The Southill Voice

Southill Voice

the voice of the village

Issue 1 January 2010

Tony’s band makes ‘suite’ music

Community leader gives people hope

Local youths try tackling rugby

Pages 8 & 9

Page 7

Page 15

Hike in college students Sandra Quinn

The Minister also said that he would be calling for changes regarding the eviction of home owners who engage in the intimidation of their neighbours, but that the Courts were reluctant to intervene.

The call for holding parents responsible was also backed by the Roxboro Garda Station Superintendent Anne Marie McMahon.

“Until such time as parents are made accountable for the actions of their children, particularly young children, I think it is going to be very difficult to do anything constructive,” Supt McMahon added.

The Regeneration Agency has confirmed that a suitable area has been identified for the development of care housing for the Southside elderly residents, and that proposals for it would be submitted as part of the first phase of the Regeneration Master Plan being presented to Cabinet in March.

It is estimated that the scheme would cost in the region of €6 million to build.

OVER the last decade there has been a increase of 160 per cent in the number of Southill students attending university.

This rise coincides with the foundation of the Limerick City Based Education Initiative (LCBEI). They provide practical, financial and emotional support to people from Southill and Moyross who wish to go to university.

LCBEI was founded almost 20 years ago to provide a support network for university students from the area.

Project manager Mary Sweeney said: “the role of education is important in breaking the cycle of crime and it is the way forward”.

Former students of the programme act as mentors and role-models for primary school children and in this way encourage them to pursue college life.

LCBEI give primary school children awards focusing on the promotion of achievement, ambition, and learning.

Then in second level, the university students act as mentors, sharing their experiences with the students as well as helping in local homework clubs on a voluntary basis.

In university, LCBEI provide students with a minimal participation grant, tuition, language scholarships and free on-campus accommodation in the final year of their degree. There are also practical sessions providing guidance on study techniques, nutrition, and stress management.

One of the students who has benefitted from these services is Keith Kiely who is now doing a masters in the University of Limerick. He said: “For first year it was a great help”.

He got a lot of support in his own area and said that it made him feel that he was part of a group, as well as having a network of people to turn to for guidance.

Of the students that have gone through LCBEI, 95 per cent are now employed as solicitors, engineers, nurses, teachers and some own businesses.

 Editorial: Page 6

 Full story: Page 3 & 4

HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES: Sophie Sheehy and Lee O’Neill from Galvone National School tune their strings with Irish Chamber Orchestra violinist Muriel Carroll in preparation for a spring performance on April 27.  Full story: Page 9 Pic: Kieran Clancy

Elderly forced from homes Kerrie Kennedy

THIRTEEN elderly people and families are to be moved to Castletroy because of the anti-social behaviour they are experiencing in their Southill homes.

The Southside Regeneration Agency has confirmed that 13 apartments have been secured in the Park Village residential home for elderly victims of harassment in the Southill area.

Director of Southside Social Regeneration Brendan Hayden said that the people are being moved because they are at “very serious risk” in their current homes.

“The idea behind it is to help elderly people who are suffering and want to find some peace,” Mr Hayden said.

To date, one person has been successfully moved from her home in Keyes Park to the residential village in Castletroy.

“The abuse of that resident was so serious we felt she would have died of a heart-attack if we did not get her out when we did,” Mr Hayden said.

He confirmed that a number of elderly people from Keyes Park were interested in moving, as were three other families from Carew Park.

The move to Castletroy Park Village, which is partially funded by the Department of the Environment, will provide elderly victims of anti-social behaviour with a “safer home” that they can afford, according to Mr Hayden.

He said that moving people out was the only option as the majority of the harassment is coming from children who cannot be prosecuted.

This is due to the current law which prevents children under the age of 12 being charged for committing crimes and engaging in anti-social behaviour.

Southill parish priest Father Pat Hogan said that there is an urgent need for a change in the law regarding children under 12, and that the Health Service Executive (HSE) needs to be more proactive in helping the families of these children.

“Some of these young children start losing their way as early as eight and

nine and are wreaking havoc on the area, they badly need direction,” Fr Hogan said.

“The current law needs to be changed so that these children or their parents are held responsible for their actions and the HSE must be more proactive locally in working alongside the parents of these children because they desperately need help,” Fr Hogan added.

The Southill parish priest said that moving elderly residents to Castletroy is only a temporary measure until the Regeneration Agency builds them more suitable homes nearer to Southill.

“The people who are leaving are the salt of the earth and have been the backbone of the Southill community for over four decades,” Fr Hogan said.

Defence Minister Willie O’Dea said that he would be pushing for a change in the law regarding the prosecution of children under 12.

“I will be talking to the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern about the possibility of holding parents responsible for the acts of their children,” Minister O’Dea added.

news

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Issue 1 January 2010

V

The oice of the Village Editor’s Choice Mothers going it alone SINGLE mother Sarah McNamara tells The Southill Voice why she and her five-year-old daughter Amy love their lives together and how she copes as a lone parent living in the  Page 5 area.

News Keyes Park to be razed DIRECTOR of Social Regeneration in Limerick’s Southside Brendan Hayden has said this week that Keyes Park has degenerated so much in the last four years that the only  Page 10 option now is to knock it.

Features Bingo back with a bang A NEW community based bingo night in the local area centre is aiming to bring older residents back into the heart of the community.

The bingo is proving a big success and runs  Page 10 every Friday night at 8pm.

Sport Shaping up for big run LIMERICK native and Irish international athlete Rosemary Ryan is helping a group of local women train for the inaugural ‘Great Limerick Run’ taking place in the city this  Page 14 May.

Editorial Staff This newspaper was produced by students from the Graduate Diploma/MA in Journalism course at the University of Limerick.

MA in Journalism Course Director: Editorial supervisors:

News Editor: Chief Sub-Editor: Sports Editor: Pictures Editor: Graphic Designer: Reporters:

Mary Dundon Dr Michael Mulqueen Tom Felle Dr Mark Wehrly

Fiona Maher Hannah O’Brien Stephen Kelly Nadene Ryan Colin McGann Jen Mullane, Kerrie Kennedy, Sandra Quinn, Eoghan O’Sullivan, Fiona Kearney, Tommy Crean, Suzanne O’Brien, James Enright, Danielle Nolan, Aisha Chukwuma, Darren Keegan, Miriam Walsh

Printing:

Limerick Leader

the southill voice

Garda boss: Parents should be accountable for troubled teens Fiona Maher

THE SUPERINTENDENT in charge of the Roxboro Garda district, Anne Marie McMahon, has said that parents need to be held accountable for acts of anti-social behaviour in which their children engage.

Supt McMahon said a small minority of children in the district, which includes Southill, were causing difficulties.

“Where there are breaches of the criminal law we can absolutely take action but for other cases where the children are under that age category I think that the parents should be made accountable and brought to book,” said the superintendent.

“Until such time as parents are made accountable for the actions of their children, particularly young children, I think it’s going to be very difficult to do anything constructive,” she said.

“For the most part parents are terribly responsible and know where

Superintendent of Roxboro Garda Station, Anne Marie McMahon.

Pic: Courtesy of Limerick Leader

their children are but some - a small minority - do let them off the leash and this leads to a lot of difficulties for the guards and people living in the area,” she added.

Supt McMahon said that community gardaí had done great work in their

areas and the success of gardaí in the fight against crime had been due to “very proactive policing strategies” in all areas in the city.

She urged those residents who were victims of anti-social behaviour to report their concerns to gardaí and to feel reassured that those responsible would be dealt with.

“There has been over the years a lot of concern over the security of the Garda radio system and we are getting a new system, called the Tetra system, which will be up and running in February and that should provide some comfort to people who are ringing in,” said the superintendent.

Gardaí are currently in training to operate the new system, which is intended to provide secure communication between gardaí on patrol and their stations. “The introduction of the new radio system next month meant that it was no longer possible to eavesdrop on reports made to gardaí and on the people who had made them,” she added.

Walking group heads to the hills to raise funds for Trócaire Darren Keegan

A GROUP of hillwalkers from Southill have to date raised more than €13,000 in aid of Trócaire and have plans to increase that figure in 2010.

Last year the walkers, who included Southill Parish Priest Fr Pat Hogan and the CEO of Trócaire, Justin Kilcullen, grappled with the Galtee Mountains and Croagh Patrick in aid of the charity. This year they plan to revisit those challenges and more.

The idea first came about following previous fundraising events organised through the Holy Family Parish Church in Southill, when a small group set its sights on climbing the Galtee Mountains on Easter Monday.

Fr Hogan, with a group of 35 people, tackled the mountains in glorious sunshine and were led by experienced hillwalking guides Jim Larkin and John O’Neill from Limerick City.

“The great thing about it was that for a lot of the people, particularly the Southill people, they had never before had an opportunity to climb mountains in their lives.

“They had never done anything like this and it gave them a great psychological lift,” he said.

The Southill hillwakers on one of their excursions.

“Physically it was tough going and even though everyone wasn’t very fit we made it to the top of each challenge.

“I found it a very rewarding experience myself and we are all looking forward to getting out again in the spring,” he told The Southill Voice.

A trip to Brandon had to be cancelled last year due to inclement weather, but the group are determined to visit the

Courtesy: Limerick Leader

area again in the coming months.

“We will be doing it again this year in April and plan to head for the Galtees first,” Fr Hogan said.

“It’s a great way of reaching out to people. Participating in things that everyone enjoys brings us all together.

“It is very rewarding to see people from an urban region benefit from the experience of exploring nature, especially a mountain area,” he added.

New all-weather pitch to be rolled out in the spring Miriam Walsh

LIMERICK City Council is expected to begin construction of a new MultiUse Games Area (MUGA) in Southill this spring.

The sports facility will be funded under the Revitalising Areas by Planning Investment and Development (RAPID).

RAPID co-ordinator for the Southside Niall Flaherty said the project has been given a budget of €50,000.

The MUGA pitch will have facilities for soccer and basketball among other sports and is aimed at children and teenagers from aged eight upwards.

The MUGA pitch will be located in the green area outside the Southill Area Centre and will be run in co-operation

with the centre.

RAPID is a focused government initative which targets disadvantaged areas throughout Ireland.

There are three RAPID branches in Limerick based in the Southside, the Northside and the city centre.

Mr Flaherty added that RAPID is a strategic project that works with community groups to provide assis-

tance to improve social and physical environment.

Community, rural and gaeltacht affairs Minister Éamonn Ó Cuív said that participation and ownership of local associations were at the heart of local communities. “Members of the community have the best understanding of how to address their own issues in the most effective way.

“This Government is as committed as ever to supporting the most deprived, vulnerable and socially excluded communities in our country. This is a priority.

“We will continue to tackle social disadvantage in the only way that works in the long-term: positive action and strong community involvement,” he added.

the southill voice

news

Issue 1 January 2010

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Kenny presses Cabinet for €26m fund Kerrie Kennedy

Regeneration chief Brendan Kenny

THE HEAD of the Limerick Regeneration Agency, Brendan Kenny, has said that the agency is putting pressure on the Government to confirm the exact budget that will be given to fund regeneration projects this year.

This comes in the wake of the Cabinet’s agreement in December to fully support the first phase of the Regeneration Master Plan, which Mr Kenny confirmed is on track to be submitted

by March.

Mr Kenny said he believed that a similar budget to last year’s €26 million would be provided, but if not, a

review of the master plan would need to be considered.

“I am very hopeful that when we do present the first phase of proposals in March the Government will provide some of the budget, and we would hope then that additional funding will be made available at that stage,” Mr Kenny said.

“Without an approved budget we will still proceed, but the question will be do we proceed on the same line as we have been or do we need to bring it to a different level?” he added.

However, Mr Kenny added that it was vital to start reducing the traditional dependency on funding by the Govern-

ment, and that as part of the first phase proposals the Government will look into opportunities for tax incentives to entice private investment.

Defence Minister Willie O’Dea told The Southill Voice that proposals for these incentives were currently under consideration by the Department of Finance, but could not say whether they would be ready to be included in this year’s Finance Bill.

The minister said that he was doing the best he could to push for additional funding for Limerick Regeneration.

“If proposals for the Regeneration Master Plan are to be implemented then we will have to be provided with

more money,” he said.

As part of the first phase of the master plan Mr Kenny confirmed that the site identified for the beginning of Southside physical regeneration would be at the back of the Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership (LEDP), and that discussions regarding its use within the community were currently under way.

“People have expectations from us and they need to start seeing something happening, and we are coming into that view ourselves.

“We are getting great political support but we need actual approval to get things going,” Mr Kenny said.

Support schemes awaken student’s college ambitions Keith Kiely made the progression to third-level education with the help of local support programmes. He spoke with Sandra Quinn about his experience at UL. KEITH KIELY from Southill has gone through college with the support of the Access and Limerick City Based Education Initiative (LCBEI) schemes and believes that both contributed to his academic success.

He did a degree in English and History, is currently studying for a Master’s in International Studies and plans to start a doctorate in political science next year.

He believes that the support from LCBEI acted like a safety net and prepared him fully for life outside the home. He found the budgeting advice especially helpful, because when you are in first year you do not know how to manage your money. “At the start you are spending more than you are bringing in,” he said.

“The young people in the area are not just normal kids, but people who are driven to make something of themselves,” Keith said.

“It is almost like a reaction against

what they see, these kids have ambition and want to do something worthwhile with their lives,” Keith said.

In the Census of 2006 it was revealed that 43 per cent of parents in the area finished their formal education at primary level. “For a long time college was the least attractive option,” he said, but now it is the way forward and for many it is the way out.

Keith said that making the decision to go to UL was the “most productive and best investment” he ever made.

Being from a socially disadvantaged area should not stifle a student’s chance at going to university and making the most out of their life, Keith added.

University life is well worth pursuing, it can change you for the better, inspire you, and will “probably be the best four years of your life and you’ll have a great laugh,” he said.

“No matter who you are or what you are doing, you could have the ability to go to college,” Keith added.

Top Student: Southill man Keith Kiely who is studying for a Masters in International Studies at the University of Limerick.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

Awards honour community spirit Kerrie Kennedy

Jonathan Kelly presents Mary Kelly with an award for helping the local youth at the Garda Diversion Awards.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

The youth of Southill have been proving that community spirit is not only alive and well, but that dedication to bringing out the best in themselves is also at an all-time high.

As part of the Garda Youth Diversion Project, 35 young people were recently presented with awards that recognised their achievements in the areas of sport, computers and personal development.

Youth Justice worker Kelly O’Keeffe said that all that was needed was a little effort to unlock the massive potential of the area.

“We approach these kids with a nonjudgmental attitude and provide a space for them away from trouble. The response has been great,” she said.

Among the recipients for awards, which were presented by rugby star Alan Quinlan at a special ceremony

in the Maldron Hotel, Limerick, were Jonathan Kelly (18) for his work in the community and Keith Curtin (15) who organised a soccer memorial for murdered teen Richard ‘Happy’ Kelly last summer.

Jonathan, who took part in the programme when he was 12 and now works with Southill Outreach, said: “The project helped me out so now I am helping out the project.”

Awards for personal development and leadership were also presented to Thomas Power (17) and Larry Touhy (16).

A special award was presented to Garda Mark O’Mahony for being Southill’s Community Garda of the Year, and another went to After-School Project worker Mary Kelly in recognition of the kindness she had shown to the boys of the area.

Mrs Kelly, mother of ‘Happy’ Kelly, said that the difference in the young peoples’ attitudes since taking part in

the diversion project was immense.

“They needed to see that they had a place in society and a chance to be treated as equals - now they have that.

“It has helped build good relations with the gardaí and now the kids have a sense of belonging. You can see the respect that they give back,” Mrs Kelly said.

The diversion project, which caters for young people between the ages of 12 and 18, aims to provide a diversion from crime by promoting positive behaviour and by providing opportunities to learn new skills.

However, Ms O’Keeffe believes that more should be done to provide a positive atmosphere and role models for children under the ages catered for in the project.

“I really think that Youth Justice needs to go below the age of 12 as patterns of behaviour are well developed by then,” she added.

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news

Issue 1 January 2010

the southill voice

Haven offers an escape from worldly woes Holistic treatment eases patients’ pain Catherine Kett and her daughter, Stacy, are regular visitors to Southill’s Complementary Health Centre and have reaped the benefits. While they are no longer residents in Southill they can still avail of the service.

Catherine had been suffering from chronic stomach pain since last Christmas. Her stomach was swollen and she suffered discomfort whenever she ate. She went to the clinic for Reiki treatments, with Damhnait, and they identified the blockage. She was then able to treat the effected area using the Bio-Resonance machine.

After just a couple of days, Catherine said, both the pain and the swelling were gone.

She was so pleased with the treatment that she took part in the Reiki training course at the centre, and she has since been able to treat herself as well as friends and family. “Stacy was complaining of a sore throat one morning. I did a Reiki session on her and the pain

Healing Hands: Damhnait Ní Riordain, Journey Therapist, with Stacy Kett at Complementary Health Centre, Southill. Pic: Kieran Clancy

Nadene Ryan

There is a haven, a place of peace and sanctuary at the Family Resource Centre in O’Malley Park, Southill.

The Complementary Health Centre was set up 10 years ago to serve the community by offering holistic healing treatments so that clients can regain balance physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The centre, which is the only one of its kind in the Midwest, is run by Maura O’Connor, qualified nurse and complementary practitioner who strongly believes in the benefits of complementary treatments.

She is a member of the Federation of Irish Complementary Therapy Association (FICTA), and a founding member of the Institute of Complex Homeopathy.

Her colleague Damhnait Ní Riordan is a credited Journey therapist and Reiki practitioner.

Their services have attracted 1,300 clients to the centre in 2009 alone.

The treatments, which are free to the local people, include Bio-Resonance

testing, Reiki, Aurosoma, Indian Head Massage, and Psychosomatic healing using the Brandon bay’s Journey process, a spiritual process aimed at uncovering and healing emotional blocks. Complementary medicines and tonics are also on offer for each individual ailment.

“I love coming here, I find the centre brilliant,” said Tanya, a Southill woman who attends the centre regularly. “The Bio-Resonance helps with any aches and pains I have. I feel so relaxed when I come out.”

Tanya’s niece, Erica (17), has also found the treatments beneficial. “She had been depressed and suffered from low energy; the Reiki is really helping her,” Tanya continued.

A 43-year-old man from Carew Park credits the centre for the alleviation of his kidney trouble.

“I took a Bio-Resonance test and I was lucky that I did because I received homeopathic remedies for my kidney function,” he said.

“My creatinine levels in my kidneys were high but after taking the remedies for about a month I had my

blood tested again and they had fallen considerably.”

He added: “The centre is really a fantastic place and to have it right in the middle of Southill is amazing. I will definitely be going there again.”

Co-ordinator of the Family Resource Centre, Jim Prior, believes that this service is invaluable.

“It allows local people, who are experiencing a lot of problems, to have an hour to themselves where they can just forget everything,” he said.

“There’s a knock-on effect too. We find that parents will leave here much more relaxed than when they came in. Then when they get home to their family, they tend to be to be more aware and happy.”

The staff and volunteers at the Family Resource Centre have built strong relationships with the local people and, according to Maura, everybody comes back: “Clients know the centre to be a place that offers unconditional support, enabling so many to come to terms with their personal and physical problems.”

eased, she was then able to go to school.

“It’s a great method of healing, rather than taking antibiotics which can weaken the immune system.”

Catherine also explained how the “Journey” treatment helped Stacy. “She had been experiencing fear and anxiety, so much so that she did not want to go to school.

“The process of going back to her childhood and dealing with past fears really helped Stacy, she has become a lot calmer and has adjusted well in school.”

“She is doing things she would not have done before now, like hip-hop and free-style dancing.

“Every community should have a centre like this. They offer a follow-up service too. Damh nait will call us to check our progress and to see if we would like to come in for a treatment. I think a lot more people should use this holistic approach,” she added.

“Every community should have a centre like this.”

Bio-Resonance practitioner Maura O’Connor.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

CAO programme provides college opportunities for locals Sandra Quinn

A NEW programme that aims to help students from socially disadvantaged areas to get into third-level education will be available through this year’s online CAO college application.

The programme will be launched next month by Access – an organisation that provides financial, emotional, and academic assistance to those who come from low-income families.

The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) will allocate university places on a reduced-points basis to students who come from disadvantaged back-

grounds.

Students filling in the CAO application can select the option to apply through Access and will be directed to the HEAR site for questions about family income, employment status of parents or guardians and schools attended. Suitable applicants must be eligible for the higher education grant, their parents or guardians must have a valid medical card, and they must satisfy two other criteria relating to their social and cultural backgrounds.

The application process is confidential, can be done in the privacy of

your own home and is straightforward and discreet.

Applications must be submitted online at www.cao.ie before February 1 in order to be considered. All supporting documentation must then be forwarded to the appropriate Access office by April 1, 2010.

The Access office in the University of Limerick runs a library service where course books may be borrowed and photocopying is free. There is also a tutoring service, and they operate an open door service allowing students to pop in for informal chats whenever they need to talk.

The staff members are always willing to help with any problems; from not knowing how to budget to thinking about dropping out, Access is there to help.

“We want everyone to get a chance at their education,” said UL Access Officer Deirdre O’Connor.

Students who do not get the points they need can opt for the Access to University Course which is free and runs for 13 weeks in the spring of the following year.

Students study modules focusing on academic and social development preparing them for college life, as

well as studying a module from their chosen degree course. Upon successful completion they are guaranteed entry into their chosen course.

This year’s programme will run from January 25 - April 30 and the deadline for the following year will be November 12, 2010, (subject to change).

Information on eligibility and application procedures for both programmes can be found on www.access college.ie, by emailing access@ul.ie or by contacting the UL office at 061 213104. Alternatively freetext your question to UL at 50050.

the southill voice

news

Issue 1 January 2010

Southill’s single mothers strive to build 'normal' family lives Sarah McNamara: “I believe the mother can do the parenting job of both parents.”

Fiona Kearney

Sarah McNamara has lived in Southill all her life and continues to do so with her mother and five-year-old daughter Amy. Sarah is the primary carer of her child while Amy’s father, who is not from Southill, only sees his daughter every second weekend.

The 23-year-old Southill woman, like a lot of the young mothers in her area, takes her responsibility as a mother seriously and to her knowledge the majority of families there are headed by single parents.

She believes in the traditional roles of the father as disciplinarian and the mother as nurturer. Due to the absence of a permanent father-figure in her household, Sarah feels she has to be “good guy and bad guy”.

Sarah trusts in her own parenting skills, however, and insists that a family unit where the child is growing up without a father in the household can work perfectly well. She believes that this will not have a socially negative impact on the child.

“I believe the mother can do the parenting job of both parents and I think that Southill is being stereotyped because only a small percentage of people in Southill have a history of anti-social behaviour,” she said.

Director of Regeneration in the Southside of Limerick, Brendan Hayden, believes that anti-social behaviour can indeed stem from an unstable family background but not necessarily from a single parent situation.

He says: “I am aware of many incidences of anti-social behaviour involving young children where a father and mother are part of the household.”

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Parenting: The facts

• Almost two-thirds of all family units are made up of lone-parent households.

This is almost three times the State average.

• Of all households, 94 per cent are headed by a female compared to 6 per cent by a male.

• All of the regeneration areas in Limerick are above the state average for population of young people aged 0-24.

• Southill has a very high percentage of young mothers with 16.5 per cent aged under 20. This is quadruple the figure for Limerick as a whole.

• Of all the children living in Southill, more than half come from loneparent households.

Sarah McNamara and her daughter Amy at their Southill home.

Officials working in the area say they are not aware of any single fathers living in Southill with the sole responsibility of raising their children.

Sarah believes that the fathers in the area do not take enough responsibility in putting their children first.

“Fathers can get up and walk away from the situation and the girl is left with the child, so the girl has no choice but to be a lone parent.

“The reason is that many young girls have unprotected sex. I think this is because of the high unemployment which leads to lack of education, therefore

people are unaware of consequential sexual acts.”

She added that “drug abuse, alcohol and a lack of parenting knowledge” also contribute to the high percentage of young mothers.

Sarah said she would like to see proper childcare provisions to allow for the parent to return to education and work.

She said, however, that the facilities that are in place are really helpful and beneficial to young mothers.

The regeneration of Southill has introduced the Family Resource Centre,

Pic: Kieran Clancy

the local community centre and the school which all provide help and support.

Sarah attends the Family Resource Centre about twice a week where other young mothers and members of the community can meet to socialise and use the facilities available.

Mr Hayden added: “In many council estates across the country there is a high percentage of single-parent households, and while they can struggle, the vast majority of these parents raise good families and have normal lives.”

• The poverty rate among lone-parent families rose by 5 per cent from 2005 to 2006.

• The national poverty rate is 6.9 per cent, indicating that the poverty rate for one-parent families is more than four times that of the population as a whole.

- Sources: 2006 Census Figures, HSE Limerick Compiled by Fiona Kearney

School drop out rate decreases dramatically Miriam Walsh

Just two out of 350 children involved in a programme to combat early school leaving in Southill quit school in 2008.

The Southill School Completion Programme, set up to target early school leaving, works in conjunction with local schools and community groups.

“We keep a sharp eye on our target groups and if the schools are finding that the children aren’t coping and they are at risk of leaving school, we do try and find alternatives,” said programme co-ordinator Orla McLoughlin.

The programme runs activities such as homework clubs, breakfast clubs and extra-curricular activities including arts and crafts, dance, soccer and basketball.

Poor school attendance, peer group association, low literacy and numeracy levels and behavioural and emotional difficulties are all factors that can lead

to early school leaving in the Southill area, according to Ms McLoughlin.

“Contrary to popular belief, there are very few children out of school in Southill, due to an increased education support system in the area.

“If they are out of school we link in immediately with the visiting teacher for the Travelling Community, the home schools, the National Education Welfare Board and also refer the children to Youth Outreach and the Limerick Youth Service,” she said.

The programme employs three fulltime and three part-time staff along with various individual programme co-ordinators who facilitate the extra-curricular activities and programmes.

It also runs activities during the midterm and summer holidays including discos, day-camps and breaks abroad.“Every year is different and we try new flavours and themes to give the children diversity in the programme,” she added.

Southill teenagers receive their certificates from Munster rugby star Alan Quinlan at the Limerick South City Youth Initiative ceremony at the Maldron Hotel, Limerick .  See full story on page 3.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

The Southill Voice

January 2010

Time for action on anti-social youths SOUTHILL parish priest, Fr Pat Hogan has this week called on the Government to take immediate action to tackle the escalating problem of anti-social behaviour in his community.

This follows the revelation by The Southill Voice that 13 local elderly people and families are to be moved to Castletroy because of the anti-social behaviour and harassment that they are currently experiencing.

The Southside Regeneration Agency has secured 13 apartments in Castletroy for these elderly people because they are at “serious risk” in their own homes.

And the most alarming aspect of this story is that perpetrators of this antisocial behaviour are children as young as eight and nine years of age.

These youths are forcing Southill’s elderly and vulnerable to move out of their homes by using a range of tactics including verbal and mental abuse, breaking windows, damaging property and stealing cars.

Currently, children under the age of 12 cannot be charged for engaging in anti-social behaviour or committing crimes. The Gardaí can only operate within the scope of legislation and are powerless to reprimand young children who break the law.

Fr Hogan has said there is urgent need to change the current law so that these young children and their parents are held accountable for their actions.

And he wants the Health Service Executive (HSE) to be more proactive in helping the families of these children.

The Southill parish priest first called for action to be taken against children engaging in anti-social behaviour more than two years ago when he drew national attention to this problem.

Since then Limerick Regeneration Agency Chief Executive Brendan Kenny has also backed this call and appealed to the Government to change the law regarding children under 12.

And this week the Superintendent at Roxboro Garda Station, Anne Marie McMahon, has also said that parents should be made accountable for the actions of their children.

Why has it taken our local Defence Minister Willie O’Dea two years to tackle such a serious problem in his constituency’s largest housing estate?

Minister O’Dea has pledged to talk to his Cabinet colleague, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern, about the “possibility” of holding parents responsible for the acts of their children.

More than four decades ago when local Fianna Fáil Minister Donagh O’Malley turned the first sod on the Southill estate it was clear that this social housing project was not going to work because of poor planning.

The majority of the people in Southill are hardworking and law abiding and very proud of their families and homes.

They have been neglected by successive governments over the past four decades. They deserve more than rhetoric from Minister O’Dea now if the cancer that is destroying their community is to be eradicated.

It is time for decisive action – not ministerial lip service.

Education standards improving THE LIMERICK City Based Education Initiative (LCBEI) has done trojan work in helping disadvantaged students from Southill and Moyross to get into university and college for almost two decades.

The group provides practical, financial and emotional support for hundreds of students who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to progress to further study. The work of the group is laudable: it supports young people from primary education through secondary and on to third level.

This is allowing students from disadvantaged areas access education and it levels the playing field when it comes to affording often expensive third level courses. Even more laudable is the commitment of the students.

Many give back to their community by participating in homework clubs and school visits.

According to statistics, there has been an increase of 160 per cent in the number of students from the area attending third level in the last eight years - and the number going to college has jumped from just five 20 years ago to 66 this year.

However, many more students from disadvantaged areas fall between the cracks, drop out of school early, or get involved in anti-social behaviour and criminality. These often weaker and, in some cases more difficult and troubled teenagers, need education as well, be it through stay-in-school programmes or vocational courses. A lot has been achieved by initiatives such as the LCBEI, but more needs to be done to ensure access to education for all.

President Mary McAleese launching the Vision Document for the Regeneration of the Moyross and Southill estates in January 2008, with (left to right) Regeneration Agency Chairman John Fitzgerald, Regeneration Agency Chief Executive Brendan Kenny and Limerick City Manager Tom Mackey.

Pic: Kieran Clancy.

Give the people of Southill back their basic human rights THE MAJORITY of people living in Southill are good law abiding people who have worked hard over the past 40 years to raise their families and to buy out their own homes.

But now they find that their homes are worth very little because of the escalating anti-social behaviour and criminal activities of a small group of people – some of these people live outside the area and seem to be above the law and untouchable.

The ordinary decent people of Southill have lost their basic human rights.

The United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.” (Article 5) As a supporter of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Irish Government has a responsibility to ensure that the people of Southill are not subjected to “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”.

Thirteen elderly local people and families who were subjected to extreme anti-social behaviour and intimidation in recent months have applied for rehousing outside of Southill.

Children as young as nine or 10 are engaging in anti-social behaviour and targeting the elderly in particular.

Some elderly people have been verbally abused and had their windows broken. Others were burnt out of their homes.

Local residents who witness crimes are afraid to come forward because if they did they would have to leave their homes. This has already happened to one particular family.

The gardaí can only work within the limits of our current laws and at the moment they have no powers to do anything with these young children.

The law needs to be changed to make these children responsible for their actions.

“

Southill has moved on and is making progress in small ways that no one would have thought possible a few years ago.

”

And the law also needs to be changed to deal with people who are causing trouble in Southill and engaging in anti-social behaviour.

At the moment, local authorities can only seek the eviction of a family or person for anti-social behaviour if they are tenants of the local authority.

But the main families and criminal gangs who are causing trouble in South-

ill actually own their own homes and Limerick City Council has no power to seek their eviction.

Our two local Ministers – Willie O’Dea and Peter Power – must make a change in this law also a priority.

When President Mary McAleese launched the Vision Document for the Regeneration of Southill two years ago the local community had great hopes for a better future.

Through my work in the community, I have seen some positive changes since the Regeneration Agency has come on board. Some families have started to engage with agencies and a lot of facilities are up and running and being used by the children.

Southill has moved on and is making progress in small ways that no one would have thought possible a few years ago. This is happening through resident-led community groups, training and resources. One of these included and outreach training programme in the University of Limerick.

But Regeneration will not work until a multi-agency approach is taken to tackling our problems and local people are given a say in how their services are planned and delivered.

We want genuine engagement – not just a talking shop to keep people happy and quiet. It is only by listening to the experiences and ideas of local communities that we will find solutions which will make a lasting difference.

• Mary Higgins is a Community Officer for O’Malley and Keyes Parks

the southill voice

profile

Issue 1 January 2010

Southill parish priest Fr Pat Hogan in the Holy Family Parish Church in Southill.

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Pic: Kieran Clancy

Community hero paints picture of hope Darren Keegan

ON A COLD December morning on the week before Christmas, frost covered the car park of the Holy Family Parish Church in Southill. The nearby homes, looking down upon their local Church, bore Christmas decorations and twinkling lights faintly discernable in a cold fog. Inside was Fr Pat Hogan, parish priest of Southill and a man well known to those from the area and further afield.

Fr Hogan is mostly known to those outside his parish as the priest selflessly fighting for the betterment of community life in Southill.

Once the author of a scathing letter to Limerick City Council, accusing them of “despising their own citizens,” Fr Hogan does not have a reputation as a shrinking-violet or as someone who might shy away from the difficult issues concerning his parish. He plays a crucial role in the driving force behind the epicentre of community life in Southill and is faced with a task that few would have the bravery or selfdetermination necessary to confront.

Immediately warm and engaging in person, Fr Hogan contradicts the image of a passionately outspoken and driven man. Instead he is a carefully deliberative and unassuming individual, who chooses his words carefully and is adamantly focused not on the achievements or failings of yesterday, but rather upon the potential of tomorrow.

Standing tall and burly, Fr Hogan strikes one as a man who is no stranger to physical work and a

sore back or dirt under fingernails.

His physical presence is a paradox when it is inimitably combined with the soft-spoken and charming character that inhabits it. Coming from a farming background in Dromcollogher, Fr Hogan took with him an ethic of hard-work and a distinct sensibility that the work is never finished and never ceases. But it also fostered in him a deep-rooted appreciation of nature: “A love for the colour and vibrancy of the natural world.”

But, as the bucolic world of a rural environment is inhabited by nature, its opposite is inhabited by people and Fr Hogan cherishes his experiences with the good people who surround him and have occupied his life.

When one charts Fr Hogan’s experiences and work in his 30 years as a priest, it is difficult not to wonder where he draws his motivation from. The answer to this is simple – people.

Ordained in 1979, Fr Hogan has travelled to India and Nigeria, as well as serving as Chaplain of Limerick Prison before coming to Southill. In Limerick Prison Fr Hogan learned that “there are two sides to every story,” while in Calcutta he gleaned that “life’s problems are the same there as at home, but just on a much bigger scale.”

A self-confessed workaholic, Fr Hogan is selfless in his endeavours to promote a better standard of community life in Southill.

However, while he focuses always on the positive, he recognises the anti-social behaviour and crime

“

Southill has a bad name, but the truth is that there are some of the most extraordinary people living here ... and they are the silent majority. They give you lessons about charity and generosity and in watching out for one another.

”

which has tainted the reputation and good name of his parish. It is a source of great upset to him that the negatives are so easily amplified, while the remarkable work of the self-determined citizens of Southill is often glossed over, or sometimes devoid of a voice or media attention completely.

“It is true that Southill has a bad name, but the truth is that there are some of the most extraordinary people living here ... and they are the silent majority.

“They give you lessons about charity and generosity and in watching out for one another. The really sad thing is that the people who once lived here and have left, or were forced out, have often later met me and told me they loved living in Southill and miss the community.”

He sees the problems related to Southill as the folly of Limerick City Council, who have failed to stand up to the challenges and express the will necessary to tackle them. Instead, he says that the problem has festered, like an infected wound left untreated.

“Cities are like living organisms,” Fr Hogan says, “and when decay is not confronted it spreads.

“The media has created many myths about Southill. It only contributes to the problems. There is an extraordinary number of great people here doing great work.”

Fr Hogan’s enthusiasm for life and the outdoor world is contagious and it is an interest he has brought to many people.

He is regularly involved in organising events such as hill-

walking expeditions and outdoor pursuits for people living in built-up and inner-city areas.

On a deeper, metaphysical level, Fr Hogan believes that the lack of greenery and nature in peoples’ lives – people who through no fault of their own are trapped in a seemingly inescapable urban environment – are, to some degree, a contributing factor to the anti-social behaviour plaguing cities and large towns.

He describes this as a “colour deficit,” which he characterises as the lacking or need for greenery and colour of the natural world in the lives of people denied the opportunity to immerse themselves in it.

“Grey walls and barriers surround the children here. One wonders what affect it must have on them and a chance to escape it and recharge the batteries in nature can make a big difference.” In his unique way, Fr Hogan says, with tangible pleasure that he has: “gotten into the groove of living here now.”

It is clear that the people of Southill, his people, are the very source of what motivates his efforts to better the lives of those around him. It would be impossible for Fr Hogan to ever sit on his laurels or to retire from his work, as he inherently knows the work never stops and there is always potential to improve communication between the different strata of his community.

He is proud of the good work of those around him and is proud to have found himself a member of the community of Southill; a small neighbourhood where he sees great potential in people and place.

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features

Issue 1 January 2010

Boland’s diamonds bring sparkle to O’Malley Park Danielle Nolan

THE children behind the glitzy costumes and enthralling stage routines of Bijeu School of Dance mirror the hard work and dedication school founder Leonie Boland has put into her job.

The school formed in 2007 after Ms Boland (who has been dancing since she was three) saw a group of young girls smoking on the street in Southill when she was returning from a friend’s house. Her aim was to bring something new and exciting to the O’Malley Park area in which she grew up.

She originally started with six dancers, training them for three months before entering them into their first competitive competition in the South Court Hotel in 2007. She said: “I was so proud of them, all their hard work really paid off. Then after that other dancers and kids started coming to my classes and they started to grow by the weeks and months.”

The school has had a positive impact in the Southill area, with members as young as three taking part in the dance classes and competitions.

Dance is not a form for Leonie Boland; it is a way of life. The sheer love and passion she puts into her dance school is expressed by the energy and talents of her young dancers.

“One of my best memories of the school was back in May when I passed my teachers’ exam in Blackpool and all my class sat waiting to hear if I had

passed, and they all came running at me,” said Ms Boland.

“I don’t get a wage which is fine because I love being a teacher and I didn’t really open the school to make money,” she added.

The Sports Partnership has worked alongside Ms Boland with the development of her school and helped organise fundraising events to keep the school running.

The name Bijeu, which means sparkling diamond, originated from Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge. The school certainly has an abundance of its own sparkling diamonds that are sure to shine in the future of dance.

Ms Boland has high hopes for her pupils: “There is one boy in the class who is brilliant and a few other kids who are going to make it big,” she said.

The school has a student teacher working with Ms Boland and a gymnastics teacher who teaches one day a week to improve the dancer’s flexibility, which is an essential element in their dance routines.

With the regeneration of Southill underway Bijeu School of Dance has lifted the ambition of young people in the area, giving them the opportunity to express themselves in a positive manner.

Dance classes are held in the Southill Area Centre on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5.30pm to 8.30pm, and include hip-hop, freestyle, ballet and gymnastics.

the southill voice

the southill voice

features

Issue 1 January 2010

Arts come alive in Southill

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Students ‘Sing out with Strings’ Three schools take part in initiative to develop music appreciation Suzanne O’Brien

STUDENTS from Southill eagerly returned to school after the holidays, as the second term of the Irish Chamber Orchestra’s ‘Sing out with Strings’ project kicked off this month.

After a memorable Christmas time performance from the Southill students accompanied by the Irish Chamber Orchestra, on December 10, they are now preparing for an Easter concert to take place on April 27, which will showcase more of their musical talents.

More than 170 pupils from the Southill Junior School, Galvone National School and St Mary’s Boys School are taking part in the music initiative which aims, not only to develop an understanding and appreciation for music, but to develop valuable educational skills also.

“Apart from musical ability, the children have improved their concentration and listening skills which in turn leads to an improvement in literacy and numeracy skills.

“I can see a great increase in confidence and self-esteem among the children and I believe that the music initiative has had a positive impact on their social skills, teaching them to get along and communicate with each other,” says Maureen Clune, Principal of Galvone National School.

The Educational Outreach Project is in its second year working with schools

in the regeneration area of Southill, but the Irish Chamber Orchestra has been involved in such projects for 15 years, according to the ICO Chief Executive, John Kelly.

Last year the programme only ran in the Galvone National School, but further funding from the Regeneration Agency has allowed the project to develop to include the Southill Junior School and St Mary’s Boys School also.

The JP McManus Foundation made a contribution of €15,000 to the project in 2009 that allowed the Galvone National School to buy its own violins and set up a music library for students.

Mr Kelly said that the goal was to work with all seven schools in the regeneration areas of Limerick in the future.

“The project will continue to be backed by the Regeneration Agency for the next number of years, and after that we will do whatever we can to seek funding to continue and develop this concept even further,” he said.

The Deputy Mayor of Limerick, Dennis McCarthy, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, saying that support from local and national politicians was essential as music should be introduced as a core subject to schools in the future.

As the Southill Junior School and St Mary’s Boys School are in their first year of the programme, they have been

receiving singing and song-writing classes from Kathleen Turner, the ICO Education Officer and Co-ordinator of the project, and Tony Hunter from the ICO. “I love our music classes with Tony.

It’s really fun writing our own songs,” said a fifth-class pupil from St Mary’s Boys School.

Margaret Nolan, a teacher from Galvone National School who has been receiving violin lessons since September, also loves the music.

“The project has created a great sense of comradery among the teachers and pupils in Southill. We’re all working together to achieve something positive for the area,” she said.

Students from Galvone NS are in their second year of the programme and this year have moved onto strings and are learning to play the violin.

Not only are the students dedicating their time to the four-stringed instrument, but 22 members of staff, including the school caretaker, are taking part in violin lessons every morning at 8am with ICO violinist Lisa Grosman.

The students and staff debuted their new-found talents at their first concert before Chirstmas.

They hope to impress again with more of their own original compositions on April 27 at their Spring concert which will take place in St Mary’s Church, Southill.

‘Our Lives in Limerick’ Written by Fifth Class, St Mary’s Boys School Everyday of our lives, we live here in Limerick Magnificent City of Stone and Pride Our people are generous, happy and kind When you need them, friends are so easy to find.

Maryanne Phelan (front) with Sophie Byrne, Rachel O’Connor, Paul Roche, Jessica Monaghan, Crystal Casey and Courtney Fitzpatrick at the Bijeu dance class.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

MAKING MUSIC: Clockwise from top; Tony Roche of Delorean Suite performs at Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick; Pupils from Galvone National School perform with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Southill Junior School and St Mary’s Boys School at Southill Church; Katherine Hunt, leader, Irish Chamber Orchestra with Leigh Lynch, Abbie O’Neill and Leah McCarthy from Southill Junior School.

DeLorean Suite band members, from left to right, Graham Conway (Keyboards/Production), Tony Roche (drums/percussion), and Jennifer McMahon (vocals), perform at Dolan’s Warehouse, Limerick.

Pics: Kieran Clancy

DeLorean Suite takes Keyes Park man around world and back Nadene Ryan

SOUTHILL man Tony Roche plays the drums with ambitious Limerick house band DeLorean Suite.

Tony, who is originally from Keyes Park, and his band have gone from strength to strength since forming in 2006. They recently played to a lively crowd in Dolan’s Warehouse with a complementary mix of acoustic instrumentation and electronic sequences.

They released their first single “Deep Love” last summer and have enjoyed touring in Ireland and around Europe as well as playing support for well-known

electro heroes Groove Armada. “We supported them when they played in Trinity Rooms, which was brilliant,” Tony told The Southill Voice.

Also in the band are Tony’s wife, Jenny Mc Mahon, who is lead vocalist, and Graham Conway who plays the keyboard. Their music is described as a soulful amalgamation of House music, Downtempo, Nu-Jazz, and R n’ B The name, DeLorean Suite, instantly conjures up the image of that timetravelling car from Back to the Future: “Graham came up with the name after a dream he had. We were in the Delorean car in L.A. back in 2007,” Tony said.

The Abbey, Athlunkard, Thomond and Sarsfield, Matthews, O’ Dwyers, Sylvesters and Baals And Hallorans Footbridge, they all cross over the river Forever connecting our lives.

He added: “I think “suite” kind of fits the music, it has a laid-back hotel room feel.”

Tony always had an interest in music and at the age of 17 he travelled to America with The Southill Connection, a music and dancing group set up by Joe Young. “It was a good project, set up to give kids something to do. We performed in Chicago and Boston,” he said.

Having made connections there he later moved to America to play in rock bands and find his feet musically.

“When I came back in 1994 I toured around Europe,” Tony said.

His passion turned to House music

and from 1995 he worked as a DJ in various clubs in Limerick and around Munster. “I got into electronic music and worked with Roger Sanchez in 2001,” he said.

At present Tony is committed to his band, and they’re in talks with a UK production company about releasing an album. “We’re trying to get our name out there. We’ve been part of the underground scene for so long,” he said.

He acknowledged that it’s difficult to break into the music industry. “With digital downloading being so popular it’s hard to sell albums. We’re still trying to get management and a record label.”

They have already recorded songs with Beyonce’s bass guitarist, Divinity Roxx. They’ve also collaborated with legendary American bass player Chuck Rainey, who has worked with superstars Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, and Steely Dan. In the meantime, DeLorean Suite will be doing a lot more gigs and festivals.

“We’ll be playing in Dolan’s again in April as well as travelling to Galway and Cork. I hope we can play at Electric Picnic this year too.”

“Deep Love” along with other DeLorean Suite songs and videos can be found on www.myspace.com/deloreansuitediginetie.

Every day of our lives…

Castletroy, Dooradoyle, Raheen and the Island, Corbally, Thomond, Caherdavin, Garryowen.

These parts of our city, in the hearts of our people, Limerick will always be home.

Andy Lee, Paul O’Connell and Ginger McLoughlin, Shaughs with his hurley, Anthony Foley who tries, Famous sportsman all hailing from Limerick Spreading our fame far and wide.

Everyday of our lives…

Sean Keating, the artist, Richard Harris, the actor, Frank McCourt, the writer, Leanne Moore storms the charts.

Talented people who come from our city, Forever they’ll stay in our hearts.

Everyday of our lives, we live here in Limerick.

Magnificent City of Stone and Pride Our people are generous, happy and kind When you need them, friends are so easy to find.

Youth Space a safe haven for children and young adults Suzanne O’Brien and Danielle Nolan

YOUNG people living on the southside of Limerick City will be able to avail of an exciting new, recreational space to spend their free time, beginning February 1 when the Southside Youth Space will open its doors to the public.

“It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all those involved and committed to Southside Youth Space that we have finally reached this stage of a soft opening to the public,” says Ciara Kane, Manager of the Southside Youth Space.

The unique dimension to Southside Youth Space is its partnership ap-

proach with Limerick Youth Service, Southside Regeneration Agency and Irish Youth Justice, and its affiliated agencies, came together to manage and resource this venture.

The Youth Space, which is located in the Galvone Industrial Estate, will cater for youths aged between 10 and 21 living on the southside of Limerick City, looking for a safe and stimulating environment to spend their free time, engage in activities such as the creative arts, sports and educational pursuits, and to become active within their community.

The old Fulflex factory has been converted into an environment that is a fully supervised, alcohol-free space

aimed at offering young people an alternative place to spend free time.

Services in the space include two indoor soccer pitches, a dance studio, PC suite, meeting rooms and a permanent rehearsal space with music equipment.

An innovative art project in the youth space has allowed young people from the local communities to put their own stamp on the building by painting a mural within the Youth Space.

“Some of the younger kids came up with ‘regeneration’ as a theme for their artwork and the type of improvements they want to see for their communities and themselves, both physically and socially,” she says.

Within the Southside Youth Space,

young people will also find the new Southside Youth Café, due to open later in February.

“The Café will be an informal space to facilitate young people accessing positive peering and opportunities to take part in programmes in the creative arts, sports and educational pursuits,” says Jack O’Leary, Co-ordinator of the Southside Youth Café.

“The Café will be managed and run by young people, for young people. It will cater for the identified needs of kids, rather than the perceived needs, allowing them to take responsibility for the direction of their own lives,” he says. The programmes will cover areas such as music, drama, IT, dance,

cooking and craft.

“It is our civic responsibility to support our community and we’re hoping that the integration of groups within the community through the medium of the Youth Café, will encourage people to learn the importance of relationships in influencing positive change,” says Mr O’Leary.

Activities and programmes will be run by volunteers from all over Limerick.

Though the response has been positive from volunteers, the team at the Southside Youth Space are still calling on people to commit whatever time they can spare to the project.

Contact Southside Youth Space directly at 061 422385.

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news features

Issue 1 January 2010

the southill voice

End of the line for Keyes Park Hannah O’Brien and Jen Mullane

The DIRECTOR of Social Regeneration in Limerick’s Southside said this week that Keyes Park has degenerated so much in the past four years that the only option now is to knock it.

Brendan Hayden said Keyes Park was the only estate in the regeneration areas that had deteriorated in the past three to four years.

“I think at the moment now, our view would be to knock it down,” Mr Hayden said.

Limerick Southside Community Officer Mary Higgins said that even though some people had been living in Keyes Park for up to 45 years, they would not mind moving out of the estate to facilitate knocking houses down.

She said that while people would find it difficult to move, they would be willing to leave if the demolition of the estate would curb the crime

Brendan Hayden believes its neccessary to knock Keyes Park.

and anti-social behaviour. Crime in Keyes Park is attributed to increasing numbers of children between the ages of eight and 18 engaging in anti-social behaviour.

Limerick Regeneration Chief Executive Brendan Kenny said that the extent of the anti-social behaviour problem among certain families in Southill has put them at risk of not being re-housed under the regeneration scheme. This is why transitional housing is needed for them, Mr Kenny said.

“There is a strong need for some type of transitional housing for Limerick City that isn’t going to go away,” he added.

Mr Kenny said that 15 units located in Limerick City would be needed for transitional housing, and families would generally stay in the houses for six to 12 months.

Mr Hayden said that the regeneration agency was in talks with an organisation that may provide transitional housing and would engage with families to try to keep children from getting involved in crime.

The Sophia Housing Association is one such organisation that deals with children’s poor school attendance, financial worries, assistance with accessing the right groups, isolation and depression.

Sophia Housing Association spokesperson, Jane Kluzniak, said that the organisation is open to having transitional housing in Limerick similar to Sophia’s projects in Dublin and Cork.

“If someone contacts us we will always meet with them, and if they need help we will refer them to the right agency,” she added.

FÁS projects will be given more local input

By Jen Mullane and Miriam Walsh

Training body FÁS is planning to significantly increase the number of Southill people engaged in its local employment schemes in 2010.

Project Manager for Physical and Economic Regeneration in Limerick, Claire Feeney, said she was hopeful that one-fifth of those employed in physical regeneration in Southill would be from the area.

“Under EU legislation we cannot say that there has to be a certain number of people employed under local employment schemes,” Ms Feeney said.

“But around the area of sustainability and environmental issues, where people have to be able to walk to work and to reduce traffic on roads, we would hope for 20 per cent of people employed in the area to be locals.”

Ms Feeney also contended that training locals to work in their own area would increase a sense of community and provide role models to children.

“In the construction industry, for example, where some people end up building their own homes, this creates a greater respect and pride for

the area.

“If there is employment in the area, people are going to stay and you are maintaining the community for the next generation as well. It is not just about the here and now but also about establishing a stronger foundation for the future as well.”

The current FÁS Community Employment Project (CEP) has 18 learners involved in a number of projects in Southill. The largest of these is the Parish Project which looks after the maintenance of the church grounds.

Eight men are also responsible for the estate management and maintenance of green areas in O’Malley Park, Keyes Park, Carew Park and Kincora Park.

Other participants in the CEP prepare sandwiches for the pre-school groups on a daily basis and provide meals, one every week, at the elderly club.

Despite cuts to funding in last December’s Budget, a spokesperson for the scheme said that no participant had been affected, and that the scheme will continue until September 2010.

An application to continue the CEP after that date will be made in March 2010.

Lucky Seven: Enjoying the bingo night in Southill were members of the O’Malley family, from left: Catherine Meehan, Noelle O’Malley, Teresa Doyle, Eileen O’Malley, Geraldine Mulcahy, Theresa O’Malley and Gillian Norris.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

Bingo brings the buzz back to Friday nights Aisha Chukwuma

A NEW community based bingo night in the local area centre is aiming to bring residents back into the heart of the community.

The bingo nights, which take place every Friday night at 8pm, are aimed at bringing residents together, according to the Southill Area Centre Manager Jennifer O’Brien.

“It is about developing community spirit and giving the people a place to go and enjoy social occasion together in their community.

“Lots of people here today would have grown up together, they would have known each other and know the people calling the numbers,” she said.

Southill Bingo Committee member Eleanor Keogh said that things have changed in the Southill area through the years. Most people, she said, go into

their homes in the evenings and don’t come out anymore because of fear.

“So this is giving the residents especially the older generations a chance to meet back again in and around the area of Southill and to let other people outside Southill know that it is not that bad.”

The Southill Bingo Committee is a voluntary organisation from the people of Southill, and the game is a popular pastime in communities across Limerick. “We just want to make sure we can do it too. It is not about money, but about giving back what we have got out of Southill,” she said.

Southill resident Marie O’Byrne, who has lived in the neighbourhood for about 45 years, said she remembered the game used to bring neighbours together when it was played in the local church some years ago.

“It’s all drink now – when we were

young we used go to the dance and have a glass of milk and a sandwich, now it’s all drink, drink, drink.

“My children grew up in Carew Park, and they had better times than the kids now – they had soccer, tennis, and every sort of sport.

“I loved O’Malley Park 35 years ago, we had great neighbours, you can’t go outside the door now to talk to anyone because you’d be afraid of the kids on the corners,” she added.

Another resident Margaret Shanahan also said that they had to go into other places in town before now to play bingo, and that they were even prepared to go up to three nights a week to play bingo.

“We missed the bingo badly when it was gone, its brilliant to have it up and running again. Children are mad here now compared to when we were young,” she added.

Marking His Card: Harry Hayes from O’Malley Park enjoys the bingo night in the Southill Area Centre.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

the southill voice

pictures

Issue 1 January 2010

n i e f

Li

S

HAVING A BALL IN SOUTHILL: Clockwise from top left; Mabel Mescall of Carew Park (left), Brid Mullins of Keyes Park (centre) and Maura Carmody of Keyes Park tried their luck in bingo at the Southill Area Resource Centre; James Slattery (left) pulls the tag off Corey Nash during Indoor Rugby at the Southill Area Resource Centre; Jimmy Prior calls the numbers during bingo in the Southill Area Resource Centre; Patricia Barrett, tutor, (centre) with Margaret Ramsey (left) and Philomena Carroll at the Young Women’s Group at the Family Resource Centre; St Enda’s Community School rugby team; Students from Southill Junior School perform with the Irish Chamber Orchestra at the Church of the Holy Family, Southill; Above: Kathleen Casey (left), Hayleigh Power(centre) and Stephanie Williams from St Enda’s Community School support the boys rugby team in a match against St Nessans, Limerick; Right: Chelsea Casey shows how it’s done at the Indoor Rugby session at the Southill Area Resource Centre.

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outhill Photos by Kieran Clancy

12

news features

Issue 1 January 2010

the southill voice

Hannan family hope justice will be done Eoghan O’Sullivan

GERALDINE Hannan last saw her son at 1:50am on November 22, 2007.

Looking outside her back window, she saw Jeffrey with another person by a bonfire just 100 yards away.

Nine hours later, his beaten body was discovered by two passers-by, a short distance from the Hannan household.

Jeffrey was 19-years-old and a father of one, Nikita.

Gardai have questioned 19 people in relation to the murder, but have not charged anyone.

One of the leading officers on the case, Detective Sergeant Denis Treacy, has said that it was not a gangland murder.

“There has never been any suggestion that this had gangland connotations. Jeffrey wasn’t what we would consider a troublemaker or someone who was coming to our notice.” Det Sgt Treacy said.

Despite a passage of 26 months, he believes that the case will get solved.

“I’m in no doubt that there are people in that area who are in a position to cast some light on exactly what happened to Jeffrey Hannan on the night he died,” he said.

Det Sgt Treacy claims that people have distanced themselves from the murder.

“If they had seen the Hannan family on the morning they found their son and they saw what they had to see, and what they had to witness, then they would have a different outlook,” he said.

Murder victim Jeffrey Hannan whose body was found three years ago in Southill.

“We are still hopeful that certain people will come forward. It is something that people have to face up to – if you witness a crime, you cannot and should not walk away from it.”

The death of Jeffrey has taken a significant toll on the Hannan family.

His father, Alan, said that burying his son was devastating.

“I went on the drink for six weeks. I got up one morning, looked at myself in the mirror and said, ‘it’s time to jack it in or I am going to kill myself’. So I just got up and went back to work.

I wouldn’t say back to normal, but

some part.”

Jeffrey had been in England for a number of months in 2007. He had returned to Southill in October, but was not in a positive frame of mind, according to his father.

“He was very depressed. He stayed in home for five weeks. The first time he went out the door was that night.”

Before 8pm on the night in question, Jeffrey had gone to a nearby shop to buy two cans of beer.

He returned home at 10:45pm and got a cigarette from his mother. He told his parents that he was walking home a girl whom he had met that night. When his father woke up the next morning and realised Jeffrey had not come home, he went around the area looking for his son.

“I passed him three times in the grass and I didn’t even know he was there.”

Alan went to work in the nearby Southill House, but by 11am, he said he had to go home to see if Jeffrey had returned.

A crowd had gathered in O’Malley Park, and Alan said: “I knew straight away, even before I went up to identify him - just that sick feeling you have.

“For someone to take someone else’s life is unbelievable. You wouldn’t do it to an animal.”

He said that it had changed him as a person. “I have more anger in me than anything else. Just knowing that they are out there and could do the same thing to someone else.

“I can never, as long as I am alive, forget it. Even if I do get justice for it, I won’t be able to let it go.”

Carer rejects Minister’s card Aisha Chukwuma

A LOCAL award-winning carer has refused to accept a Christmas card from Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea as a protest against recent Budget cuts.

Anne Kinsella, who won the Munster Carers Association ‘Carer of the Year’ award in November, sent the card back after the Government cut the carer’s allowance.

The 58-year-old mother of three has been looking after her husband Paddy for more than 37 years.

Mrs Kinsella’s carer’s allowance, as well as her husband’s disability allowance, were both subject to cuts in the December Budget, leading to a €17 reduction in their weekly income.

She sent the card back with a message reading: “This is from the Munster Carer of the Year. If you had enough money to spend on Christmas card, then why would you cut our money?”

Mrs Kinsella was 21 with two children, and pregnant with a third when her husband was involved in a car crash that left him paralysed from the chest down, and needing full-time care.

She became his carer two years into their marriage. “I had two little girls and I was expecting our son Mark when the accident occurred. It was really hard for me because we didn’t have things like an electric bed, so I had to rely on neighbours to help get him out of bed.”

Right: Anne Kinsella with her husband Paddy.

Courtesy: Limerick Leader

The father of the victim, Alan Hannan at their home in O’Malley Park.

Both pictures courtesy of Limerick Leader.

Fire safety course may be rekindled Thomas Crean

AN AWARD-winning fire programme that significantly reduced attacks on fire crews in Limerick may be re-run this year.

The programme, which was pioneered in Southill, saw fire crews train teenagers in fire prevention techniques in 2007. But the course had the knockon effect of seeing a dramatic 60 per cent reduction in attacks against crews fighting fires in the area.

Limerick Chief Fire Officer Michael Ryan said that the Fire Service would consider taking part again if the arrangements suited.

“We could not go ahead with it in the foreseeable future, but perhaps after the summer.

“It would also depend on the availability of staff and training facilities,” he said.

The scheme involved substantial education and training of four local boys by Fire Service members in a simulated environment.

They were taught how to put out real fires and rescue people trapped in their homes.

On several particular evenings following the scheme’s completion, each participant “adopted” a fire engine.

Each boy challenged fellow teenag-

ers if the fire service received verbal abuse on arriving at an emergency in the Southill area on these evenings.

The Limerick Fire Service ran the programme in conjunction with Southill Outreach.

Southill Outreach is a state-supported agency that works with young people perceived to be at risk of becoming involved in crime and anti-social behaviour.

Youth Development Officer PJ Treacy said that it is simply a matter of all the parties coming together to get the scheme up and running.

“Merits are there that the programme does work and it is a matter of all the relevant agencies sitting down,” Mr Treacy said.

According to records from Limerick Fire Service, there were 209 malicious false alarms in Limerick City in 2005, and some 30 per cent of these occurred in Southill.

Following the programme’s completion, statistics from Limerick Fire Service records showed an immediate drop of reported incidents by the fire service of 60 per cent in the area concerned.

Young people are involved in many of these episodes, and can also be victims of accidents resulting from such behaviour.

Inside: Rugby breaking down divides - P15 Soccer clubs on different fields - P14

Tommy lending his weight James Enright

Willie’s Big Bang theory Stephen Kelly

THREE fights, three wins. Professional boxing has been good to Willie ‘Big Bang’ Casey so far. He outclassed Michael O’Gara in his last bout, stopping him in the sixth round, and marches on to Dublin on February 13 where he will take on Ibrar Riyaz at the National Stadium in Dublin.

Although just three fights into his professional career, the 28-year-old Southill featherweight is highly ambitious.

“I’ll be pushing on. What some people would be waiting four years down the line to do, I’m going to try and do in two years if I can,” he says.

Casey has lived in Southill all his life and is clearly proud of his roots. He also enjoys the responsibility of being seen as a role model for youngsters in the Southill Area and can relate to many of the problems that they face.

Having dabbled with soft drugs in his teens, he knows the temptations that are out there.

“I’ve had a great time living in Southill and all my family grew up here,” he says. “There’s a lot of hard-working respectable people up here that want to get on with their lives and I’m pretty sure that they’re happy enough here.

“I’ve still tried to do my best, tried to make something of myself. Maybe set an example. Hopefully youngsters might look up at me and say ‘Well he came out of Southill so why can’t I do it?’”

Despite the high regard in which he is held, Casey modestly points to Andy Lee as an example of the impact

a fighter can have in sparking interest among the young.

“He’s after bringing boxing in Limerick to a new level. He has a great style and class of boxing. All the kids are looking up to him so hopefully in a year or so I might have the same

“

You need to push yourself. If you sit around it won’t happen. No one wants to spend the rest of their life sitting on a wall.

”

thing going on for me.”

Although the boxing club in Southill remains closed, Casey believes there are still opportunities for youngsters from Southill to take up the sport, and that OL St Saviours, formerly Our Lady of Lourdes, is a good place to start.

“It’s in a neutral venue. They have a good club down there with Munster

champions looking to break into the Irish Championships and learners. It’s open to everyone.”

According to Casey, the most important factors in his decision to turn pro were somebody else showing some confidence in him and giving him proper access to the information he needed. He believes the situation he found himself in before he made the decision mirrors that of the youth of Southill today.

It had never occurred to Casey that he had the ability to turn pro until a professional trainer he met by chance convinced him that his style was more suited to the professional game.

“You’d be amazed at how it happened,” he says of that encounter in Athy. “I come from Southill and I never would’ve thought about going pro. I would’ve thought no, you have to be an Olympic or world champion before you can make that leap. But you don’t.

“Some people need to know that.

Just because you don’t have 10 caps for Ireland doesn’t mean you can’t make it at something. All you need is information on it and how to go about it.”

Engaging with young people in such a manner and giving them the confidence and information to succeed is the most important thing that people can do, in Casey’s eyes, to improve the problems in Southill.

“I suppose if you sit them down and talk to them a bit and ask them what they want, you can all come together then and see what you can do to improve the situation.”

But he also believes that a positive attitude and ambition are the best assets a youngster growing up in Southill can have. That can be hard for anyone, but for Casey, it’s particularly tough given the family commitments he is also required to juggle.

“You need to push yourself. If you sit around it won’t happen. No one wants to spend the rest of their life sitting on a wall drinking cans or skinning up joints! Your mind needs to be focussed on something.”

“For me it can be hard at times,” he added about his family commitments. “ I’ve a wife and four kids, trying to work training around them. At times they’re trying to work around me! But my wife is great. I know she’s fully behind me and it really helps me.”

Casey is also grateful for the help he has received from the Southill community and plans to continue working in the area when he hangs up his gloves as a pro. Indeed, while he may worry about not making it as a pro boxer, many would argue that by working with his community and leading by example he already has.

“If I wasn’t competing I’d be coaching,” he says. “I have some understanding of what the youths are going through so I’d like to work with them.

I’ll have to put something back into the community when I retire.

“It was given to me so I’ll have to give it back.”

Above: Willie Casey feels pride in being from Southill and aims to act as a positive role model for kids.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

LIMERICK Sports Partnership is launching an introductory weight training course in mid-February that will showcase the talents of legendary Southill powerlifter Tommy Dillon.

Aimed at 16-year-olds, the 10-week course will introduce youngsters to weight training and teach a number of basic powerlifting movements.

There couldn’t be a better leader for the course than Dillon, a former Mr Ireland and multi-time national powerlifting champion, who has been at the forefront of Southill Powerlifting Club since its formation in 1985.

Participants in the programme can look forward to a masterclass in powerlifting technique. Technique is everything in Dillon’s eyes, and his approach to training illustrates that mantra. “No matter how strong a fella is, he’ll spend three weeks on an empty bar until I’m satisfied he has the technique right,” he said.

“Some of these boys here can outbench fellas twice their size because they’ve been trained to,” he continued, illustrating the benefits.

While the club continues to be frustrated by the lack of state-of-the-art facilities, there is still plenty to be upbeat about.

“Four years ago, the City Council agreed to give us a new state of the art club. The regeneration agency then stopped it being built. Now the money isn’t there to build it,” said Dillon.

But while it may be ironic that the proposed regeneration has halted progress of the most successful sporting institution in the area, Dillon’s job as coach is made easier by the determination of the lifters to collectively better themselves.

“They never know when they are beaten. They have no fear of weights – no fear of anything actually!”

Participants in the programme will also be buoyed by the fact that Southill Powerlifting Club includes an impressive array of talent, including two-time U-23 World Champion Barry Keehan.

Last June, Keehan also won the European Championship, setting a European record for his 67.5kg weight category in the process.

Tommy Dillon who is training the Southill Powerlifting Club.

Pic: Michael Cowhey

14

sport

Issue 1 January 2010

the southill voice

Mixed fortunes for Southill soccer clubs Stephen Kelly examines the deep contrast that exists at Southend United and Carew Park FC ALTHOUGH Limerick is known for its obsession with rugby, in Southill soccer comes first. But the contrast in the current fortunes of Southend Utd and Carew Park FC shows that not all are feeling the benefit of the sport’s popularity and growth equally.

While Carew Park are well and truly established in their new ground, struggling Southend are faced with the prospect of being evicted from their home ground as soon as regeneration building work begins.

Southend are the oldest soccer club in Southill, and have been based at the Rosebowl pitch in Southill Park since their formation in 1969 but never secured a lease on the land. This meant that they have never qualified for grants (including the €32m Sports Capital Funding provided in Limerick between 1998 and 2008) and have had to rely entirely on fundraising and sponsorship to survive.

The land at Southill Park has been zoned for building under regeneration plans and a retirement village is planned for the site. The club hopes to be relocated to another site within Southill but remains in limbo for now.

The Regeneration Agency allocated €250,000 to soccer clubs in the area in 2009 but Southend Utd have been ignored, according to club secretary Mike Minihan. “We’ve never gotten anything from them. Not a penny,” he says, adding that the club should qualify for regeneration funding because of the important community work that it does.

In contrast to the travails of Southend, Carew Park FC appear to be going from strength to strength.

Tough tackler: Daniel Colbert of Carew Park FC wins possession against Janesboro at Pearse Stadium.

After enduring a nomadic 10-year period following the seizure of their previous grounds by the National Roads Authority (NRA), the club is now settled in its new home in the

heart of the Carew Park estate.

The €1.2m project was largely funded by the NRA and the club has ambitious plans to develop the six-acre site further. A floodlit all-weather pitch is

Courtesy: Limerick Leader

the current priority and manager Pat Koyce believes it would have enormous benefit for the community.

“It’ll give people something to do in a safe, secure place. Right now a lot

of parents are afraid to let their kids out at night,” he says.

The all-weather pitch would also provide a regular source of income for the club and allow them to redevelop their schoolboy set-up, which fell by the wayside after their eviction.

Development for clubs off the pitch is inextricably linked with success on it.

“It’s easier to attract players now that we have top class facilities in place,” says Koyce.

Having the amenities in place also means that the players are less likely to leave when the bigger clubs come calling, and player poaching is a problem that all teams have to contend with.

Carew Park FC have received €60,000 from the Regeneration Agency to build a car park in the grounds and hope further funding will become available to help the current plans become a reality.

Club Secretary Mike Clancy praised the work the agency has done so far. “I can only speak for sports but they’ve helped the local clubs out a lot,” he says.

While Southend may feel aggrieved, it is understood that the situation is down to simple economics with insufficient funds available to develop every club in the area.

While the market may determine that some clubs thrive and some struggle for mere survival, Minihan remains upbeat about the future for Southend Utd. “We’ll survive,” he says. “I don’t see much happening in the next four or five years but we’ll still be here.”

And with the presence of both clubs, along with Hill Celtic, Roxboro Utd and Pike Rovers, Southill’s rich soccer culture is set to thrive in the future.

Sports scheme filling the gap for children Danielle Nolan

Sporting activities are at the centre of Southill’s latest attempt to build a community spirit, if the work of the Southill Community Youth Work Team (CYWT) is any indication.

A six-week programme that samples a number of sports is currently running for two days a week in the Southill Area Centre for children between the ages of 10 and 14.

“We are teaching them the rules using different sports, getting them engaged

in the project and building up their communications and relationships,” said youth worker Cathal Dillon.

“Our project now fills that gap in service provisions for mainstream young people in the Southill area and the CYWT is committed to recognising young people’s potential and their ability to play an active role in the development of their community.”

The young people that have joined the project so far have availed of a wide variety of indoor sports including soccer, handball, uni-hoc and badminton.

Ladies from Southill train for the Great Limerick Run with Rosemary Ryan (third from left) and Liam Cantwell of Limerick Sports Partnership.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

Ryan leads marathon hopefuls Thomas Crean

Coach Ross O’Callaghan explains the drill for an indoor rugby session at the Southill Area Centre.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

Champion marathoner Rosemary Ryan is lending her expertise to a group of Southill women training for this year’s Great Limerick Marathon.

“I see a lot of women doing the walk that are able to run and could benefit from it,” Ryan said. “I want to motivate them to succeed.”

The group, who are already 12 weeks into their training, are still brimming with enthusiasm thanks to Ryan’s guidance.

“It has been extremely popular and very consistent over the past twelve

weeks,” said youth worker Cora Doyle, one of the participants.

“We have introduced the group to several alternative activities such as aqua aerobics, boxing and spinning bikes,” said Doyle.

One of the fringe benefits the group is gaining is the socialisation that goes with the group training, all of which is conducive to a healthier lifestyle.

“It is enjoyable being part of the group and is something to look forward to each week, knowing that your fitness is improving,” said another participant Marion Slattery.

Community youth workers run the

sessions in collaboration with Limerick City Sports Partnership workers, with all sessions taking place in the Southill Area Centre.

They started out working with circuits and total body workouts before progressing onto running drills geared towards the marathon.

The inaugural Great Limerick Run takes place on May 2, with thousands of competitors expected to compete from home and abroad. One of the interesting features of the race day is that it will include three separate races at 10km, half-marathon and full marathon distances.

the southill voice

sport

Issue 1 January 2010

15

Rugby set to tackle traditional attitudes Stephen Kelly

It’s a sport that captures the imagination of Limerick, and breaks down social and class divides. But in Southill, rugby remains relatively underdeveloped.

Just ask Sexton Street CBS rugby coach Damien Ryan, who sees a noticeable apathy among Southill youths when it comes to the oval ball.

“I have kids coming to me from Southill who have never even seen a rugby match let alone played one,” says Ryan. “They don’t know where Thomond Park is.”

Despite this, a series of recent initiatives have been launched by the IRFU Munster Branch and significant progress has been made in a short space of time.

In September last year the branch began a series of rugby sevens blitzes at St Enda’s secondary school that will run throughout 2010. So far teams from St Enda’s, Sexton Street and St Nessan’s in Moyross have taken part while several other schools have expressed an interest in future events.

According to Development Officer Ross Callaghan, the first step is to get people playing the sport and to complete the training programmes that are under way at the schools.“Once they realise they can play, they stick with it,” he says.

Niall Rowan, coach of St. Enda’s, also emphasises that the first step was to get people playing and he is confident that progress is being made after St Enda’s

St Enda’s Community School’s Alan Bridgeman in action against St Nessans CS.

played their first senior match in almost four years on December 11.

“It’s all about baby-steps at this stage.

You can see the pride in the jersey and how much it means to the players. The Munster Branch and Ross Callaghan are doing great work. We’re getting all the support we need,” he says.

Indeed, Callaghan says the branch are also considering incentive schemes, such as trips to local league matches, to get young players to stick with the coaching programmes.

He is also involved in a recently launched rugby programme in the Southill Area Centre that teaches children aged 10 and upwards the skills of the sport.

Despite the heartening progress, major obstacles still face rugby in the Southill area.

Sexton Street coach Ryan says the main problem is that none of the local rugby clubs are affiliated with the estates in Southill. “It’s crazy. In the home of European rugby the largest

Pic: Kieran Clancy

housing estate has no affiliation with any rugby club,” he contends.

He contrasts the situation with that of Moyross which has close connections with Thomond, St. Mary’s and Shannon.

The schools also still face significant hurdles to overcome. While St Enda’s has a top-quality rugby pitch the problem is simply the number of potential players. The population of the school has been decimated in recent years as students have been lured elsewhere and

they cannot currently field a 15-aside senior team.

“We have state-of-the-art facilities here and we can’t get pupils in the door,” says Rowan of the quandary St Enda’s is facing.

Sexton Street faces the opposite problems. They have enough students but no rugby pitch and players are forced to make the trek to Garryowen on foot after school if they want to train. Rugby training can only take place when it doesn’t clash with football.

It is hardly surprising, however, that football is prioritised in Sexton Street. While the school’s rugby team has been in existence for a mere two years, the footballers have established themselves as a dominant force on the national scene, and won the prestigious FAI Schools Umbro Senior Cup last year.

Due to the difficulty in getting to and from rugby training, talented players regularly quit to pursue other sport and the chasm between football and rugby at the school is symbolic of that in Southill as a whole.

In spite of the problems, the success of the current Munster Branch initiatives shows that there is a huge appetite for the sport in the Southill area and a series of primary school blitzes began earlier this month.

The future looks positive and should the growth of rugby in Southill continue at its present rate, Limerick will be able to justify its status as a city where rugby permeates all areas regardless of social barriers.

Old Christians’ new generation Vikings raid Southill in

quest for teenage talent

James Enright

A dreary mid-December night in Rathbane and Old Christians’ U-8 hurlers are in party mode. A minitournament in the club’s impressive indoor hall precedes a confectionery overload and celebration of the year’s end.

It is the club’s way of thanking the 30odd youngsters who, under the watchful eye of former Limerick inter-county great Bernie Hartigan, are taking their tentative first steps towards emulating their coach and bringing much-craved glory to the Treaty city.

“Our numbers have swelled dramatically in the past number of years,” says club stalwart John Power. “We cater for all age groups from U-8 to adult and have 20 or 30 players at each level underage.”

Old Christians have a large catchment area straddling the city’s southside.

Whilst Janesboro, Rathbane and Roxboro tend to supply the bulk of players it is peculiar that hurling has not captured the imagination of Southill in the same manner as soccer.

Power identifies the lack of GAA facilities as a contributory factor. “It was a shame when Southill was being built: there were excellent young players but there were no facilities up there from day one – that has been the biggest problem,” he contends.

Added to that is the fact that hurling seems to be a dispensable hobby in Southill, something that works against the efforts of the club, which has a team of coaches who promote Gaelic games

Hannah O’Brien

Former Limerick hurler Bernie Hartigan with Stephen Cronin, Joshua Kelly and Sean Byrnes at Old Christians GAA Club.

Pic: Kieran Clancy

in primary schools in the area.

Each age-group has at least six Southill players at present but experience has taught Power that hurling tends to be a dispensable hobby in the area. He laments the evident lack of encouragement these players receive from their homes despite Hartigan’s pioneering work.

“Bernie Hartigan is promoting the game in the local national schools,” Power says. “If we could get people like him to be supported financially and teach children to love our games we would be in a much stronger position.

He has a way with young lads.”

“Some players will make it to adult hurling but a lot will not,” he continues. “There is no difference between young lads now and years ago. The difference is the parents. They are not

involved as much as they should. It is usually ex-players who take up the coaching of teams but kids need more encouragement from the home.”

It’s a problem that the club’s former chairman, Mike Keogh, identifies with.

“Tradition is a powerful force and Gaelic games have no traditional base in Southill,” he says. “Initially people seem very enthusiastic but they have no constancy in their lives and tend to drift from the game in their mid teens.

There is a soccer-orientated mindset which has proved an encumbrance to Gaelic games’ development.”

Regeneration has also hindered the club’s playing base and has resulted in five or six promising underage hurlers being relocated to other Limerick areas. This has, regrettably, ended their involvement with Old Christians.

In decades past, soccer was seen as a ‘way out’ for kids who might otherwise be led down a difficult path in life.

But American Football can be just as much a tonic in this regard, according to Southill teenager Adam Dunne.

The 18-year-old defensive tackle for the current All-Ireland champions, the UL Vikings, believed his life might have been very different had it not been for his discovery of a passion for the pigskin when he joined the club in 2008.

“I felt I could be heading down the wrong path,” said Dunne, many of whose friends were drinking and taking drugs from the age of 12.

“All the lads I know, they went on to do Es or coke. So I just said, ‘lads, go away, I’m not’. I just stopped it then.”

Turning to American Football helped Dunne complete that life choice, and reaped its rewards on the field with his side’s victory at the ‘Shamrock Bowl’ in Belfast.

It was the Vikings’ third consecutive victory, but it couldn’t have been achieved in more dramatic circumstances.

After a close, physical game against the Dublin Rebels, the score was tied at 6-6, meaning that the Shamrock Bowl would go into overtime for the first time in its history. It was then that

UL Vikings’ defensive tackle Adam Dunne

UL kicker Daniel Smith breathlessly converted a 30-yard field goal to win the game.

“The whole game I had goosebumps because it was my first year, so to win it, you know, it was great. It was great,” Dunne said.

Dunne also helped the UL Vikings win the first ever College Bowl, which was organised by the Irish American Football League (IAFL), in November.

It was an inter-varsity tournament among four college teams.

Dunne’s next match with the Vikings takes place in Belfield on March 14 against the UCD Sentinels. The regular season for the IAFL begins in March and wraps up in August.

the voice of the village

Issue 1 January 2010

Casey looks to Riyaz the roof in Dublin Stephen Kelly

AHEAD of his return to the ring on February 13, Southill featherweight Willie Casey is already eyeing a shot at his first title.

Casey will face England’s Ibrar Riyaz

in the National Stadium in Dublin as he aims to maintain his 100 per cent record as a pro.

“I don’t want to be wasting my time,” he said. “I want to know if I’m good enough. I don’t want to be someone who in 20 fights down the line my

opponent is no better than the first opponent I boxed.

“First things first, and that’s an Irish belt. I’ve still only had three pro fights so by the time I get a shot at the belt I might only have had seven or eight fights.”

It will be Casey’s first bout since stopping Michael O’Gara in the University of Limerick Arena in November last.

Riyaz was victorious on his last visit to Ireland when he out-pointed Gavin Prunty in Galway last April.

Willie Casey will be fighting in Dublin next month in his fourth fight as a pro boxer.

The main event at the National Stadium will see undefeated Irish lightweight champion Andy Murray put his title on the line against Dublin’s Oisin Fagan.  Full interview on Page 13

Pic: Kieran Clancy

February date set for inaugural handball tournament James Enright

THE of handball is becoming increasingly popular in Limerick and this month Southill will be getting in on the act when the Southill Area Centre hosts the inaugural Michael Fitzpatrick Memorial Tournament.

The competition is open to everyone between the ages of 14 and 18, and is expected to attract huge numbers due to the current interest displayed in the area, according to Limerick

City Sports Partnership Development Officer Liam Cantwell.

“It’s a very popular game across the board at the moment,” Mr Cantwell said. “The sport is booming in the so-called disadvantaged communities. It is very strong in Moyross, BallinacurraWeston and Southill in particular.”

Cantwell added that the prominence of the sport has stemmed from the ease of the game and its inexpensive nature. “You can play it anywhere, all

you need is a wall and a ball,” he said.

“You don’t need expensive protective gear so it’s attractive to people in that sense.”

He added that Sports Partnership has recognised handball’s rising profile and will organise a tournament for the city’s secondary schools in February.

“Each secondary school in the city has been offered coaching time of six or eight hours,” he said. “Each school who participates will run off blitzes and the winners of each individual school

tournament will compete in the final in Southill in late February.”

Younger children are also catered for and 80 primary school children competed in a blitz organised before Christmas in Southill.

Competitions were organised in each primary school in Limerick and the winners of those leagues competed in the city-wide handball blitz.

There are no handball clubs in Limerick at present and it is played on a social basis only. However, it is expected that

clubs will be launched in Limerick in the coming months.

“There are plans in the pipeline to get two clubs up and running in Limerick, one on the northside and one on the southside. Both will hopefully be playing in a Munster league,” Cantwell added.

“The problem here is to register a club. You need an alley with a viewing area and glass backcourts for referees to view the games and not every alley will have these facilities.”