The Limerick Blogger: latest Limerick news and Limerick events

A letter issued by Fianna Fail county councillor Kevin Sheehan assured people in his local electoral area of “”a very definite guarantee that there will not be any people coming from Moyross or any other part of Limerick to the new council houses” in Askeaton has been accused of slurring Moyross people.

However, the Councillor remains defiant stating that his constituents are concerned about anti-social behaviour from potential tenants from other parts of the county.

The letter was sent out before the local election, despite the fact that no one houses on Church Street in the town are not even wanted by anyone from Moyross.

More from the Leader here

So, iif you are from Moyross, do you understand where Cllr Sheehan is coming from, as he has subsequently claimed, or is this just populist snobbery on his part?

Last night saw members of the Mid West Humanists and Athiest Ireland host a public meeting on the proposed blasphemy clause in the 2006 Defamation Bill, and talked about how they planned to oppose it.

The meeting was held at the Carlton Castletroy Park Hotel.

Blasphemy is a Victimless Crime from Limerick Blogger on Vimeo.

There is much consternation in the immediate neighbourhood of Clyde House, which has now become a “wet house.”

While all eyes were on the ongoing election counts, asylum seekers staying at Clyde House were moved to the former Hanratty’s Hotel on Glentworth Street, and 15 homeless people were moved into Clyde House from Bridgeland House in St. John’s Square.  This is despite the fact that promises were made to hold off on the move while a plan to accomodate the homeless people in a building on the grounds of St. Joseph’s Hospital.

The Health Service Executive initially objected to the “wet house,” a homeless shelter where sobriety is not a requirement for admission.  However, plans were afoot to rethink the HSE decision.

The matter came before City Council this week after all the lucrative committee positions had been shared out amongst the councillors.

One oof those living in the vicinity of Clyde house, who was in attendance at the meeting, noted that three councillors, Councillors Joe Leddin, Maria Byrne, and Diarmuid Scully voiced “disgust” at the move when they confronted the director of Services at Limerick City Council, Kieran Lehane.

Mr. Lehane told the councillors that the City Council merely facilitated both Novas, the operators of the wet house, and the Department of the Environment.

In a nutshell, the Department of the Environment and Novas reneged on a promise made to local residents.  That promise being not to move anyone anywhere until a further meeting had taken place.

Just some stuff to catch up on from the previous few days

• A total of seven people have been taken in for questioning in the last week in relation to the murder of Jeffrey Hannon.  Last week four people were detained and subsequently released.  Today, there is a report on the Leader website that states that three more people, two women and a man, are currently being detained under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act in relation to the murder.  Click to read
• Stiocking with the Leader, a man from Glasgow Park has been charged in relation to the seizure of over €1m worth of drugs in Galway.  click.
• The mother of an assault victim was asked by doctors treating him if she had considered donating her son’s organs, Limerick District was told.  A report in the Irish Times on the case details how the man received a severe kicking outside a city centre nightclub in November, and had to be transferred from Limerick Regional Hospital to Cork for surgury to save his life.  Full report here.

The Limerick Pride festival has been going now for a number of years, and the event now has an acompanying blog, which can be found here.  The site contains all the updates on pride events, as well as video from last year’s festival.

Limerick Pride has been added to our list of local blogs.,  If you have a blog either from or about Limerick City or County, email us a link and tell us a bit about it and we can add it to our list.  Our address is editors@limerickblogger.org

Limerick Pride takes place between September 13 and 16.

Nick Rabbitte of the Leader has a report on the Leader Website that an attempt was made to set fire to the Regeneration Office in St. Mary’s Park.

The attack is said to have taken place on Friday night. There is said to have been no damage to the building though.

There was no further details on the attack posted, other than Gardai are investigating.

We have been asked to seek the public’s help in finding a missing 7 year old cat named Fudge

Fudge went missing in Tara Cree, in the area of Kilteragh, Dooradoyle.  He is an indoor cat, and doesn’t usually go outdoors much.

He is described as a big black cat, wearing a black collar with a silver fish on it.

There is a reward on offer for his safe return.  Anyone with information can mail us at editors@limerickblogger.org.

A new foodies blofor your browsing pleasure, has been added to our list.  below is from the author of The Green Apron

It has both cooking and garden stuff

I make artisan preserves and sell them at the Milk Market on Saturdaysand we teach gardening courses at our farm in Ballingarry

The Green Apron has been added to the list of local blogs.  If you have a blog from or about Limerick City or County, drop us a mail telling us about the blog so that we can add it to our list.  Our address is editors@limerickblogger.org

Expressions of interest are being sought for those interested in participating in the 2009 Corporate Games, which, for the second year running, are to be held in Limerick later this month.  The blurb is below

Limerick is counting down to the 2009 All Ireland Corporate Games (26th – 28th June), with under 21 days to go until the start of the annual multi sport festival that invites participants from all corners of the business & sporting community to unite in the name of sport. Now in its second year in Limerick and one of 28 events worldwide, the Corporate Games is open to ‘athletes’ of all ages and abilities and despite the name is not restricted to Irish Corporations.

Marcus Bennion, Managing Director of UEM, organisers of the Games is keen to break the taboo that the Games are for the elite few saying, ‘The Games represent an opportunity for sportsmen and women of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and social circumstances to come together in one amazing weekend of sport and parties. There is nothing like sport to unite people and no one is excluded and everyone is welcome in the Corporate Games. There is enough bad news around about the economy to have us down in the dumps but what better way to raise spirits by spending a fun sporting weekend in some of Limerick’s finest sporting facilities.”

Sponsored by Lynch Hotels and supported by Shannon Development, the All Ireland Games will focus on 12 sports at UL & Adare Manor and a food and musical extravaganza at the South Court Hotel on Saturday night featuring live tribute bands the Blues Brothers Experience and one and only’ James Brown’.

Not only do the Games offer a wonderful weekend of sport they offer the chance to represent Limerick on the International Stage. Winners in the all Ireland Games gain the opportunity to represent ‘Sporting Limerick’ in the next World or European Games. The last World Corporate Games attracted in excess of 6000 participants and is the target entry that the All Ireland Corporate Games aspires to bring to Limerick in years to come.

Making an appeal to the local community to get behind the Games, Marcus Buckley added, “Our commitment to the people and the city of Limerick is to establish the Games as a permanent fixture in the sporting calendar. Other national Games rotate amongst host cities but by keeping the Games in one location they believe they can build a model that will see visitors returning year on year the games get bigger and better. The venues in Limerick are amongst the best in Europe but the success of each event is about the people who take part. To ensure the All Ireland Games continue to grow, we need a business & sporting community that shares our ambitions and is prepared to put in the effort now in order to reap the rewards in future years. I have yet to meet anybody who does not welcome the Games to Limerick but we need to build even greater participation rates amongst the local sporting community as the one thing our visiting teams love is the competitive side of going up against the ‘home team’.”

Games Director, Jeni McClellan confirmed teams from the UK, Ireland, Europe and Limerick are already entered for what promises to be yet another fantastic weekend of sport in the city, saying, ‘Despite the economic down turn many of our long term competitors are once again heading to Limerick and looking forward to the on and off field welcome. We have entries from London, Leeds, Dublin, Belfast & Paris and are looking forward to yet another good turn out from local clubs, pubs and organisations to compete against them’.

To support the ‘home team’ the All Ireland Corporate Games sponsors the South Court Hotel & Lynch Hotel Group are supporting local clubs by part subsidising their entry fees. ‘The take up has been excellent so far across the city and we hope to see the full allocation of subsidised places taken up in the next 10 days’, said David Byrne, Marketing Director, Lynch Hotel Group.

Entry forms for the 2009 Corporate games are available on www.corporate-games.com or by ringing the Corporate games hotline any time on 061 748 200

Turning to snooker,  Mario Fernandez of St Johns CYMS Club in Limerick has reached the finals of the European Snooker Championships in Antwerp.

“If he wins he will get a Main Tour professioanal spot and join the likes of Ken Doherty, Ronnie O Sullivan in the Professioanl ranks next season.”  explains Kevin McMahon, PRO of the Limerick Snooker Association.

The final takes place today, and win-or-lose, there will still be a Midwest interest as his opponent will be David Hogan from Nenagh, County Tipperary.

Some more current events blogging for your eyeballs at Limerick, Ireland, Europe and Beyond…

This blog has been added to our list of local blogs.  If you have a blog from or about Limerick City or County, drop us a mail to editors@limerickblogger.org and we will add it to our list.