The Limerick Blogger: latest Limerick news and Limerick events

01-01-1877 Issac Butt MP
01-01-1877 Richard O’Shaughnessy MP (Home Rule Party)
14-07-1880 Charles Stewart Parnell MP for Cork City
14-04-1884 Michael Davitt
14-04-1884 Edward Dwyer Gray (MP for County Carlow)
14-04-1884 Charles Dawson (MP for Carlow Town)
04-10-1886 William Ewart Gladstone (MP for Midlothian)
13-06-1887 William O’Brien (MP for South East Cork)
03-02-1888 George Frederick Samuel Robinson, (1st Marquess of Ripon)
03-02-1888 John Morley (MP for Newcastle on Tyne)
23-12-1889 Rgt Revd James F Corbett (Catholic Bishop of Sale, Austrailia)
08-06-1894 Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon (Countess of Aberdeen)
14-06-1894 Cardinal Michael Logue (Primate of All Ireland)
02-03-1899 Thomas James Clarke
10-05-1900 James F. Egan (Refused to bear sword for Queen Victoria’s Dublin Visit Note PDF link)
16-06-1900 Thomas Myles MD (President of the Royal College of Sergeons)
13-12-1900 Maude Gonne
20-10-1903 Andrew Carnegie (Businessman and Philanthropist donated Carnegie Library to Limerick)
02-10-1908 Joseph O’Mara (Opera Singer)
08-12-1908 Windham Wyndham-Quin* (4th Earl of Dunraven)
05-06-1909 Douglas Hyde (President of Gaelic League)
13-09-1909 Captain Edward O’Meagher-Condon
03-08-1916 Rev Dr. E.T. O’Dwyer (Bishop of Limerick)
05-09-1918 Mrs. Kathleen Clarke (Wife of Thomas Clarke, Cumann Na mBan)**
05-09-1918 Eoin MacNeill (Gaelic League)**
05-09-1918 Eamon De Valera (Sinn Fein)**
07-05-1919 Members of Irish-American Delegation to Peace Conference, Michael P. Ryan, Edward S. Dunne, Frank P. Walsh
05-08-1925 Rev Donal Mannix (Archbishop of Melbourne, Austrailia)
21-07-1928 Cardinal Willem Van Rossum (Cardinal Prefect of the Propagation of the Faith, Rome)
21-07-1928 Dr Patrick Murray (Superior-General of Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, Rome)
21-07-1928 Rev Paschal Robinson (Papal Nuncio to the Irish Free State)
21-04-1932 Rev Dr. Richard Downey (Archbishop of Liverpool)
27-02-1936 Desmond O’Brien (Honerary President of the Royal Hibernian Academy)
14-06-1937 William Griffin (Editor and publisher of the New York Enquirer)
22-03-1948 Joseph Mary Flood BL
22-03-1948 John Keating RHA
24-03-1948 Sean T. O’Ceallaigh (President of Ireland)
25-09-1953 Rev Dr. John D’Alton (Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland)
25-06-1954 Rev Gerard Patrick O’Hara (Archbishop of Atlanta USA and Papal nuncio to Ireland)
15-08-1962 Rev Cardinal Michael Browne (Bishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland)
29-06-1963 John Fitzgerald Kennedy (President of the United States of America)
25-11-1964 Dr Kenneth David Kaunda (President of Zambia)
12-04-1966 Rev Cardinal William Conway (Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland)
02-04-1970 Rev Joseph B Whelan (Bishop of Owerri)
18-08-1970 Rev Robert Wyse-Jackson (Bishop of Limerick)
01-10-1979 Pope John Paul II
01-10-1979 Rev Tomas O’Fiaich (Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland)
01-10-1979 Rev Gaetano Alibrandi (Bishop of Bindi and Papal Nuncio to Ireland)
01-10-1979 Rev Dr. Jeremiah Newman (Bishop of Limerick)
23-06-1995 G. E. Russel
23-06-1995 Dr. Brendan O’Regan
23-06-1995 Dr. Edward Walsh (Founding member, University of Limerick)
04-07-1997 John and Trudy Hunt (Donated their art collection to Limerick)
05-09-1998 William Jefferson Clinton (President of the United States of America)
04-05-2001 JP McManus

04-05-2001 Bill Whelan
21-06-2005 Fr. Aengus Finucane
21-06-2005 Fr. Jack Finucane
21-06-2005 Ciaran Mac Mathuna
15-06-2007 Sir Terry Wogan
15-06-2007 Thomas Ryan

*Was removed from the roll of Freemen in 1918, but was restored under the mayoralty of Ger Fahey in 2007

**Were given freedom of Limerick as a protest after the organisations they were members of were made illegal by the Government of the day.

Commemorations to mark the death of Sean South will take place in Limerick City on the 6th of January.

At 1345, the commemoration organised by the Limerick branch of Republican Sinn Fein will commence at Bedford Row, proceeding to the Republican plot at Mount St. Lawrences Cemetary. The orator at the commemoration will be Mr. Richard Walshe, a native of County Derry.

At 1430 hrs, the Sinn Fein commemoration will also begin at Bedford Row, and ending at the Republican Plot also. Senator Pearse Doherty will be giving to oration at this commemoration.

A new blog has been added to our “other blogs” list. KarlHungus.com

If you are big into your movies, and don’t always go for the big Hollywood blockbusters, then this will be for you. While the blockbusters do get reviewed, a visit to the site gives the opportunity to explore the less known about movies that are out there, as well as reviews of recommended international films.

Karl, who is from Galway, and is the, the blog owner, describes himself as a big hairy guy who ihas an absolutely huge interest in movies. As well as the movie blog,, Karl is responsible for the films and music section of boards.ie

Hopefully returning to my normal posting on 2nd January. However, there have been suggestions that we put all the news stuff into one post and concentrate more on more “positive” stuff about the city and County. What do you think. Continuing this format and allowing general daily discussion in them? or going back to ten posts a day?

Anyway, here are some stories for Saturday

Blackout: This week saw 6,500 homes and businesses on the northside of the city without power. Two incidents caused the blackouts. 1,500 residents of Castletroy were left in the dark after a power surge left them in the dark at 1730 hrs on Thursday. At 2300 hrs, heavy lighting activity knocked out power to over 5,000 homes in Cahirdavin on the same night. A motorist travelling from the Coonagh Shopping Centre to the City told the Limerick Leader that the streetlights went out as he was travelling, and the first place he encountered en route with lights was the Maternity Hospital. Earlier in the week, residents and business were without power in the Ballyneety and Cariconlish area were left in the dark after power failed in the area on Christmas Eve, Both Meelick and St. Mary’s Park also suffered blackouts on the same day. All the blackouts on Christmas Eve were said by the ESB to be unrelated.

No ID No Smokes: That is the lesson to be learned from another story in the City Edition of the Limerick Leader this week. 11 transactions were found to be in breach of the law by not asking a 14 year old boy, employed by the Health Service Executive, for identification after he went into the stores to purchase cigaretes. The stores were The Mill Foodstore, Reddans Spar, both in Corbally, Roxboro Stores, Shell Select in Thomondgate, and Mayes Foodstore on Parnell Street. Will Leahy, representing the Roche family, proprietors of the Roxboro Store, told the court that he was surprised the store was still open as the owners were victims of weekly intimidation He asked to court to take their unique situation into consideration, comparing the security at Roxboro Stores to that at Fort Knox. The court was told that the woman who served the teenager was the daughter of the proprietor, and was watching TV at the time she served him, and “didn’t take much notice of his appearance.” Solicitor John Devane however claimed that the woman thought he looked a lot older being six feet tall and with stubble. After being informed of the breach, the proprietors of Mayes has included a clause in his employees contract referring to the sale of cigarettes to minors. The maximum penalty for selling cigarettes to children is €3,000 or three months in prison. The sting operation occurred on April 2 of this year. The Roche family were fined €100 and ordered to pay €250 legal costs, all other defendants were fined the same but were ordered to pay the full legal cost of €750.

Programme: Behind Closed Doors
When: Sunday 2000 hrs
Channel RTE1

Documents claiming that Aer Lingus were considering setting up in Belfast will be revealed next week under the 30 year rule. The interesting thing to note is that back then, there were claims that a Belfast base would require a link to London.

Also, there were documents referring to the industrial action and subsequent closure of Ferenka in Limerick. It was claimed in these documents that the disruption to production was prolonged by inter-union rivalry.

These and other subjects will be covered in the Behind Closed Doors documentary about government documents from both Ireland and Britain, which have been made availible to the public under the 30 year rule, which allows for government papers remain secret for a period of 30 years.

Met Eireann are warning of some high to very high winds tonight and tomorrow morning, with gusts between 90 and 130 Km/h.

As is usual, we would ask those with information on wind damage, power cables fallen, or flooding and other weather related disruption to post their reports here for the benefit of other readers.

Marks and Sparks: The Limerick Leader Online reports that there could indeed be a Marks and Spencers store opening in the City Centre, as well as the proposed store at the Crescent Shopping Centre in Dooradoyle.

Double Trouble: Plans have been lodged with Limerick County Council proposing a development for Ballyneety which would double it’s population. As well as the almost 200 houses, there would be a creche and 16 commercial units included in the development. What effect such a development would have on the infrastructure of the town itself would have to be carefully examined before it could be given the go-ahead.

Peace on Earth and Good Will To All Well … not quite. A row between two families came to a head on the 27th of December after four shots were fired at a house on Hyde Road. There were as many as eight people, including children in the house, however no one was injured. There have been several instances involving those involved in the row, including an altercation between two women at a school nativity play, causing the play to be interupted, as well as a stabbing on Christmas Day.

The St. Stephens Day Run in conjunction with Caherdavin Credit Union had a large turnout this morning; this is a Limerick Open 10 Mile Road Championship event. The race began at Caherdavin Community Centre, 11am this morning. Well done to all who competed, if you want to join a local club and make a new year’s resolution to be active in 2008, then one can check out the links below for the Limerick Athletic Club or The Limerick Triathlon club.

Christmas Day 12.15 pm 2007, my second visit of the day takes me from an exciting Christmas run to the annual Christmas Day swim. It is with envy I view every year the coverage the people of Dublin get for their annual plunge ie the 40 ft on the RTE News, today I decided it was time to put that right as we have so many heroes who take the plunge in the chilled waters of the Shannon River annually.The Rendition of ” There is an Isle ” was a joy to listen to
and added to the occasion.

There is an Isle
A bonnie Isle
Stands proudly from
Stands proudly from the sea
And dearer far than all this world
Is that dear Isle
Is that dear Isle to me
It is not that alone it stands
Where all around is fresh and fair
But because, it is my native land
And my home, my home is there
But because, it is my native land
And my home, my home is there
Farewell, farewell
Though lands may meet
May meet my gaze
My gaze where e’re I roam
I shall not find
A spot so fair
As that dear Isle
As that dear Isle to me
It is not that alone it stands
Where all around is fresh and fair
But because, it is my native land
And my home, my home is there
But because, it is my native land
And my home, my home is there

What an event it turned out to be, during the week I had heard a rumour that this was it’s last year, I say “no way� the attendance today was at least 300 incredible for a Christmas Day, but more so for the brave men and women who swam today. Praise has also to be given to the Limerick Marine Search and Rescue who were on duty throughout the event keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings as they unfolded.

To all those brave men and women who braved the icy waters of the River Shannon today, well done, heroes every one of you.

Winner of the Mens’ John Ryan

Video

It’s 10.20 am Christmas Morning the 25th of December 2007 , I arrive in Rutland Street ,Limerick to see and witness a very special event that has taken place for many years due to Limerick Athletic Club and Friends.

These are very special people who could all be at home tucked up in their warm beds on this very cold frosty morning, instead they have decided to run 4 miles and donate their time to others less fortunate than us in society such as those who reside under the auspices of the Daughters of Charity in Lisnagry.

It’s the Christmas Festive Season some dress up as Santa Claus and others with Reindeer Antlers. There are different age groups; there are the serious runners, the fun runners but at the end of the morning they all come to together united in one cause to give to others on this very special day , Christmas Day.

Video :

http://www.limerickac.ie/