic congestion in Adare, Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale. Now the Minster for Transport has decided that this is not of priority in Fianna Fail scheme. It is a shame and a disgrace and I call on the Government to revisit the projects.”