The Limerick Blogger: latest Limerick news and Limerick events

Just some bits and pieces from Day 2 of the election campaign.

*On Live 95 FM this morning Willie O’Dea, while canvassing in Moyross condemned the celebrations being carried out over the weekend after the murder of Noel Campion.
*Willie O’Dea could also be found in the Limerick Leader saying that this election is going to be tighter than the last one. He put this down to the fact that the opposition are better positioned to form a coalition to rival that of FF/PD.
*The saviours of Free Speech, the MSI(Movement to Save Ireland) have taken to covering up election posters belonging to Fine Gael’s Michael Noonan. A poster on Parnel Street was seen covered up today with their posters. Obviously they don’t believe in free speech for people like Michael Noonan We have been told that the same thing happened to Kierann O’Donnell in Ballinacurra last week, but we could not find the poster in question.
*Students will be discussing Bertie Ahern’s decision on holding the election on Thursday on Limerick Today on Live 95 FM tomorrow morning. The programme begins at 0900 hrs.

Unedited Press releases from candidates

Rather than bamboozle people with individual posts for each statement, we will be putting all the press releases into one post each day at the end of the days summary. There is no political favouritism in this, the first one we receive will be the first one printed. Those releases we do not get we do not print.

The Only one we have to hand for today is from Sinn Fein’s Maurice Quinlivan.

Confirmation of General Election Welcomed

SF general election candidate Maurice Quinlivan said:

“Sinn Fein Election Candidate Maurice Quinlivan today welcomed the announcement of the general election, describing it as an opportunity for lasting change. Just a few short weeks ago the people of the Six Counties voted for a new assembly and put Sinn Fein’s agenda for an Ireland of Equals at the heart of a new government. Now we in the South have an opportunity to do the same. Sinn Fein will be in government in the north from next Tuesday, and we here are ready for Government in the South. We will be putting forward a radical programme of change to the people, in stark contrast to the failed politics of privatisation, property developers and Paddy the Plasterer. Sinn Fein will put Public Health before private gain and insist on proper investment in our schools, communities and environment, rather than gifting tax breaks to the wealthy few. We will ensure the benefits of a strong economy are spread evenly to all of the people on this Ireland.

Here in Limerick Sinn Fein is the only party truly committed to changing the balance of power that has seen entire communities marginalised and abandoned by local and national government. If elected, I will act as a voice for those disenfranchised communities, and work for a better Limerick for all, a Limerick of Equals!

Noel Campion’s funeral procession. Picture: Limerick Leader

The parish priest for Moyross, Frank O’Dea has called on all those involved in ongoing feuding in Limerick City to put an end to the violence.

During his homoly at the funeral mass for Noel Campion he said those who seek revenge, take the path of weakness.

“Some who are listening may think that seeking retaliation or revenge for Noel’s death will be the way to help him find peace, but you know in your heart that it will not.” he said.

As the funeral procession made it’s way from Corpus Christi Church in Moyross to Mount St. Oliver’s cemetery, relatives beeped their car horns outside Limerick prison as they passed to signal family members who were unable to attend the funeral due to their incarceration.

Also

Six thousand lids for a casket!

Some shots of the flash new intercity train which was on display at Colbert Station today.

The new trains are supposed to be rolled out in Autumn

Inside one of the carriages

The driver’s cabin

and from the other end

All pictures : limerickblogger.org

On the off chance you don’t already know, Bock the Robber is moving his blog to a new host.

if you are using the old blogspot address, be sure to change it to www.bocktherobber.com

RSS feed subscribers will have to get in contact with him to find out if the address of the RSS feed for the blog is also changing.

RTÉ ’s “The State Of Us” portrayed Limerick East election candidate and former Minister for Defence, Willie O’Dea, as a gun toting lacky for Bertie Ahern.

During the programme, the character of of O’Dea was sent to silence Transport minister who was about to give an interview on RTE Radio.

The sketch also contained a scene where the Limerick politician held a handgun to a woman’s head.

Darren writes

I thought since you are interested in the upcoming elections, you
might be amused to compare these two articles:

Link 1

Link 2

Incidentally, I think e-voting is a good idea, but not the way the
government are going about it. They used the same purchasing
procedures that they use for paperclips to buy a critical distributed computer system, where security violations are high treason.

Personally, seeing the politicians sweat for several hours every five years is a good thing. It should, for that brief moment every five years, teach them humility, and adds a bit of excitement to the Election count.

Also, election machines are more likely to break down than the good old fashioned pen and paper. If bertie uses a pencil at election time then he is an idiot because a pencil mark would be harder to see and easier to interfiere with.

So, should we be embarrased by using pencil (or pens) and papers for voting, or are we, by embracing e-voting, opening ourselves to a world of hurt like they experienced in the US as noted in the second article linked above.

Go forth and discuss.

The blogger blather discussion subject will remain open for 1 week. If you have a topic which you would like to be discussed in the blogger blather, email us at limerickblogger@gmail.com

Southill fires burning happily, picture taken from approximately 2 miles away.

If you want bonfires from your area featured, then send us your pictures

limerickblogger@gmail.com

You don’t have to give a name, just tell us what area the picture was taken.

Limerick has fallen to number 14 on the Monopoly Here and Now league table.

Rembmer you can vote once every day, so if you have voted already, vote again.

Here is the link.

The election has been called for May 24th.

Not only is it mid week, preventing students and the like from voting in their home constituencies, but it is being held slap bang in the middle of exams.

Bertie Ahern made the announcement this morning that he was asking the President to desolve the Dail with a view of holding an election on Thursday 24th May.

Dan Sullivan has written a piece which all those politicians, especially those from Fianna Fail should be confronted on when they come a knocking.

It now appears that the department of health (which has historically dropped the ball on supports for those with disabilities) is planning to implement the same regime of charges for those with disabilities as for the pensioners in residential care. Which means they will charge disabled people for living in residential settings. And charge them out of their disabled person’s maintenance allowance. The DPMA is currently €184 per week which is less than an old age non-contributory pension and about the same as the dole. So if you are on the dole, and live away from home the state will pay you a rent supplement but if you make the same attempt to live independently as a disabled person the state will charge you for the pleasure? And, get this, the state is also planning to apply this new regime retrospectively! They are right now sending bills to the parents of people with disabilities looking for back payments. Can you frakking believe it?

Read the full post here.