The Limerick Blogger: latest Limerick news and Limerick events

Who’d have thunk Lette was the voyeuristic type :)

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When You’re Gone by Avril Lavine was the song Leanne Moore picked to sing as part of a challenge sait by the You’re A Star programme to give their own style to a song which had been in the charts in the past eighteen months.

But Leanne will not be gone this week as she escaped once again from the sing off.

The public’s determination to see either Fauve Chapman or Mairead O’Dowd booted off the show finally paid off this week as Mairead was asked to leave.

In the sing off between Fauve and Mairead, who have both been saved by the judges on a number of occasions, Fauve sang Paulo Nutini’s new shoes, while Mairead sang the Kings of Leon’s Fans.

Which is ironic, seeing as Fauve didn’t need the new shoes, and Mairead didn’t have the fans.

Southwest to west winds with mean speeds of 35 to 45 knots (65 to 85 kph) will gust 60 to 80 knots (110 to 150 kph) overnight tonight and tomorrow over Ulster, Connacht and north Leinster.
Valid from 03:00 hours Tuesday, 26-Feb-2008
until 15:00 hours Tuesday, 26-Feb-2008

For those who might be travelling tonight or tomorrow morning to be aware of possible dangerous road conditions.

If you have any reports of wind damage, or power outages, feel free to post them here for the benefit of other travellers.

The lyrics and/or performance of the songs shall not bring the Shows or the ESC as such into disrepute. No lyrics, speeches, gestures of a political or similar nature shall be permitted during the ESC. No swearing or other unacceptable language shall be allowed in the lyrics or in the performances of the songs. No commercial messages of any kind shall be allowed. A breach of this rule may result in disqualification.

Section 4, paragraph 9 of Eurovision Song Contest rules.

The controversial result reached in Limerick this weekend at the national finals of Eurosong could be voided if Dustin the Turkey’s song Irelande Douse Pointe is found to bring the contest into disrepute.

Audience members booed, and some even walked out of the University Concert Hall during Dustin’s performance of the song, which mocked Terry Wogan, who is from Limerick and is a Freeman of the city, as well as Riverdance, which is written by Limerickman Bill Whelan, who is also a freeman of the city.

The stage presentation included photographs of former Irish Eurovision winners stuck to the back of a toilet seat, while Duston sang his number from a shopping trolly.

The song also makes references to past conflicts between Ireland and Britain, referencing “800 years of strife.

In an interview with Eurovision fansite, esctoday.com, Dana Rosemary Scanlon said “I really felt it made a mockery of the competition . We’re the only country ever to be represented by a turkey in a shopping trolley.” Ms Scanlon was in Limerick on Saturday night to participate in the panel on the show.

Another panellist on the show, Louis Walshe, told the Limerick Leader that now that Dustin had been voted for the contest, he must win or he will have egg on his face. The show’s host described the booing by the crowd as bad form.

The European Broadcasting Union will not be commenting on the entry until it is officially submitted and scrutinised along with all the others at a meeting on March 17.

We are still on the look out for songs which did not make it to the final six. If you know of a you tube link, send it to limerickblogger@gmail.com

Beaten by Dustin the Turkey

Charged: A 21 year old man has been charged with the murder of 36 year old Charlie Molloy. David Bridgeman from O’Malley Park in Southill was charged with the killing which happened on Saturday. During the District Court hearing, which lasted no longer than 60 seconds, the court was told by councel for Bridgeman that a bail application would be submitted to the High Court in Dublin. He was remanded in custody to appear before the court again on Wednesday.

Granted bail: Lorraine O’Brien, the 25 year old woman charged in connection with a large seizure of heroin at Colbert Station last Wednesday, has been granted bail by the District Court, the Limerick Leader reports. Judge Tom O’Donnell had reserved judgement on bail last Thursday to allow Gardai to verify her current address. After hearing that Gardai were satisfied with her accommodation details, he remanded O’Brien in custody with concent to bail of €500 plus an independent surety of €2500. If she makes bail, she would be required to sign on at Roxboro Garda station and surrender her passport. She is due to come before the court again on Thursday.

Suspended: The planned work stoppage by Air Traffic Controllers due to take place on Thursday has been suspended. The controllers have also called a halt to pland overtime bans which were due to begin tomorrow. The work stoppage at Cork, Dublin and Shannon threatened to affect flights in and out of Ireland as well as flights flying through Irish airspace.

Two man who were accused in relation to a massive arms deal in Cork have been sent to prison after they pleaded guilty on the 11th day of their trial.

Glen Geasley, (27), from Innishmore Park in Ballincollig, and Sean Callinane, (21), from Tullamore in Co Offaly, had initially pleaded not guilty, but today the two men changed their plea to one of the charges, conspiracy to possess firearms to give reasonable inference that there were not for lawful purposes, contrary to common law.

Judge Patrick Moran of the Circuit Court in Cork, sentenced Geasley to 12 years in prison, but suspended the last five years because of his plea and that he was saving the State time and money.

Callinane was sentenced to six years, but the last three years of his sentence were suspended for the same reasons.

During opening statements in the case, the state had claimed that the two men were trying to procure weapons for members of the Limerick McCarthy-Dundon gang. The plot was foiled however when Gardai, with the co-operation of the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency infiltrated the happy group involved in the huge arms deal.

RTE has more.

A woman in her 30s has had to have surgery for a hip injury after she fell from a third floor balcony onto the second floor balcony of a ward at the Mid west regional hospital in Dooradoyle.

The woman, who was a patient at the hospital, was rushed to the Accident and Emergency department of the hospital before being sent for surgery.

The Health Service Executive have since announced that they are to carry out an investigation into the incident.

RTE has more on this.

The owners of the Crescent Shopping Centre are warning that if Limerick City Council continue with their objection to the expansion of the Dooradoyle Centre, the anchor tennan, Marks and Spencer could move it’s planned store to Galway.

This objection is a big kick in the teeth to us. We are looking to move forward with the county council. This €60 million project would create 450 full-time jobs and 300 during construction. For years M&S have been in the market trying to come into Limerick. As a strategic decision, M&S have decided they want an anchor store in the Crescent Shopping Centre. They might now decide to put their large anchor store in Galway rather than Limerick and transfer this investment to Galway

Conor Kenny, Head of Crescent owners Cloncourt Group

More in the examiner. This one is going to run and run.

Limerick City played host to the Kayak Intervarsities over the weekend, The University of Limerick Kayak Club played host to competitors from 17 different colleges from around Ireland with over 300 competitors taking part A great boost indeed to the local economy and judging by the turnout at the Curragower Falls on Sunday, a major success it has been with the large numbers of supporters in attendance.

The morning was overcast when I arrived at the Falls, there were several kayaks in water all limbering up for the Freestyle Competition, then we had a very heavy shower of sleet which sent large numbers scattering for cover including myself, it was so cold that I had to sit on my hands for 5 minutes to get the circulation going again. After 10 mins the sun started to shine through and the action commenced, the falls on the River Shannon in Limerick City are spectacular generally but more so today seeing the skill of the various competitors testing their Kayaking skills against the might of the raging torrents of water .The runs are 30 seconds long from the time one enters the feature, one would have to be at a level 3 of I.C.U proficiency to compete in this event and I can see why. It is an art in itself to come back around when your kayak capsizes in the water which I saw today. A great day of viewing and hopefully we see more events like this coming to Limerick.

It was encouraging to see all the work going on around the strand and a new slipway in construction for the Kayaks to gain access to the Curragower Falls ,it should be operational for the next event there in the foreseeable future.

Video:

A man in his 20s is in custody at Roxboro Garda Station after he presented himself to Gardai at the station following the death of a man in Carew Park.

The man who died has been named locally as Charlie Molloy, who was from Carew Park. It is now believed that he died after being assaulted.