The Limerick Blogger: latest Limerick news and Limerick events

The release of state records under the 30 year rule revealed that a Limerick family turned down the President’s Centenarian Bounty because they were worried that if their mother found out she was 100, it might damage her health.

The woman was under the belief that she was 93, but was infact approaching 100 when the department of Social Welfare contacted the family to make arrangements for the payment.

Records show that the daughter of the woman told the Social Welfare officer that if her mother found out that she was actually 100 years old, it would be detramental to her health.

The welfare officer gave the daughter more time to think about accepting the £50 pound bounty but still rejected it, however she later accepted it on behalf of her mother.

Today, the Centenarians bounty is worth €2,450 and is given as a gift from the President to anyone who reaches the age of 100.  Every year after that they receive a special medal, the design of which is different every year.

And finally at Number 1

Did you wait up until Oh My God o’clock to see Munster bring home the Heineken Cup again.

Tippryan did, as did hundreds more.

Following Zavvi UK’s entrance into administration on Christmas Eve, Zavvi Ireland, which has an outlet in the Crescent Shopping Centre in Dooradoyle, has entered a state of “provisional liquidation,” according to a report in Music Industry website Billboard.

Members of the public in the UK who received Zavvi Gift vouchers for Christmas found that they were unable to redeem them.  The situation may be the same in the Republic of Ireland following this move.

In all, Zavvi has 11 stores in Ireland.

The company came into existance after a management buy-out of Virgin Megastores from the Virgin Group.

Meanwhile, the future of 21 jobs at the Adams Kids branches at the Crescent and Parkway shopping centre remain uncertain as the company became the latest casualty in the economic climate we now find ourselves in.

The death of a 60 year old single man on Christmas Eve is being treated as suspicious, claims the Irish Examiner.

The deceased, Ray Mullane, was found in an upstairs room of his home on Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston on Christmas Eve.  The paper reports that a post mortem examination found a potentially fatal stab wound to the chest.  Further forensic tests were carried out at the scene and Gardai are awaiting the results of these tests.

A neighbour discovered Mr. Mullane’s remains, which may have been there for a day beforehand.  No weapon was found and there was no sign of forced entry into the house.

Mr. Mullane’s removal to Our Lady of Lourdes Church took place last night, and his funeral and burial will take place tomorrow at 1100 hrs.

Funeral Arrangements – Raymond Mullane

In at Number 2

If you had gone down to Paddy Powers and put a bet on this man being Mayor of Limerick back in May, you would be a rich man now!

Party pacts and council cliques kept the Mayoral chain just out of John Gilligan’s reach, but when the pact, and then the Labour Party, fell apart in the council, Gilligan got his chance.

Poor oul’ Liam Keane will be spending the remainder of this festive season in Cork prison after throwing a tantrum during Limerick Prison’s Christmas dinner, reports the Star newspaper.

Keane tossed his turkey, ham, roasties and mash on the floor after prison officials refused his request to “free association” with his friends in the prison.

While the rest of the inmates were mucking into their christmas pudding, Keane was on his way to Cork where he will spend the next two months as punnishment.

At Number 3

Barney the Dinosaur is a bad influence on the youth of today.  All that talk of using your imagination is getting people into trouble.

A 21 year old man is to be brought before a special sitting of Limerick District Court in relation to the fatal stabbing of a 17 year old resident of the Sarsfield Bridge Assylum Hostel in the City Centre yesterday.

The teenager died in hospital after he was injured during an altercation at the former Sarsfield Bridge Hotel at approximately 1415 hrs yesterday.

More information as we get it…

Source RTE Online.

UPDATE: A 21 year old Moroccan national has been charged with murder after yesterday’s fatal stabbing at Sarsfield Bridge.

Farah Redouane, whose address was listed as the Sarsfield Inn Hotel, was charged with the murder of 17 year old Somali national, Ali Ibraham Lal.

The court was told that Redoane was an assylum applicant and was granted free legal aid.  He was remanded in custody to appear before the district court again on January 30, 2009.

It is going to be a tennuous new year for those working in the retail industry after a number of high profile retail chains filed for adminstration.

The BBC reports that childrenswear chain, Adams Kids, which has two stores in Limerick, one at the Crescent and another at the Parkway, appointed Price Waterhouse Cooper as administrators to the chain.

The future of more staff at music store Zavvi,  is also unclear after it’s UK arm went into administration on Christmas Eve.

While Zavvi Ireland is not yet subject to administration rules, the woes of the Zavvi Group will, sooner or later, have a knock on effect.

Zavvi has an outlet in the Crescent Shopping Centre

At Number 4

Please remember that toilets in public houses are for customers only. Although, given that the bar was closed when this guy needed a pee, he probably didn’t get to see the sign or have anyone tell him this.