Limerick Voice - 2013

The new breed

Young bloods challenge old guard: Page 10

Taylor blueprint Limerick FC boss plans ahead: Page 37

limerickvoice #limerickvoice

Volume VI, Issue I

www.limerickvoice.com

A €9.3m housing boost for city

• Sixty-four new ‘Regen’ homes • 350 energy upgrades planned

By Shane Donnelly THERE’S a New Year bonus in the pipeline for 64 southside Limerick residents, thanks to the latest multimillion euro Regeneration housing project in the city.

Two new housing initiatives costing a total of €9.3m will deliver new homes to residents in Southill and Vizes Court, off Wolfe Tone Street.

This second phase of the Limerick Regeneration building project includes 64 new houses, 35 of which are located in Colivet Court in Southill and cost €6m.

And the 29 apartments in Vizes Court cost €3.3m, according to Limerick Regeneration Senior Executive,

Jason Murphy.

Application forms were sent out to potential residents at the end of November, and the successful candidates will be contacted in late January 2014.

“It’s expected that people will start moving into their homes in mid- to late February,” Mr Murphy said.

Southill Residents Forum Worker Mary Higgins said local people felt very positive about the new houses.

“I have people constantly asking me when they will be ready to look at, and when people will be able to move in,” Ms Higgins added.

While Southill parish priest, Fr Pat Hogan said he was impressed with the design of the houses, he believed that such a development should have

Friday, December 13, 2013

Moyross triplets welcome Santa

Triplets Simone, Katelyn and Morgan Redden pictured with Santa at the Moyross Community Centre Christmas Party.

Picture: Brian Gavin / Press 22 See COMMUNITY FOCUS: Page 21

happened a long time ago.

“I’d say the State would have saved an awful lot of money if they’d built more units like them, rather than buying people out of other places,” Fr Hogan added.

“The most crucial element of these is that they are managed properly,” he added.

In the 35 Southill dwellings, there will be 14 one-bedroom houses and 21 two-bedroom homes and only people over 50 are eligible to apply for these houses, Mr Murphy said.

This is because Limerick City Council’s policy of providing accommodation for older people must apply only to the tenants of the second Regeneration housing scheme, Mr Murphy added.

He stressed that children of parents over 50 who may wish to live with them in the new houses will not be allowed to do so.

In Vizes Court, the 29 new apartments will include 23 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments.

Mr Murphy said that 50 houses across the city will have energy upgrades carried out this year to ensure they achieve a Grade B in the Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate scheme. And there are plans to provide 300 more houses with energy upgrades next year.

Southill recently came second, behind Limerick City, in the Limerick Tidy Towns while also receiving €1,500 in prize money in the Going for Gold community competition.

Related More Regen jobs for local workers Page 11 ‘Regeneration not all about money’ Page 24 UL empowering local communities Page 15

NO EBB IN YOUTH EXODUS FROM LIMERICK CITY ‘This is a social disaster waiting to happen’: Page 4

limerickvoice, Friday December 8, 2012

2 | News

News

Schoolkids on song with crooner Bing’s nephew

Howard Crosby (nephew of Bing) meets with children including Megan Boland and Courtney Keehan from Galvone National School and Adam Quinlan and Tyrone McGuane from St Mary’s Boys School, Island Road, Limerick from the Irish Chamber Orchestra, ‘Sing out with Strings’ programme at the University of Limerick. The ‘Sing out with Strings’ Orchestra performed with singers from Primary Schools in Limerick.

Picture: Don Moloney / Press 22

limerickvoice

EDITORIAL TEAM n Editor:

Siofra Mannion

n News Editors:

facebook: Limerick Voice

twitter: @limerickvoice

web: limerickvoice.com

Philippa Brennan

n Deputy News Editors:

Luke Hogg Rose O’Connor

n Pictures Editor

Francis Carlin

n Features Editor:

Roisín Curran

n Deputy Features Editor:

Róisín Delaney

n Sports Editor:

Robert McNamara

n Deputy Sports Editors:

Michael Ramsey Raffaele Rocca

n Chief Sub-Editor

Eoin Scanlon

Message of thanks Limerick Voice is written and edited entirely by the students of the fourth year BA in Journalism and New Media programme, and the students of the Graduate Diploma / MA in Journalism course at the University of Limerick newsroom.

The newspaper wishes to thank the Limerick Regeneration Agency and Limerick City and County Councils, for their ongoing support.

Limerick Voice could not have been produced without their backing.

We also wish to thank the Limerick Leader newspaper for their ongoing support; the photographic agencies Press 22 and Sportsfile; and Limerick Live95FM for all their help and professional support.

n Deputy Sub-Editor

Federica Sgaggio

n Online Editor

Gary Whelan

n Deputy Online Editor

Barry Creed

UL Journalism Supervisors Newspaper Director: Keith Watterson UL Head of Journalism: Mary Dundon Lecturers: Emer Connolly and Allen Meagher

News | 3

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

UL poised to be driving force in revival of city Laoise Neylon THE €100m Capital Development Plan for the University of Limerick will allow students to contribute to the economic revitalisation of the city centre.

That is the view of University of Limerick President Professor Don Barry, who said academics were “queuing up’’ to secure a prime location in the city centre.

“I have said on numerous occasions that my vision for the future in terms of the University and the city is that we would have hundreds of UL students learning living and recreating in the city centre and that is the clear ambition of the University,” he said.

Professor Barry was speaking at the signing of the European Investment Bank (EIB) loan to the University of Limerick which is set to create 1,000 jobs over the next five years.

The loan will finance almost half of the university’s €224m Capital Development Plan for 2014 – 2018, which will see the construction of 12 new projects.

These will include a new clinical research building at University Hospital Limerick and the development of a city centre campus with student residences and an academic building in Limerick.

Professor Barry said that a new student accommodation centre in the future would be shared with students from LIT and Mary Immaculate College.

Limerick lights up for Christmas

Other UL Capital Development Plan projects: • The Glucksman Library Phase 2 will double its size • A Team Training Centre for the Munster Rugby Team • A second 25m pool and Diving Pool at the University Arena • Six state-of-the-art floodlit grass training pitches

The Christmas lights have transformed Limerick’s main thoroughfare.

• The Bernal Building currently under construction which will further strengthen the University’s Science zone along with

Pictures: Limerick Voice Online

• Phase 2 of the Materials and Surface Science Institute which consists of a 2,750m2 extension currently under construction • A new student centre building including meeting rooms, social areas, Students Union facilities, shops, cinema, concert facilities and a Visitor Centre incorporating the University reception and offices.

The University is currently undertaking the investigative phase of an initiative to construct student accommodation.

Finance Minister Noonan said that the “Opera site is the obvious place for this. It would include an academic building for up to 500 students along with significant student residences”.

Funding for the remainder of UL’s Capital Development Plan will be secured from a number of sources, including philanthropic donors, state grants, commercial activities and University of Limerick funding, according to Professor Barry who said half of the outstanding amount has already been raised.

One of the largest ever EIB loans awarded to an any Irish University, the €100m loan was signed by the

UL President, and Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank Vice President responsible for Ireland, and witnessed by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, and John Moran Secretary Finance of the Department of Finance.

Limerick Director of Economic Development and Planning Tom Enright said the city welcomes the university’s commitment to a stronger presence in the city.

“This investment will improve the links between ‘Town and Gown’ – bringing the university and city closer together,” Mr Enright added. n

What’s your view?

@limerickvoice

Peter Hogan of Limerick Marine Search & Rescue had a busy afternoon at the switching on of Limerick’s Christmas illuminations.

Jack the Jack Russell, owned by Terry Glin, was all dressed up for the switching on of Limerick’s Christmas lights.

Patricia Quigley with her three grandchildren Ava, Cleo and Layla.

Limerick’s food shops have added a sumptuous festive touch to their usual mouth-watering fare.

Voluntary rescue service plagued by hoax calls Shane O’Riordan A prominent Limerick-based emergency river rescue service has reported that they have received a spate of hoax calls in the last number of weeks, the Limerick Voice can confirm.

“Over a period of a few days we received five bogus calls. It seemed to be the same thing each time. Someone had gone into the water near Steamboat Quay,” said Jimmy Connors, Chairperson of Limerick Marine Search and Rescue.

Another voluntary emergency service working on the banks of the Shannon have been alarmed by these hoax calls being made to LMSR. Corbett Suicide Watch “work in tandem,” with LMSR according to Paul Hogan, Chairperson of Corbett Suicide Watch.

“It’s sickening; they [LMSR] had three

hoax calls in one night.”

He continued: “It’s frustrating but you can never presume that it’s a hoax. You can’t take that chance. ” Jimmy explained how the hoax calls have been taking a toll on LMSR: “It’s a nuisance – you’re coming out from your own home, you’re in your own leisure time … suddenly you get a text message to say that you are needed and you respond in the hope that maybe you can save a life ... . I wouldn’t say it’s disheartening because you are delighted at the fact that nobody is in trouble but it’s a waste of time.”

The hoax calls seem to only be targeting LMSR, as other emergency services such as the Gardaí, Fire and Ambulance Services have not seen an increase in the number of hoax calls they have received, according to spokespeople from each service.

“Halloween and New Year’s Eve are the main nights where the Gardaí and the Fire Service receive the most hoax calls” said Sgt. Derek Deloughery, Henry Street Garda Station.

The main way to minimize the number of hoax calls is prosecution, he said. “Through Limerick Council we can trace the phone calls back to the hoax caller. It’s difficult to determine how much money is wasted when gardaí go out on a hoax call, but I know it can cost hundreds of euro for the fire service, especially if they need more than one fire engine,” he added.

A spokesperson for the Health Service Executive (HSE) provided details on hoax calls at a national level.

“Since 2010 the HSE National Ambulance Service has in place Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS) in all of

its Control Centres across the country…This system allows for robust and accurate reporting of all incidences… Data in relation to costs incurred [from hoax calls] is not widely available and would take significant resources to compile.”

The spokesperson added: “The NAS responds to every call it receives and as such would appeal to the public to refrain from making hoax calls to all emergency services, as it puts unnecessary additional demand on emergency services and could lead to medical assistance to a genuine caller being compromised.”

Data pertaining to hoax calls for Gardaí and Fire Department services in Limerick was unavailable at the time of going to press this week.

Both LMSR and Corbett Suicide Watch are voluntary-based.

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

4 | News

Outward bound: no ebb in the youth exodus from Limerick

n “They’re in a better place…” says Eugene Bennis of his departed children n Economic pressures, lack of opportunities and wanderlust fuel ongoing brain-drain

Rathkeale AFC’s Jennifer Naughton and Sandra Quaid, with Limerick FC mascot, Leo the Lion. Picture: Press 222

“This is a social disaster waiting to happen…”

Barry Murphy EMIGRATION remains a talking point among young people in Limerick, as the Christmas season sees many families still divided.

Janet and Eugene Bennis are one such family, whose campaign to win flights home for their children this Christmas has taken social media by storm.

“It’s just overwhelming,” Janet told the Limerick Voice. “The fact that over 4,000 people care—because everyone has problems, money problems and children leaving.”

“We keep coming back to this; they’re in a better place,” Eugene said of his four children, who are currently settled and working in Australia.

There are a number of factors contributing to the amount of youth emigration in recent years; both financial and otherwise.

As well as the economic climate, many university programs feature periods of study abroad, which can help students garner experience living and working in a foreign country.

Mark Rankin, 23, currently resides in Toronto, Canada and attributes his success abroad to opportunities afforded to him in university while studying aeronautical engineering. “[Co-op] greatly alleviated the culture shock of moving abroad for the first time,” Mark said of his work experience period in the Netherlands. Since completing his course, Mark has lived in California as part of the J1 program, worked in the UK and eventually relocated to Canada, where he currently lives.

“My main reasons for leaving Ireland to travel to the Netherlands, US & Canada were out of adventure,” Mark continues.

“My motivation to move to

Leo a big hit with soccer girls

Current trends in youth emigration are part of a tale as old as Irish history…

Picture: Francis Carlin

the United Kingdom was purely economical and career based; I received a good job offer with a great company.”

As well as the career opportunities, Mark stresses the change he experienced as a person while travelling.

“Each and every place I have lived and worked has been a milestone in my life. You would be amazed at how far you see yourself changing by the experiences you have outside of your comfort-zone.”

The University of Limerick’s re-

cent careers fair offered a variety of different presentations for students on a variety of different job opportunities at home and abroad.

Michael Cusson, who studies ‘Adult Guidance’ at NUIG and works in UL, noted that each individual case is different, and often people seeking guidance may find work or training in Ireland before they need to consider other options.

Michael also notes that economic factors might well be a factor… or possibly not—it varies from person to person. n

NORTH side Sinn Fein councillor Maurice Quinlivan has urged the Government to tackle youth unemployment, as the latest CSO figures place the city as Ireland’s unemployment black spot.

Cllr Quinlivan—currently living with the pain of familial separation through emigration (two of his nieces recently left Ireland in search of work)—warned that half of adults in Limerick city under the age of 25 are jobless, a figure that dwarfs the 30% national average. As Ireland struggles to recover from the financial crisis, the youth unemployment problem continues to grow.

No region is more in trouble than Limerick city, with 14,008 now on social welfare according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.

The government has tried to address the issue, but Cllr Quinlivan contended that this country has failed to serve its youth.

“People are not going to get jobs without some government investment and that’s missing, especially around people who wouldn’t be third level educated,” he said.

“We can’t go on with a level of 50 percent unemployment, that’s waiting for a social disaster to happen.”

The government has made attempts to get people back into work, through a series of incentivised schemes, like Jobsbridge, that offer job

CRISIS WARNING: Cllr Maurice Quinlivan.

Picture: Emma Jervis/ Press 22

training and apprenticeships.

“Some of the schemes are good in that you can go into a job and get good experience, but a lot of them are just using cheap labour. 18 months to learn how to stack a shelf – that’s a joke,” he said.

“I would argue that the government actually needs to do a stimulus package of a number of billions of euro to put people back to work,” said Quinlivan.

Limerick is bucking the trend in the Mid-West region, which has the lowest unemployment rates in the country.

Given Limerick’s location as a home to two of Ireland’s premier third-level institutions, the statistics make for grim reading. n

News | 5

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

ON THE EVE OF WATER CHARGES…

Around €1m a year to repair Limerick water leaks THE leaks and repairs to Limerick’s water system are costing the community an estimated €1 million a year, according to a senior engineer.

One of the main problems with the Limerick water system is the infrastructure, according to former Limerick City Council Senior Executive Engineer John O’Shaughnessy “The investment has been poor for the last number of years, even before the recession. Our pipes are over one hundred-years-old,” Mr. O’Shaughnessy said.

Asked how much he thought the leaks to the Limerick water mains are currently costing the community, Mr. O’Shaughnessy replied: “I don’t know how the current cost of water will be assessed by the Financial Regulator, by the Energy Regulator. …. but it [the leaks cost] probably, maybe, €1m a year.”

Following the interview, Mr O’Shaughnessy clarified that this estimated cost covers the leakage, the cost of fixing the burst and the cost of rehabilitating the poorly performing water main.

This estimated €1 million annual water leakage/repairs bill in Limerick has emerged on the eve of the Government’s plan to introduce water charges in 2014.

The Anti-Austerity Alliance (AAA) is campaigning in Limerick city against the water charges and it is urging people not to pay them.

AAA spokesman David Houlihan said: “It’s too much austerity.

“

The investment has been poor for the last number of years, even before the recession. Our pipes are over 100 years old…

“

Federica Sgaggio

John O’Shaughnessy

Former Senior Executive Engineer, Limerick City Council

People don’t have the money, their houses have been repossessed. People are so depressed at the moment.

They don’t want other taxes.”

Mr. O’Shaughnessy said that the repairs to water mains carried out

by Limerick City Council up to date have saved 10,000,000 litres a day of water.

Work started on repairing Limerick’s water system in 2011/12.

Limerick City Council with the support of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government funding replaced 7.2km of water mains.

And 1,500 households on private communal lead services were also linked to the public water mains Plans to repair 13km of poor water mains in Limerick that would save five million litres of water a day are with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and Irish Water awaiting approval, according to Mr. O’Shaughnessy. ‘’There is a large quantity of losses through communal services – 75 percent of the total, that’s my estimation,” Mr. O’Shaughnessy said.

But Limerick City Council worked on this from 2009 to 2013 and the programme was very successful. “More than 7.2Km of water mains were replaced and up to 95 percent of the new connections were taken up,” Mr. O’Shaughnessy said.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government spokesperson said that the Council’s plan to save 4 Million Litres a Day (MLD) has been approved.

The spokesperson added that a further €3.85m works package is under construction and this includes additional works on the Ballinacurra Road.

Mandela’s passing like ‘losing a friend’: UL Professor Federica Sgaggio THE passing of the late Nelson Mandela was not just the death of a public figure—it was like the “death of a friend”.

That’s according to the iconic leader’s biographer, Professor Tom Lodge, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, of the University of Limerick.

“Mandela made you feel you belonged in some kind of way to an intimate circle — that was part of his charm. He invited people into a personal relationship, so you do feel a personal sense of loss, a bit like losing a much loved grandfather,” Prof Lodge said.

The UL professor has been reflecting on ‘Madiba’s’ legacy and explained why he was, and will continue to be, a shining light for democracy the world over.

“Mandela will go on being an important source of moral reference in South Africa. Governments and politicians will still use Mandela as a source of moral authority,” he said.

Prof Lodge explained that Mandela, who is often depicted in iconic terms, was capable of being ruthless, while also holding onto old-fashioned virtues.

“I think he is often depicted as a political version of Santa Claus or a saint, actually he was pretty ruthless, very tough, very smart but also quite sentimental and he attached great importance to honour and courage,” he said.

Prof Lodge first wrote about Mandela when the ANC leader was imprisoned on Robben Island, and subsequently written numerous works,

The late Nelson Mandela.

Professor Tom Lodge, UL. often at the request of Mandela himself.

He said he had enjoyed many conversations in person and on the phone with Mandela, but feels he got to know the man best by receiving access to private letters to some of his children, and love letters to exwife Winnie while imprisoned.

Among the best known of Prof Lodge’s books on Mandela are, Politics in South Africa: From Mandela to Mbeki; and Mandela: A Critical Life.

Budget cuts may put Rape Crisis services at risk Laoise Neylon

THE Director of the Rape Crisis Midwest Centre warned this week that cuts to its budget in 2014 may put frontline services at risk.

Ms Miriam Duffy said that they had a budget deficit of €110,000 last year due to cutbacks in State funding.

One of the key services that the Rape Crisis Midwest Centre provides is free counselling to victims of rape or sexual assault, including adult survivors of child sexual abuse.

The latest budget cuts had a severe impact on the level of free counselling services that the centre could provide to the victims of rape or sexual assault, Ms Duffy said.

“Your heart goes in your mouth when you

hear the budget is being announced, there have been cuts upon cuts year after year and they’re having a cumulative effect,” she added.

Long waiting lists already exist for the counselling service, with those who require on-going counselling waiting approximately eight months.

Ms Duffy said that there have been cutbacks of approximately 2.5% each year for the last six years, and the same is expected for 2014.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides a large share of the Rape Crisis Midwest Centre annual budget.

Ms Duffy said that their HSE budget allocation is decided at national level and that the local HSE staff is very supportive of the charity.

When the national HSE press office was

asked if the 2014 budget for Rape Crisis Midwest Centre was due to be cut again in 2014, year, they referred the query to the local Mid-West HSE spokesman.

He said: “We are not currently in a position to comment on the final details of the Service Plan 2014.”

As a result of cutbacks in State funding, Rape Crisis Midwest, like many other charities, is becoming increasingly reliant on donations.

Ms Duffy complimented the people of the Midwest for their generosity and she said that their service would not survive without this support.

But she fears that charitable donations will not be enough to prevent services being affected in 2014.

“It’s gone to the stage now where we could

be looking at cutting back services, which is not nice,” Ms Duffy said.

All donations to Rape Crisis Midwest are used to fund frontline services, there are no top ups and no staff on executive level salaries. Staff are not paid for overtime and work extra hours in a voluntary capacity.

Ms Duffy said that when a rape is reported to the Gardai, the Sexual Assault Unit is activated and a forensic examination is necessary.

There is always a Rape Crisis person present to support the victim at this examination.

Rape Crisis Midwest offer counselling to people in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary and have local counselling centres in Limerick, Ennis and Nenagh.

Approximately 60% of their clients are adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and approximately 20% of their clients are male.

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

6 | News

Roads death toll prompts Christmas driving caution Amber Galwey SIX lives were claimed on Limerick roads so far this year and as Christmas approaches the authorities are urging people to remain vigilant and take care on the county’s roads.

The Christmas period comes hand in hand with increased traffic volumes, between last minute shopping sprees and people travelling to spend the holiday period with family and friends. Karen Butler, Limerick County Council’s Road Safety Officer, reminds road users that they need to follow basic road safety prac-

tises to ensure they arrive safely at their chosen destination during the Christmas season.

“The main advice we would offer drivers is not to use mobile phones or text while they are driving. Mobile phones are the cause of so many accidents. Drivers should also obey the speed limits, wear their seatbelts, never drink and drive and never take drugs and drive.”

Ms Butler outlines that it is important to be alert while behind the wheel. “Driver fatigue is one of the most common causes of accidents.

So we would encourage people to stop and take a break if they begin to feel tired. It is also very important not to take any medical drugs before

ATMs hit by ‘skim scam’ operation n Gardaí advise the public to be vigilant when using PIN numbers at ATMs. “The operation is very transient,” warns Garda Inspector Brian Sugrue…

Lisa Blake GARDAÍ are continuing to investigate an intelligent ATM skimming device which is being used across the Limerick area to target bank accounts of unsuspecting users.

Reports of money being withdrawn from suspicious locations on bank statements first arose in late October and are continuing to emerge.

Victims of the intelligent operation are witnessing money being withdrawn from their accounts in the US in particular, among other countries.

“The fraud team at Ulster bank rang me looking for my account details, but I was apprehensive about giving any personal details over the phone so I called into the branch to be sure,” recalled one victim of the scam. Shane O’Riordan of Castletroy, Co. Limerick used a tampered ATM in the Childers Rd area.

“They called out a number of statements from my account and I knew I had been hacked when a withdrawal from Nevada, U.S.A was called out to me.”

Garda Inspector Brian Sugrue at Roxboro Garda station has urged the public to be extra vigilant when using ATM machines.

“It is not certain which ATMs in particular that people should avoid, as the device is being taken off one ATM and put on to another. The operation is very much transient. People need to make sure they are putting their hand over their PIN number

driving as many common medicines can cause drowsiness, which is very dangerous when driving.”

In the lead up to Christmas Limerick’s road safety advisors are warning drivers to prepare for incidents of ice and frosty conditions. Road Safety Engineers in Limerick regularly review common accident sites and take steps to improve road quality or rectify any problem areas to ensure road users are travelling in the safest possible conditions. However, drivers are warned to expect the unexpected, by taking responsibility and ensuring they drive as safely as possible during this busy season. n

FATIGUE: Among the most common causes of road accidents. Picture: Bernard Walsh

Gardaí reaching out to minorities

Garda Daniel Murphy of Roxboro Road Garda Station, having some fun with members of Limerick’s Muslim community, while on duty in his capacity as a Garda Ethnic Liaison Officer (ELO), part of a new Garda community outreach scheme aimed at helping ethnic minority groups to integrate with the community in Limerick.

Blue Box charity spreading its wings for 2014 Jean Mounsey

Picture: Francis Carlin

when entering it on the keypad. If the PIN is covered, the criminal device cannot read it. If you are suspicious about an ATM don’t hesitate to contact the Gardaí immediately.”

Bank of Ireland has said that anyone with a BOI account who has been a victim of the fraud has been reimbursed and new cards have been issued. If there is a possibility a customer’s account has been apprehended but no evidence has emerged determining such as of yet, new cards have been sent out as a precautionary measure.

A second victim has said that three separate amounts of €72 were taken before a final sum of €145 was taken from an ATM in the US. The UL student and AIB customer said that out of the €361 taken, €80 has been reimbursed so far and a replacement card has been sent.

The public are being urged to take ATM security measures seriously and to report any suspicious behaviour whatsoever. The Garda investigation to determine who is behind this criminal operation is still ongoing. n

THE Blue Box charity is building a new centre within the Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership (LEDP) Park in Roxboro next year.

The charity uses art, play, dance and music therapy to help young people who are experiencing difficulty in their lives.

It provided over 700 children in Limerick with 3,076 therapy sessions in the 2012/2013 school year, according to the Blue Box C.E.O. Bernadette Kenny.

“The Blue Box is the only creative arts psychotherapy charity in Ireland,” Ms Kenny said.

The new centre will consist of three therapy rooms, offices and a

large room for training, workshops, performances, and for renting out to other organisations.

The Regeneration Plan and JP McManus provided capital funding for the new building.

“Therapy is about developing an inner sense of self, giving hope, finding your journey and path,” added Ms Kenny.

Next year, the charity will launch a new website assisted by DELL. It operated in 17 primary and secondary schools in Limerick during the last school year.

The therapist works very closely with the school and the young person’s parents/guardians as an integral part of the programmes.

Scoil Ide Primary School principal, Peter Long, described the charity

Professor Willie O’Connor, University of Limerick (centre), with staff from the Blue Box (from left): Austin Creaven; Bernadette Kenny, CEO; Antonia Brown; and Sheila Cahill (Blue Box board of management).

as “an absolute necessity” and “invaluable”.

“If you don’t address the problems with kids when they are small they won’t go away, they get compounded,” he added.

The Blue Box also runs the ‘A Leanbh’ programme.

It uses music and play therapy to promote secure attachment and to encourage a healthy relationship between young children and their care giver.

It is run in pre-schools, community mother groups and in junior infant classes.

St Augustine’s Secondary School principal, Andrew O’Byrne, said that he is “really positive” about the work that the Blue Box does with young people.

“It adds hugely to the personal development of the young people in a holistic way,” Mr O’Byrne said.

The charity was founded in 1997

by Sr Mary Carmel O’Donoghue and Austin Creaven.

On December 13th, there will be a coffee morning in various locations in Limerick to raise much-needed funds for the charity.

The ‘Make it Lucky for a Child in Limerick’ fundraiser will be held in the Savoy Hotel at 11am on this date.

Contact The Blue Box by email info@bluebox.ie or call 061-315070 for further information. n

News | 7

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Economic chief forecasts early completion of Limerick 2030 …but there will be no gain without short-term pain, Tom Enright, the man in charge of Limerick’s economic development and planning matters, told Limerick Voice reporter Karen O’Connor-Desmond ishing the existing Arthur’s Quay complex will have a negative economic impact on business in the city centre. However, he added that this will depend on the phasing.

Mr Enright said: “If you want to create a large development, you’re going to have to clear a site. The Arthur’s Quay development could be two different centres, so it may be possible to build one first and move people out of where they are into that, and then demolish the existing one. What we want to do is try and minimise disruption to the city centre during that transformation phase but there is no doubt— yes, it will be a construction site for a period of up to two years or so. That’s something, unfortunately, that’s part of redevelopment.”

The Limerick 2030 plan was published last June and outlines plans to transform Limerick’s city centre, increasing economic growth and attracting investment.

Mr Enright said: “The physical work in terms of the big projects will take a number of years

“

“

A PLANNING application to transform Arthur’s Quay into a whole new retail centre is expected to be submitted within the next couple of months as part of Limerick City and County Councils’ €250m development plan for the region.

The owners of Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre are currently working with members of the Limerick 2030 initiative on the planning application prior to submission.

According to the Director of Economic Development and Planning, Tom Enright, demol-

Over the next five to 10 years I think you’ll see dramatic change within the city centre.

Tom Enright

Chief of Economic Development and Planning for Limerick

but there are smaller things we’ve been doing.”

Recently, demolition began at the Opera Centre site, which will provide a temporary car-park facility in the city centre. This will open shortly before Christmas this year.

Mr Enright said: “Our plan is to have a mix of use in the Opera Centre site with large commercial office space. I think it’s an ideal location to put in a university presence as well.”

Currently, architects are being appointed to develop the full master plan for the site and negotiations are taking place in relation to office space and how that may be developed. Mr Enright said an application is being prepared for European Investment Bank funding in order to make the capital available for the project.

Work is also under way at the old AIB Bank site on Patrick’s Street which has been derelict for several years. The building will house Mr Enright’s own department, the Department of Economic Development and Planning, and it is expected that around 70 members of the department will be located there by February or March of next year.

A derelict building beside this site is also under construction and will be finished at the same time. Mr Enright explained that this building will be used for the marketing company that has been established for Limerick.

With the plan having been published six months ago, it will take three to four years to move through the planning stage to construction, to having some of the developments in place.

Mr Enright said: “These are big developments—there’s a €250m spend in the city centre and it will take time. The 2030 plan is looking at Limerick over the next 17 years. However, over the next five to 10 years I think you’ll see dramatic change within the city centre.”

According to Mr Enright, one of the major changes that they are looking at is diverting traffic out of the city centre. Currently, the two

OPERATION TRANSFORMATION: An artist’s impression of the redesigned Arthur’s Quay. main streets within the city centre, O’Connell Street and Henry Street, are one way. Under consideration is the designation of the Patrick Street/Rutland Street end of O’Connell Street as access only to buses and taxi, and reverting Henry Street to its previous two-way configuration.

This, Mr Enright believes, would result in “a calmed commercial retail centre”.

“We need to put the pedestrian first inside the city centre and push the car into second place,” Mr Enright insisted. “I’m not saying we need full pedestrianization but what we do need to do is to make it safer and easier for people to walk around the city centre.”

Smaller steps towards transforming the city have been taken already. In August, a market was introduced to Cruises Street which, according to Mr Enright, has fuelled a 50% increase in footfall within the city centre at weekends.

Howley’s Quay is currently in the process of being completely pedestrianized and the walkway by the river is expected to be finished in a matter of weeks.

Mr Enright is confident that the Limerick 2030 plan will be completed on time.

“I’m more ambitious and more confident now that we can deliver the plan, and I think we will deliver much of it earlier than 2030.” n

World’s first underwater interactive park for Limerick Shane O’Riordan THE world’s first ever underwater interactive park is to make its home in Limerick City, with hopes that the funds raised will go to a worthwhile cause.

Horses, goats and even a human heart will come to life within the River Shannon this weekend, as preparations get underway for Limerick City of Culture 2014.

The metal and fiberglass sculptures are likely to draw crowds and it is hoped that funds raised from the art

event will go to Limerick Marine Search and Rescue (LMSR).

“Limerick Council is amazing to propose the City of Culture 2014 and we’d hope that this project will blend in nicely with the idea,” said Dr Paul O’Byrne, one of a number of artists involved in the project.

Each piece of art will be placed within the river, with one of the park’s main attractions being the ‘Heart of Munster’. “The beating of the heart is signalled by a red light on top of the piece. At low tide the heart beats slowly and when the riv-

er picks up, the beating of the heart does too,” he said.

Funds raised through the artwork will be greatly appreciated, according to Jimmy Connors, chairperson of LMSR. “Hopefully we would be able to finish our slipway if enough money is raised. We are also badly in need of new equipment, especially diving suits which are outdated and can cost upwards of €1000 each,” he said.

LMSR is a completely voluntary body and was 27 years old on December 6th. LMSR has 22 mem-

bers with three trustees that include Councillor Ger Fahy, retired Garda Sergeant John Delaney, and retired Fire Chief of Limerick Fire and Rescue Service, Charlie Daly.

Jimmy added: “It would be such a great thing for Limerick to see this art as it is shining some positive light on the river instead of the negative light it receives from cases of suicide.”

While the beating heart is sure to draw some attention, it is not the only metallic artwork to come alive from the river. “The stallion, deer

and goats will emerge from the water as the flow and tide increase and decrease. The idea is that people will not be able to recognise they are not real animals when they’re viewed from a distance.”

“The programme has been on the burner for three years,” said Dr O’Byrne. It is hoped for the sculptures to be placed near Clancy’s Strand and numerous other locations on the river. n Picture of Clancy Strand by Francis Carlin

8 | News

IN BRIEF

Check out the city’s history on council website

AN EXTENSIVE collection of historical references from Limerick is available on the City council website. Budding historians can find information such as sportspeople, obituaries, and Trades directories from as far back as the 1700s, as well as a ‘Who’s Who’ of Limerick list.

There is also access to some information on family histories, and other interesting lists such as the various Guilds in Limerick in 1840.

You can also find this information at The Reference and Local Studies Department, which is located in the Central Library at the Granary.

It is free of charge to look though the catalogue. To access online, copy this link into a web browser limerickcity.ie/Library/LocalStudies/ n

Market now open every day now until Christmas LIMERICK Milk Market will open every day from now until Christmas Eve. The popular market, which usually only opens Thursday to Sunday, will open all week in the run up to Christmas.

The market features local produce and organic and artisan foods, as well as crafts and clothing. On weekends there will be carol singing and other festive events.

The Market is expecting thousands of visitors for Christmas this year from not just Limerick but also from around the world.

Further information can be found on their website, milkmarket.ie. n

Light up a memory tree in aid of Milford Hospice MILFORD Care Centre’s annual lighting up of the Light Up A Memory tree will take place on Sunday 15th December at 6pm.

The people to be remembered will be listed in the Light Up A Memory book, which will be displayed in the Centre throughout the year. Refreshments will be available after the ceremony.

The tree from 2011, donated to the PALLS Project, was used to make unique hand crafted bowls which will be for sale at the PALLS Project, Unit 2, Docklands Business Park on the Dock Rd on Sunday 15th December from 2pm to 5pm.

All proceeds will go to the Milford Care Centre.

The lights will then be witched off at a special mass, taking place at the Milford Centre on the 5th January

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

No ‘back to education’ joy for Limerick man Gary Whelan Online Editor

A LIMERICK man unemployed for four years has lost the opportunity to begin a third level education course because of a mix up in the social welfare office.

Paul Ryan, 32, was offered a place in LIT studying culinary arts fulltime, but has now had to drop out as he was refused the Back to Education Allowance which thousands of mature students have availed of all over the country.

To be eligible for BTEA you must be signing on the unemployment register. Mr Ryan had been in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance (JA) for the past four years, but recently switched over to a community employment scheme.

This scheme is organised by the Department of Social and Family Affairs and FÁS to provide unemployed people an opportunity to contribute to society while still in receipt of assistance. Mr Ryan had been working in a community kitchen where he discovered a passion for food that motivated his decision to apply for

Limerick man Paul Ryan with the professional culinary knives that he purchased after being accepted to study culinary arts at LIT. The knives remain idle, with Mr Ryan returning to Jobseekers’ Allowance when his application for the Back to Education Allowance was refused. Picture: Gary Whelan culinary arts in LIT. Having received the news of his offer late in September, he was required to begin classes immediately, while the details of his social welfare status were decided.

Property decline at lowest for six years n Prices have “hit rock-bottom” ACCORDING to a report published

by Myhome.ie, Limerick’s property prices stabilised during the second half of 2013, the pace of decline easing to its lowest level for almost six years, writes Billy Goulding.

The report revealed the median asking price for property in Limerick City remained unchanged at €145,000 in Q3 of 2013. In the year to Q3, the annual rate of decline in Limerick City was 9.4%. However, in the county, the median asking price fell by 1.9% to €157,000.

The annual rate of decline in Limerick County continues to moderate, declining by 10.3% over the year, while properties are taking six months to proceed to ‘sale agreed’.

In terms of fluctuation of prices between three- and four-bed properties, the median asking price of a three-bed semi-detached property fell 2.4% to €145,000 during Q3. In the same period, the median asking price of a four-bed semi-detached fell by 2.2% to €175,000, an annual decline of 7.4%.

Aspokesperson for Limerick based firm Hickey O'Donoghue Auctioneers claimed he “expects the me-

dian asking price of properties in the county and city to increase over the forthcoming year as they have hit rock bottom”.

He added that it was “impossible to estimate what the rate of increase will be”, but he was hopeful of a gradual increase.

In relation to the price gap between urban and rural properties in Limerick, he added: “The gap gives a false perception of the average asking price of a residential property in Limerick as the majority of properties selling in the city are commercial outlets financed by investors.”

On a national scale the report shows the annual rate of decline is now 7.8%. In Dublin the mix adjusted price increased by 0.9 percent this quarter.

The national mix adjusted asking price is now €190,790 and €240,064 in Dublin.

Two weeks into the semester Mr Ryan was informed that because he was on a scheme and not JA, he would not be switched over to BTEA. “I feel angry and let down by the country and the system, I had told

my kids I was going to college and they thought that things were going to start looking up for us with Daddy getting some work,” he said.

He explained that when he was informed he could not be switched to BTEA, he asked to be returned to Jobseekers’ Allowance so he could then reapply for BTEA. However he was told that as he was in full-time education he would not qualify for this benefit either.

Mr Ryan then tried to appeal the decision. “I phoned them and was put onto a claim supervisor, and his exact words to me were that if you want to get paid you’re going to have to leave college,” he said.

After considering his options Mr Ryan said he felt he had no other choice but to drop out of college. “I really had no choice, because I have two kids and I need to be getting paid so I had to pull out of college,” he added.

Mr Ryan is now out of college and is currently back on Jobseekers Allowance.

The Department of Social Protection has said that they cannot comment on individual cases.

Limerick communities toast a successful ‘Gathering’ year LIMERICK’S hospitality and tourism sectors—and local communities—are reflecting on a successful year of The Gathering, writes Peter Lee. The main objective of The Gathering was to get people back to Ireland, and of the 5,000-plus registered ‘Gathering’ events in Ireland to date, over 100 showcases were organised by communities in Limerick.

Some of the largest events organised here in Limerick include ‘The Knights of WestFest’ in Newcastle West, an Abbey Fishermen Gathering on the Shannon, an Abbeyfeale Schools Reunion’, and a week-long festival in Killmallock.

Money spent by people attending these events has enabled local communities to prosper in difficult times and revitalised these areas’ social profiles.

Donal Fitzgibbon, chair of the

Limerick Gathering Steering Committee said: “On occasions we put too much value on the monetary benefit but there is also the actual social benefit because people have a lot of challenges and there are a lot of people who may have lost contact with people.

“Because of a Gathering event, people have come back with a new lease of life and renewed old friendships.

“So there are huge social benefits for local communities because they create a great energy, and that’s something you can’t put a value on in terms of the money point of view,” he said.

So far this year in Ireland as a nation, the tourism sector has seen an almost 7% increase in the number of overseas visitors, of which there has been an increase of almost 20% in the number of North American visitors alone.

Tim O’Connor, chairman of the Gathering Advisory Board, said: “At a difficult time that has been a great boost for all the practitioners, the hotels, the B&Bs, car hire companies, the restaurants, the pubs and everybody involved in the hospitality and tourism sector; and it’s a big, big sector, employing a lot of people.”

Visit limerick.ie/thegathering for further information.

News | 9

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Bringing self confidence and hope back to communities

Head of Regeneration on Limerick’s southside, Jason Murphy, tells Limerick Voice deputy news editor, Rose O’Connor, of the agency’s aim to ‘put itself out of business’ by its own success SENIOR Executive Officer at the Office of Regeneration Jason Murphy believes “the Office of Regeneration needs to do itself out of business”.

He said that the aim is to have communities functioning in their own right, without the need of an Office of Regeneration: “The physical will happen. It’s when the people don’t need us and we need that to happen sooner rather than later. That’s the social and the economic. They’re critical.”

When asked about the image that comes with being a regeneration area like Southill or Ballinacurra Weston, Mr Murphy said that it is something they are trying to move away from.

He said: “Taking the label of regeneration out of the equation is a process that might need to be started sooner rather than later. Regeneration is about bringing hope and selfconfidence back to the communities, not stigmatising.”

The Office of Regeneration wants the communities to be seen as part of the bigger city by providing accessibility and proper services.

A community engagement process is underway at the moment to see how the community could be engaged more effectively.

“We are aware that there are groups and individuals who believe they are not being heard,” Mr Murphy said.

He said that the Office of Regeneration has not ruled out the possibility of community elections in the future but that it is an issue that needs to be driven through process so that no group loses out.

The Office committed to honour the structures in place in 2012 when it took over from the Regeneration

Agency, but Mr Murphy said that they welcome any residents who come to see them and that they do take their views on board.

Over 400 people attended the Southside public consultations in March to discuss the current Regeneration proposals.

Due to EU law it has not been possible for the jobs arising through regeneration to be promised to local people.

Limerick City Council has instead adopted a social benefit clause into its public procurement process.

This means that companies are asked how they will be of benefit to the community as part of their tender.

Mr Murphy said that the Office is also trying to hand out smaller jobs to allow smaller companies who might be local to tender.

He added that the goal is to create jobs and the circumstances which allow people to get those jobs through training.

The creation of a social innovation hub is also a priority for the Office of Regeneration – having someone in place to make it easier to bring business to the areas.

After that it is a matter of seeing what the Council can bring to the table in the way of incentives and promotion.

It is about creating an environment where you would ask “why would you look anywhere else?”according to Mr Murphy.

There are 107 housing construction projects scheduled to go ahead in 2014 on the Southside of the city.

The 35 units at Colvet Court are due to be delivered in the next couple of months, while the 29 at Vizes

Court are to come on stream this year.

The Office of Regeneration has also begun retrofitting existing houses to bring them up to a C energy rating.

In Ballinacurra Weston the contractor is on site and eight houses are due to be upgraded in the coming months.

Mr Murphy said that their priorities in selecting the houses are that they be primarily occupied, be visible to show the progress of the regeneration and represent a good mix of local authority housing and private property.

He added that the buildings will be assessed and only necessary works will be carried out to make the best use of tax payers’ money.

Two rows of houses have been selected in Southill to test the process for the different types of housing in the area.

When asked about the details of the proposed €2m primary healthcare facility for Ballinacurra Weston Mr Murphy said that the project would be driven by the Health Service executive (HSE) who are considering a number of sites across the country.

He said that the social indicators in Ballinacurra Weston show that it is certainly in need of the facility.

The low broadband access in these areas is an issue which Mr Murphy said hasn’t received a lot of attention.

It means someone who wants to access a cheap flight can’t do that and it means someone mightn’t be naturally disposed to going to the internet for information.

The plan is to roll out broadband in the next 12 to 18 months when they begin work in the public space.

Jason Murphy.

Southside pastry chefs have the right recipe for culinary success Trainee chefs (from left), Brian Flannagan, James Clancy, Roy Collins, Mike Kelly, Sylvia Gibbons and Tom Conway, with Anthony Dilvcia, course instructor with the VEC in Ballinacurra at Our Lady Of Lourdes Christmas Fair. Pic Tony Grehan / Press 22.

Picture: Tony Grehan / Press 22.

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

10 | News

All change for new council

Luke Hogg LIMERICK City and County Councils will merge next year into one single local authority to represent all the people of Limerick.

The merging of the two councils means that many of the electoral areas across Limerick will be changing and this will prove a real challenge to the sitting Councillors hoping to be re-elected.

Cllr. John Gilligan (Independent), who was elected to Limerick City Council from the Limerick City East constituency, feels that his new area of Limerick North is far too big.

“The area is way out of kilter. It’s way too big. It’s mind boggling how any councillor can give the public the service they deserve in this big area”, he said.

He also spoke about the challenge he faces retaining his seat next May. “As an independent councillor, it is very difficult. I face the same challenges as everybody else running in this ward.”

However, Cllr. Gilligan was feeling good about the election saying, “I am quite confident about my chances.”

Another candidate in the new Limerick North constituency will be Cllr.

Denis McCarthy (Fine Gael), who was elected to Limerick City Council

from the Limerick East constituency in 2009.

Cllr. McCarthy has told the Limerick Voice about the challenges he faces as a candidate in the new Limerick North constituency.

He spoke of the new estates north of the Shannon, which now make up part of his area, by saying “I’m not too well known in the northern part of the constituency.”

“I’m quite confident about going into these estates, I’m looking forward to the campaign and I believe I

will run a good campaign.”

He said he wanted to “tackle the scourge of anti-social behaviour in Limerick”, and said of the election “it’s all about the people.”

Cllr. Gerry McLoughlin, who iscurrently an independent and previously of the Labour Party, also spoke about the changes to the electoral area boundaries.

The former mayor, who was elected from the Limerick East constituency to Limerick City Council in 2009, will also contest the next elec-

tion in the newly formed Limerick North constituency.

“It won’t be any easier than before… but it is an opportunity to go to a different part of the city.”

Cllr. McLoughlin said of the new boundaries “they are good for the people, to have some fresh feet on the ground, but there will be lots of work involved.”

Another candidate who will be effected by the new areas is Cllr. Kieran O’Hanlon (Fianna Fáil) who sees a very difficult campaign ahead.

Cllr. O’Hanlon, who was elected to the City Council from the Limerick East area in 2009, will now face reelection in the new and much bigger Limerick East electoral area.

“The electoral area is way too big for councillors who are part-time.

There are about 40,000 people in my area alone… even physically to canvas it is nearly impossible.”

“I’m finding it very difficult to canvas this new area, with agricultural issues coming into it in the rural parts of the area”, he said.

Cllr. Maurice Quinlivan is the only member of Sinn Féin on the City council and he will contest the next election in the new Limerick North area.

He agrees with the overall view that the new area is too big.

“It’s hard to know what’s going to happen, but it’s difficult for everyone, because the constituency is very big.”

He is happy not to have large rural areas in his constituency adding, “I’ll do my best. There is no real rural area coming in and I’m lucky in that regard.”

Sitting council members running for re-election and the new council hopefuls will fight it out, across six constituencies, next May for the 40 seats on the newly merged Limerick local authority.

Young guns ready to target new local authority Luke Hogg THERE are two candidates under the age of 25 already declared for next May’s elections to the newly amalgamated Limerick local authority.

Frank Mulqueen (Fine Gael) and Cian Prendiville (Socialist Party and Anti Austerity Alliance) are both 24 years old and represent a new breed of aspiring politicians, Frank Mulqueen says he is putting his name before the electorate to try and make the city a better place and to help it reach its full potential.

“I love Limerick and want to make it better. It is a wonderful city with a lot to offer but has never reached its potential.”

The council hopeful spoke about youth unemployment in Limerick and how this was one of the main points of his campaign.

“We have a huge issue with youth unemployment and the council cannot shy away from this. It must take an active role in seeking out investment for jobs.”

He also spoke of the difficulties faced by a young candidate trying to get elected to a County Council.

“It is a huge undertaking for me to try and convince the electorate of my ability to manage Limerick Local authority. Limerick will elect 40 people

across our city and county and I hope to be one of them.”

Cian Prendiville also spoke about why he wanted to run for the County Council next year.

“My decision to run is very much tied up with the broader coming together of a team of anti austerity candidates. People felt it was important that the parties of austerity faced a

serious challenge in next year’s elections. We want to get our own back, and wipe them out.”

The young hopeful spoke about how he believed that people had enough of “I know your father type politics” and that the people of Limerick would vote for a candidate based on their views.

“These elections will not be about

what age people are, or who they know, but what they stand for in particular on the key issue of austerity.

People are looking for an alternative, a challenge to the parties of austerity.”

He said that helping young people would take up a big part of his candidacy and he would do his best to help them in these difficult economic

times.

“One in two young people in Limerick are unemployed. Emigration, hopelessness and suicide are huge problems in this city, especially for young people.”

Below: Election hopefuls Frank Mulqueen (left) and Cian Prendiville (Right)

We want to get our own back and wipe them out.

CIAN PRENDIVILLE SOCIALIST PARTY

News | 11

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Local workers to drive Regeneration In an exclusive interview with The Limerick Voice, Brian Geaney of the Limerick Regeneration Office promised that there will be more local workers employed on future regeneration projects

By Cormac Dowling ONE of the most perisitent local criticisms of the Limerick Regeneration process is that most of the work has gone to workers from outside the regeneration areas.

But, according to Limerick Regeneration Office spokesman Brian Geaney, that criticism will not apply to future construction projects.

As part of a broader social dividend, there will be a strong emphasis on keeping as many jobs as possible in the local communities.

A social benefit clause was adopted by both Limerick City and County Councils in July 2013, to ensure that locals would be more involved in future construction projects.

However, since July there has been little development in this area, as many projects had already gone out to tender.

That will not apply in the future as Mr Geaney confirmed that future tenders will have this “social benefit clause” included.

“We would hope that the number of local people employed in regeneration and non-regeneration projects would be substantially increased,” he said.

He acknowledged local concerns on the lack of local employment on projects so far and promised this will change in the near future.

“There is strong focus politically and locally that the number of people to benefit from regeneration will have to be increased. That is certainly what we are committed to doing,” he added.

On the Regeneration Office’s plans for the coming year, he said that 300 houses will undergo thermal upgrading in the Northside Regeneration area in 2014.

The houses will be brought up to a Constant Bit Rate (CBR) building energy rating. Pilot projects are already underway and the full project is expected to be rolled out next April or May. The work will include external insulation, new windows and doors where necessary, central heating upgrades and attic insulation.

So far, 100 houses in Moyross have been earmarked for the upgrade in the coming year.

Mr Geaney also announced that the road from the Moyross side to St Nessan’s Community College will finally be ready to go ahead in the new year.

Director of the Moyross Residents forum Chris Duhig welcomed the announcement and claimed community groups have been campaigning for the road for over two decades.

“The importance of the road is that

Attending the board meeting at Moyross Community Enterprise Centre were Dave Mulcahy, Tracy McElligott, Brian Geaney, Paddy Flannery and Geraldine Clohessy. Picture Liam Burke/Press 22 it cuts out 15-20 minutes from the travel time into St Nessan’s College from Moyross, he said.

“Moyross pupils account for one third of the students at the college and it makes the place more accessible for them,” he explained.

In further positive transport news for the area, construction work on a road linking Coonagh with Knockalisheen will get under way in 2014, pending funding guarantees from the Department of Transport.

This distributor road, which has met with some local opposition, will run from the north west of the city extending from the Coonagh Roundabout onto the N18 towards the Knockalisheen Road.

The scheme will provide a link

road to Moyross and an upgrade of the Knockalisheen road. The road is a key element in the Regeneration Office’s strategy of opening up access to Moyross.

Funding for the project was secured in January 2013 and it now appears the project will finally get underway in the early part of 2014 according to Mr Geaney.

After completing almost 100 new builds in 2013 there are hopes a similar number can be completed in 2014, with 46 units in Cosgrave Park and 10 in Cliona Park ready to get underway in the latter part of 2014.

Addressing concerns of a lack of progress on the social side of regeneration, Mr. Geaney conceded that there was still much work to do but

Main projects to be delivered in Moyross in 2014 • Commencement of new Coonagh to Knockalisheen road is ready to go (pending Department of Transport funding approval).

• Thermal upgrades of close to 100 houses in the Moyross area is expected to be rolled out in April or May. • New housing developments in Cosgrave Park (46 units) and Cliona park (10 units) to commence in latter part of next year.

• Opening of a new road going into St Nessan’s Community College from the Moyross side to commence after Christmas.

he was keen to highlight the positive effects to date.

“Social regeneration has led to improvements in the area of crime prevention and Gardaí have stated that the social regeneration projects have helped them improve policing in the estates,” he said.

He also highlighted the excellent work of the local communities in helping to eradicate the serious litter problem that had blighted St Mary’s parish for some time.

In further worrying news for the local property market, Mr Geaney confirmed that areas earmarked for private housing may have to be reconsidered due to lack of demand.

However, he confirmed that demand for social housing however remains very high.

He welcomed the new Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation plan, launched in September and says that “for the first time, now we have a plan that’s real and deliverable.”

Given the stop-start nature of Regeneration in Limerick up until now, Mr Geaney was understandably cautious but he did remain optimistic about the prospects for real progress in 2014.

“We are confident that this plan will be delivered because it is a realistic plan and we’ve been given a realistic level of resources to deliver it,” he said.

For the first time, now we have a plan that’s real and deliverable

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

12 | News

Limerick hit hard by cattle disease Niamh Dillon A COUNTY Limerick vet has warned of the danger of a fatal gastrointestinal disease in cattle after it was established that the number of cases in Limerick was 10 percent higher than the national average.

Johne’s disease is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) and Brian Ryan of Mulcair Veterinary Clinic in Cappamore maintained that its incidence in Limerick is particularly high.

He points to a recent study of dairy farms that found over one third of herds in Limerick tested positive

for the disease.

While the national average currently stands at 20 percent for dairy herds and 6 percent for beef farms, a selection of dairy farms that took part in the study showed over 30 percent incidence of the disease.

Mr Ryan says that the disease originated through importing cattle and that progressive farmers who expanded their farms through importing stock from abroad could be more at risk.

“Ireland controls 15 percent of the world market for baby food and it’s important we maintain a high standard of milk quality produced by disease free herds. We have a very high

standard of herd health and the dairy industry wants to reassure our export markets that we are active in monitoring the quality of our output,” he explained.

Once the milk has been pasteurised there is no risk to human consumption and there have been no incidences of MAP found in meat.

However Mr Ryan warned that anyone who drinks their own farm produced raw milk could be putting themselves at risk of various diseases.

Left: Johne’s Disease has been particularly prevalent in Limerick dairy farms.

Recession brings more of us to the library Niamh Dillion OVER 176,000 visits to LimerickCity Library were recorded last year resulting in a 25 percent increase in visitor growth since 2009.

City Library manager Mike Maguire says that visitor numbers have increased dramatically since the start of the recession as more than 600,000 visits were recorded over a four year period to the city’s flagship library.

“It’s fantastic to see a facility like this being used to its full advantage.

There is a constant buzz about the place,” says Mr Maguire who attributes the spike in visitor figures to a combination of factors.

He has noticed a significant rise is second level students using the library facilities.

“Usually we would have a lot of second level students using the library around exam time however we have noticed there has been a significant increase in second level students coming to the library right through from September to June.

One reason for this is that after school study can be quite expensive whereas the library is free and provides internet access making it a really valuable facility for the people of Limerick,” he says.

Mr McGuire says that he has noticed a steady increase in the amount of people using the City Library since the beginning of the recession and that there has been a considerable increase in the number of 30 and 40 year olds coming to the library.

“We have noticed that there is an

increase in this age demographic which may be due to the rise in unemployment.

“The library offers free wi-fi, an extensive music catalogue and up to date book releases but more importantly it is a place for people to come and relax,” he adds.

Mr Maguire also says that there has been a continued growth in the number of people visiting all libraries across the city.

“Every library across the board in Limerick City has seen a dramatic in-

crease in the flow of people through the doors and I think it’s a testament to both the facilities on offer and the enthusiastic staff,” he says.

Mr McGuire also adds that the computer facilities on offer at the library are a vital community resource as there are a lot of people who may not have access to the internet.

“We forget that some people may not have access to a computer or the internet and so it is essential these facilities are in place in the city,” he adds.

Templeglantine’s wonderland for Charity

By Róisín Delaney FOR the fifteenth consecutive year, Tony Noonan, his wife Hannah and their daughter Stephanie are reminding Limerick people about the true spirit of Christmas.

Since last September, Tony has been transforming the interior and exterior of his Templeglantine home in an extraordinary fashion.

With lights covering every inch of ground outside and colourful indoor decorations in every room, the Noonan family are carrying on with the tradition of raising funds for local charities.

Tony told the Limerick Voice that because of the number of lights in his Christmas display, proper procedures have to be followed. He has to take out special insurance due to the number of people who visit his Christmas light spectacular each year.

“The ESB had to send a repre-

sentative to survey the wiring and the arrangement of the lights before Santa turned them on. He spent a full day inspecting the place. But all of that procedure needs to be followed so that the place is safe for all who visit us.”

Last year the Noonans raised €14,340 for the Brothers of Charity in Newcastle West and Foynes, the Adare Branch of the Alzheimer’s Society and Milford Hospice.

This year, the charity for Acquired Brain Injuries, Castleisland has been added to the list of those to benefit from the Noonan’s Christmas Wonderland for Charity.

Tony said, “We know that these are tough times for everyone but they’re especially tough for charities. So we gratefully accept any donations that we get”.

Santa Claus switched on the Christmas lights on November 22, two months after Tony began prepar-

ing his home for the festivities.

Children and adults queued at the entrance gates, local children got the chance to hand their Christmas letters to Santa Claus while he posed for pictures with them.

The display of Christmas lights can be seen high in the hills above Templeglantine and despite the enormity of the operation every year, Tony said he “doesn’t mind going to all the trouble” if it offers just a ray of hope to the concerned charities.

He said that the night of the big switch-on of the lights this year “attracted a couple of hundred people at least, it’s great to see in these times”.

The display will continue to attract families from all over the county until it is packed away for another year on January 12.

Right: Tony Noonan welcomes a special guest to his Christmas lights display in Templeglantine.

News | 13

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Doubts raised over new Junior Cert

By Paul O’Sullivan

A LEADING Limerick educationalist has expressed concerns about the application and resourcing of the new Junior Certificate curriculum which is set to be rolled out next September.

St Clement’s College headmaster Vincent Foley believes that major difficulties will arise over plans to replace the Junior Cert examination with continuous assessment.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has announced plans for a radical reform of the Junior Certificate, aimed at replacing the traditional exam with a system of continuous assessment by teachers. The change has been driven by a need to get away from rote learning and educate teenagers to think for themselves.

Mr Foley told the Limerick Voice: “We didn’t have a say. The schools didn’t have a say. It’s not that we don’t welcome curriculum reform but we welcome it in the context that first of all teachers would be resourced properly. The other issue is that I would hope that its objectivity would not be interfered with.

“We don’t have any issue with teacher assessment because teachers are used to assessing their own students. But without some moderating influence on assessment, I would have concerns because you are going to have parental pressure, student pressure and a certain amount of school pressure. The exams commission have assured us that there will be standardisation but we remain to be convinced.

“The one thing that the exam system has had over the years was objectiv-

ity. It couldn’t be corrupted. That was one area where the results a student got, they got on merit. It wasn’t because of who they knew or whatever.

“Regardless of people’s age, change is always difficult in any aspect of life. So this change needs to be taken slowly. The changes need to be resourced. And there needs to be reassurance that this, in the long run, is the right thing to do.”

Some parents have also expressed concerns about the objectivity and equity that may be at risk if teacher assessment is brought in.

Rachel Harrington, whose son has just completed the Junior cycle said: “I would have concerns about dumbing down education to meet student needs rather than raise the bar for them. Also there is the concern with teacher bias in correcting exams, or self-driven league tables etc.”

The pressure of the examination centre may soon be a thing of the past for Junior Certificate students under new proposals from Minister Ruairi Quinn.

Locals disturbed by subject of graffiti Roisín Curran RESIDENTS of St Mary’s Park and adjacent areas consider the most recent mural to appear on Nicholas Street to be of a darker nature than the rest.

While the younger generation find the imagery cool and interesting, those older and the elderly find it disturbing.

“I don’t like it. What does he [the man in the mural] have to do with the area? An image of the castle or Treaty Stone would have been better, to direct people to the castle rather than confuse them,” said Francis Clancy (55) from Lee Estate.

The mural in question, on the side of a building opposite King Johns Castle, depicts a bald man holding an ice cream cone into which his left eye has fallen.

Although many agreed the paintings were an improvement on the area and made it appear cleaner, most don’t understand its concept.

Brenda Sheehy (45), Island View Terrace thought “it’s weird that he’s holding up his eye in his ice cream cone. It’s disgusting”. Caroline Hannon (47), Island View Terrace agreed, adding “it’s very creepy if I’m honest”.

Catherine O’Halloran, of the North-

side Family Resource Centre in Ballynanty, is the art coordinator of the Make a Move Urban Arts Festival. She explains the reason behind the mural: “We source derelict sites across the city with the support of city council and work with urban artists to design pieces that will rejuvenate the area.These sites have been offered in their existing state and an artistic transformation can occur, reintegrating the space into the lives of communities and individuals. This work is hoped to create a fresh injection of life into the area.”

Left: The mural at Nicholas Street.

Limerick focus on restorative justice Paul O’Sullivan JUDGE Michael Reilly has praised the Restorative Justice (RJ) initiative at the third annual Le Chéile conference held in Limerick.

The project aims to reduce the incidence of both youth crime and antisocial behaviour by exploring ways in which a young person can take responsibility for their behaviour and face the consequences of their actions and, if possible, make amends to the victims.

Speaking at the conference, Judge Reilly said: “Antisocial behaviour – could it be youthful exuberance or is it criminality – probably a lot of the former but it can be the latter if not

checked. Enter Restorative initiatives such as Le Chéile. I know from my experience that this is the way to go.”

Le Chéile’s Southern manager, Mary Henihan, said, “Restorative Justice is an innovative way of giving victims of crime a voice, which often they don’t have in traditional models of justice. When you give offenders the opportunity to put things right, it can repair the harm in their local community. This conference showcases all the great work being done in Limerick, and how it can be modelled in schools, in criminal justice and the broader community.”

A recent document sent to the Limerick Voice outlines a case study of

the details and results of a Victim Impact Panel carried out by Restorative Justice.

Victim Impact panels provide a forum for victims of crime to tell the young offenders about the impact of the crime on their lives and on their lives of their families, friends and neighbours.

In this case, an individual was referred to the RJ Project by his Probation Officer after a conviction of burglary and criminal damage. He engaged in the process with the victim of his crime.

From their initial engagement with this individual in early 2013, he was assessed as having little or no empathy. Upon completion of the Victim

Impact Panel, he was assessed again and rated as having a lot of empathy towards the victim of the crime he committed.

During the subsequent debrief, the offender further highlighted how bad he felt for the victim. “When she was crying, I felt like crying. I’ll never do it again. No one deserves to feel like that.”

During the victim’s debrief, she stated that “the young person looked straight at me during the meeting and I felt he was tearful and moved by my story. It was a great experience, I felt proud and privileged to take part in it”.

Right: Judge Michael Reilly.

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

14 | News

Ring predicts a bumper year ahead

By Síofra Mannion

MINISTER of State for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, has told the Limerick Voice that 2014 will be a valuable year for the city.

The New Year’s Eve celebration in the city will usher in not only Limerick’s year as City of Culture, but give a boost to preparations for hosting the Special Olympics in June.

Minister Ring believes the two events will help to “shape, brand and promote a new Limerick” at a time when the city “is undergoing a process of profound change”.

“I am confident that the city will not only handle the events, but will provide a great year’s entertainment which will have a lasting and positive impact on the city into the future”, he said.

Minister Ring was heartened by the “great interest” from volunteers, and was confident that the “second to none” facilities in Limerick City and

in the University of Limerick campus would play a major part in the success of the year’s events.

He said there there were major opportunites from the Games alone, with the arrival of 1,500 athletes, 600 coaches and 3,000 families, as well as supporters and a host of famous names from the sporting world.

“We are potentially looking at up to 10,000 people attending the Games over the four days,” he said.

He urged local people to get involved in the events, whether as spectators or volunteers. “The expectation is that one of the after-effects of the 2014 Games will be a strengthening of the Special Olympics club network in the area.”

The 2010 Special Olympics generated much needed capital for Limerick City and the Fine Gael Minister believes 2014 will produce just as much. “From an economic point of view the total economic impact of 2010 Special Olympic Ireland Games was €9.95 million so the Games in

2014 should prove to be a valuable event for Limerick too.”

Looking back over the past 12 months, Minister Ring said that available figures for The Gathering, which was under heavy scrutinity at the beginning of 2013, showed that the initiative had been “a real and substantial success”.

“Overseas visits to Ireland for the first ten months of the year are up 7.3% on last year. Visitors from some countries, including the key US market are up by double figures. This in turn has helped boost local economies and communities across the country,” he said.

Minister Ring confirmed there had been 171 Gathering events across Limerick city and county, 61 of which received funding from the €1million IPB Insurance fund, a larger number than expected.

Right: Minister of State for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring

Ballyneety “way ahead of schedule” after reopening

By Leonie Holly

BALLYNEETY Golf Club has reopened way ahead of schedule and redoubled its numbers.

Club pro Donal McSweeney, said that they now have a 600 members, since the club reopened in September. Before that the club had 350 members and Mr McSweeney is de-

lighted with the extra interest in the local club.

Despite the current economic downturn, Mr McSweeney said the clubs success is due to the localcommunity.

“What has happened in the last eight or nine months from the local community and members is absolutely massive.

“People come and offer their services for free or help out with anything that is required. There is a great community and member spirit about the golf club and we’re all going in the same direction.”

The car park has finally been retarred and, apart from some drainage to take place during the winter months, there doesn’t seem to be

anything that could stop the club’s growing success.

Everything is back in order, the sand based greens and tees are at US Proffesional Golfers’ Association (PGA) standards, Mr McSweeney explained.

“The only thing left to do is to “get people out there and for them to see that the whole place is back, that the

golf course itself back in action and try to further increase membership”.

One former member Sam Ivory, who was a member at the club for six years, commented that going back to play at the course is like entering a “family run golf club”.

“It’s remarkable how nviting both the club members and staff are,” he said.

Over-feeding your pet this Christmas could be fatal Karen O’Connor-Desmond

A LIMERICK vet is warning owners not to over-feed their pets this Christmas as it may be fatal.

Hugh O’Callaghan of the Crescent Veterinary Clinic, Dooradoyle and the Castletroy Veterinary Clinic, said that gastroenteritis is a condition that they commonly face over the Christmas period. Although it is more common in dogs, it may also affect cats.

Gastroenteritis causes vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain in animals and can lead to severe dehydration.

“Generally what happens is that once dogs are getting very palatable food such as turkey or ham – something that tastes better than what they might normally have, they will attempt to consume vast quantities and overeat,” Hugh said. “When they’re used to a regular diet and regular

amounts of food, to get larger quantities of a food that they’re not used to digesting can start to cause signs of gastroenteritis,” he added.

Hugh explains that the worry they have is the development of gastroenteritis in pets into a potentially lifethreatening disease known as pancreatitis.

“If the vomiting persists for more than 24 hours, I think you’re in trouble. Sometimes, it’s not so much the frequency of vomiting but the duration of time for which it goes on,” he said.

Hugh explains: “If someone rings me and says my dog has vomited six times in one hour, then I’d be concerned. But if someone says to me my dog has vomited for the last six days or continually then I’d be really concerned. The longer it goes on, the greater the chance of dehydration and when you get persistent dehydration,

you can get collapse in circulation and the dog can become very weak and dejected and you could have work on your hands to bring a dog as sick as that back to health again.”

Hugh advises owners to take a number of steps if their animal starts presenting with these symptoms including withdrawal of all food, drinks of cool-boiled water, electrolyte solutions and keeping the pet warm.

“That’s the basic first aid,” he stresses, “If the vomiting is persisting and certainly if it’s persisting for more than 24 hours, I think veterinary advice should be sought at that stage.”

The Crescent and Castletroy Veterinary Clinics are open throughout the Christmas period. If you think your pet is in need of emergency treatment, contact 061 30 18 41.

News | 15

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

UL brings empowerment to the community Cormac Dowling A UNIQUE collaboration between the University of Limerick and St Mary’s community in the heart of Limerick city has been praised by Housing Minister Jan O’Sullivan. .

In the first link-up of its kind in Ireland, UL will offer a Diploma in community wellness, empowerment, leadership and lifeskills (CWELL) in the local community.

Minister O’Sullivan confirmed a €30,000 allocation for the project and told the Limerick Voice why the it is such a unique offering for prospective students.

“There is a real sense of partnership about it, and I think it’s going to make a huge difference to the area which has a fairly high level of disadvantage,” she said.

“The idea is what you learn in this programme you bring back and you share it with your community,” she explained.

Speaking to a capacity audience at King Johns Castle, Course Director Bernie Quillinan echoed the Minister’s sentiments and said the initiative was made possible by dozens of community groups coming together to design and deliver the project.

She said the programme will not only be a positive development for St Mary’s parish but UL would also reap the rewards from positive community engagement.

Carmel Duggan, Chairperson of the Kings Island community centre has high expectations for the initiative and hopes it can help stem the problems of unemployment and early school leaving in her area.

“There is great excitement, there is pride in our community that we have been brought into this as the first community in the country and I think there are now great expectations for the future of St Mary’s Park,” she added.

Paula Collopy, a mother and proud

lifelong resident of St Mary’s Park, said she welcomed the announcement and would be delighted to take up one of the 15 places on offer.

“It’s based in the community. It’s dealing with health and I can bring some information back to my community and I can help them with problems as I’ve been involved in the community all my life and that’s basically why it appeals to me. Oh, and I’d like a cap and gown!’’.

The two year Diploma will run for four hours one day per week each semester (January-May and September – December). There are no strict criteria for applicants. Anyone interested in applying can contact course director Bernie Quillinan by e-mail at Bernie.Quillinan@ul.ie.

Right: Bridget Cropper, Lee Estate, Minister for Housing & Planning, Jan O’Sullivan, TD,and Elaine McDonnell, Lee Estate.

Smarter travel around the city Tom Horan

SINCE its implementation last year, Limerick Smarter Travel has been charged with plotting several new walkways and cycleways around the city, along with providing the public with information on existing routes.

“The project seeks community engagement through workplaces, schools and local community groups.

It will also concentrate on infrastructure projects including upgrading of roads and paths for pedestrians and cyclists,” said Limerick Smarter Travel’s senior architect Hugh Kelly.

Limerick is receiving €9m worth of funding from the European Regional Development Fund.

This will be go towards constructing and improving cycling and pedestrian infrastructure connecting the city centre and the surrounding areas.

By the end of the year, the river walk along Shannon fields will be completed and this will incorporate new

walking and cycling paths with seating and gym equipment.

Limerick was awarded its status as the Smarter Travel Demonstration city in 2010, following a competition to create smarter travel policies.

Since then, the programme - which has its office in the Granary - has spearheaded events to raise pub-

lic awareness of the most efficient, clean, and cost-efficient methods of commuting.

The ‘Twenty Weeks of Change’ programme selected 30 ‘champions’, and over a six month period monitored them as they changed their lifestyle and travel habits, acting as an example for the rest of the city to

follow.

According to Mr Kelly, feedback from the project has been very positive.

“The project will support Limerick Smarter Travel evidence-based design approach to smarter travel, providing data on the benefits of commuting by foot or bicycle.

“The Twenty Week Champions are ambassadors for change whether they commute by public transport, car share, bike or walk.”

Smarter Travel has teamed up An Taisce, its Limerick representative Ellen O’Sullivan, and the Green Schools programme to spread the message to young people.

Smarter Travel and Green schools are implementing a smarter travel programme in schools which includes, mapping commuting routes for ‘walking buses’, where children congregate in their housing estate along with some parent volunteers, and walk to school together.

“Also being promoted are COW days, which stand for ‘Cycle on Wednesday’, WOW, which stand for ‘Walk on Wednesday’ and SOW days which stand for ‘Scooter on Wednesday’.

“As important as building the paths and raising public awareness is, monitoring the progress of these initiatives is equally as important, Mr Kelly said “Before the programme started a baseline survey was carried out of existing commuting habits in the smarter travel demonstration area.

The first results of these surveys are coming back and they are very encouraging. One of the few positive outcomes of the recession is that people are more conscious of their travel costs and the health benefits of walking and cycling”, he said.

Left: The Smarter Travel Initiative aims to increase cyling in the city.

More work needed to put bike sheme on fast lane Eoin Scanlon WHILE expressing support for the city’s recently announced bike scheme. a leading Limerick cycling activist has stressed that much needs to be done to see the scheme become a viable success.

John Dawson,who is a member of the cycling organization cycling .ie, said the shortage of public support to date and the lack of work done to improve cycle lanes across the city threaten to impact on the early suc-

cess of the scheme.

“I can’t say I have seen much public support. I’d be optimistic and this would be mostly based on what has happened in other cities, where the experience has generally been overwhelmingly positive.

“As to whether it will work in Limerick I’m not sure, but I’d say the people who were in my position 15 years ago in Paris might have been saying the same thing, so who knows.”

In 2009, Dublin joined European

cities like Paris and Barcelona and became the first Irish city to introduce a bike sharing scheme, and its immediate success led to the recent announcement that the scheme will be extended to Limerick, Cork and Galway.

Limerick will have 200 bikes available for hire, with 23 docking station across the city.

Mr Dawson says the local scheme has been based on the Dublin project: “The scheme is proposed really like the Dublin scheme. In the con-

text of the size of the city, it’s really very small.

“It’s very expensive to start off a big scheme. The greater the area, the greater the cost, so it’s better to start small.”

Mr Dawson expressed concern about the existing road infrastructure.

“The radial routes are all busy and narrow, there’s been no work on it to date, except perhaps the Dooradoyle road, so I’d have to say that would be my main concern.”

However, he is hopeful the scheme can be expanded further: “I can see a possible affinity between the Limerick smarter cycle scheme, and the cycling link to the university.

“Because Limerick is a rather small city, to do anything with it you’d need to get to the main suburbs, like Dooradoyle, the North side, Corbally.”

“The question really is will it be viable? Well I hope so,” added Mr Dawson.

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

16 | News

Limerick churches need to get online Philippa Brennan THOUSANDS of people from all around the world are tuning in each week to watch Mass in Limerick.

Mount Saint Alphonsus is the only church in Limerick to boast a live streaming camera from inside the church, and one of only a handful around the country.

Since it was first installed in 2009, the webcam has been a great success.

Fr Adrian Egan estimates that up to 1,000 people tune in each week to watch Sunday Mass, with thousands more tuning in for bigger events like the Novena in June.

Speaking of the role new media can have on Catholicism, Fr Egan said: “The Pope tweets now... we have our Facebook site, we have our Twitter site, and we have a very interactive website.

“I would have seen it from very early on as a tool to use to spread the gospel. We speak about proclaiming God’s word in all kinds of new and different ways, and here is a way that can reach people in infinite numbers,” he said.

As for the role of churches going increasingly digital in the future,

Fr Egan thinks it is essential and he would whole-heartedly recommend it to other churches in the county.

Fr Egan also spoke of how the 24 hour ‘always-on’ webcam has helped those who previously would have to wait for the weekly Mass on Sunday

via radio or television to pray.

“It’s a facility that means a lot to people . . . we get a lot of emails expressing gratitude from people confined to their homes.”

However, the webcam has not just been a success for parishioners in

Limerick. People from around the world are constantly checking out the churches online services. While some of these countries are English speaking such as the UK, USA and Australia, people from places like India, China, Israel, Afghanistan and

more are also viewing the Limerick church broadcasts.

Speaking of the positive effects, he said people visited the church because of what they have seen online and the webcam and other online services have encouraged more active participation.

The Redemptorist Church has seven cameras situated around the interior of the 150 year old building, which are operated in the Sacristy in a type of “mini TV studio” by the Sacristan.

There are also four TV screens placed around the large church which relay what is going on at the altar during Mass. When there are no services on, there are ‘prayer aids’, including Holy pictures and Bible quotes, for those visiting throughout the day.

Aside from the webcam, the website also has other functions that allow visitors light virtual candles, take virtual tours of the church and make donations as well as looking up Mass times and readings.

The website can be accessed at www.redemptoristslimerick.ie Left: Fr Adrian Egan at Mount Saint Alphonsus Church. Picture: Press 22

Belltable asks for €120,000 to survive after March

By Martin Gosling LIMERICK CITY Council is looking for a new purpose for the former Belltable Arts Centre.

The City Council, who now own the building at 69 O’Connell Street, have applied to the Arts Council for funding for the new venue beyond next March.

They are seeking €120,000 from the Arts Council to fund the venue beyond next March and they will undertake a public consultation in the next few months to understand the

needs of theatre practitioners in Limerick city and county.

The Belltable Arts Centre, a multidisciplinary arts facility, incorporating a 250-seat theatre/cinema, a 50-seat balcony studio and a visual arts gallery, was once a place of life, vibrancy and culture at the heart of the city.

But the final curtain came down earlier this year when the company went into liquidation It couldn’t have come at a worse time with Limerick already getting ready to become Ireland’s first na-

tional City of Culture next year.

City Council Arts Officer Sheila Deegan, said the closure was “a body blow to the sector, not just the performing arts”.

She said there are only eight funded theatre companies in Ireland, half of them are in Dublin and none are in Limerick.

“But this doesn’t mean no theatre is made in Limerick. The Belltable can still be a place where people make work and produce theatre,” she explained.

A six-month programme, the Lim-

erick Arts Encounter, will counteract the body blow the performing arts sector felt as a result of the closure of the Belltable.

The Limerick Arts Encounter was initiated as a partnership between Limerick Arts Office, The Arts Council and the Lime Tree Theatre.

The programme will support theatre, visual art, sonic art, music, film and dance up until March 2014 with several events being held at 69 O’Connell Street.

“It’s really important to have downtown venues; they bring life

and vibrancy to the city”, Ms Deegan added.

Limerick actor Myles Breen, who runs the Bottom Dog Theatre Company, said the closure of the Belltable left a “gaping hole” in the Limerick performing arts scene.

He said that Limerick City of Culture will be funding a number of Made in Limerick Projects for 2014.

Bottom Dog, which was set up as a result of the Island Theatre Company losing their funding, is still in talks with Limerick City of Culture for events next year.

Government to set up small loans facility

By Jean Mounsey THE Government is examining the possibility of setting up a fund to provide small loans to help people avoid illegal moneylenders.

According to a Department of Finance spokesperson, more people are driven into the hands of moneylenders due to their difficulty in getting loans from banks and credit unions.

“There is now a greater cohort of people who have no access to even smaller amounts of credit because of their injured credit rating,” according to Money and Budgeting Service (MABS) spokesperson Michael

Culloty.

MABS is a free and confidential service for people who are in debt or in danger of getting into debt.

In Limerick, many people are going to moneylenders to borrow money for Christmas, often at exorbitant rates of interest, according to Limerick MABS Coordinator Yvonne Bogdanovic.

“Anyone with worries about personal debt, money or budgeting will always be made feel welcome and helped at MABS,” she said.

St Vincent de Paul (SVP) Social Justice spokesman Brendan Hennessy said that people are paying

“hugely over the odds for these loans compared to credit union loans or bank loans”.

He cited the example of a person who was paying €530 interest on a €1,000 euro loan taken out over a one year period.

He said that there is a “glaring” need for financial education and money management in schools.

About 360,000 people take out loans from legalised moneylenders in Ireland, according to a recent report by the Central Bank.

The Central Bank’s Report on the Licensed Money-lending Industry shows a 20 percent increase in the

number of people getting these loans since their last report in 2007.

The interest rates of these loans vary but can be as high as 187 percent Annual Percentage Rate (APR), according to MABS. However, there have been no figures compiled to show the extent of illegal money-lending in Ireland.

Those involved in the business operate without a license, can charge very high rates of interest and, in many cases, can be dangerous to deal with.

The Limerick MABS office can be contacted on 0761072210 or limerick@mabs.ie.

News | 17

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

IN BRIEF

VECs amalgamation ‘going well’

IN JULY this year, the Limerick City and County VECs and the Clare VEC were amalgamated to form the new Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB) which is one of sixteen new Education and Training Boards (ETB’s) across the country.

The ETBs, Minister Quinn has said, will strengthen locally managed education and enhance the scale of education and training.

According to Sean Burke, CEO of the Limerick and Clare ETB, the integration and development of the new organisation is going well and he paid tribute to all involved.

The headquarters of the LCETB is located in Dooradoyle with another office in Ennis as an integral element of the organisational structure. One of the key objectives of the Board is the enhancement and support of quality education and training provision in the area.

More acts for NYE concert in city LIMERICK will begin its stint as European City of Culture on New Year’s Eve with a star-studded concert.

It has been announced that The Coronas, The Strypes, Dolores O’Riordan, The Irish Chamber Orchestra, Maverick Sabre, SOAK and Leading Armies will perform under the spire of St. Mary’s Cathedral this December 31st.

The event is expected to sell out fast because of the calibre of the line-up, so people planning on going to the event should get their tickets early Tickets are priced at €22.65 plus booking fee and are available from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide, and http://www.ticketmaster.ie/.

Christmas crafts bazaar in city centre THE Limerick Christmas Crafts Bazaar will take place in the former Franciscan Church in Henry Street from December 13 to 15 and December 20 to 22.

The event will be officially opened by the Mayor of Limerick Councillor Kathleen Leddin at 3pm this Friday, December 13.

The event is set to host over 70 craft workers who will be showcasing a wide range of crafts and specialty products.

It is estimated that over 10,000 people will visit the city centre crafts bazaar during the two weekends when it will take place. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Toy Appeal can change lives

By Raffaele Rocca SOCIAL inclusion charity Novas Initiatives expects their 2013 toy appeal to surpass the €15,000 that was raised last year for Limerick families hit by economic hardship.

Christmas can put families under enormous pressure to buy gifts, toys and other festive goods. For most families, careful planning and budgeting can alleviate some of the strain but for others it can take the roof from over their heads.

Novas was set up in 2002 to tackle homelessness and street-drinking in Limerick city. However, it quickly emerged that there was a sharp demand for Novas’ services after Christmas, and the toy appeal was set up in response.

Communications Officer with Novas Initiatives, Una Burns, said: “The reason the toy appeal was set up is that a lot of the families we were working with were becoming homeless in January because they couldn’t pay the rent after they had bought the Christmas presents for the kids.”

The toy appeal has taken away some of the financial strain and has enabled families to continue paying the rent and keep a house over their heads. Despite being set up at the start of the economic downturn, the appeal has grown every year since its inception and Novas expects this year to be no different.

“Donations have risen year on year

and the response has been phenomenal by the people of Limerick. We suggest that people spend about €30 but most people go above and beyond that and are incredibly generous,” Ms Burns said.

Parents who get in touch with Novas receive the gifts prior to Christmas and have them in the house on Christmas morning for the children.

But it’s not just all about toys – Novas also delivers food hampers to these families in need of them.

Novas worked with over 130 families across Limerick City last year with the majority of families drawn from regeneration areas.

One case last year involved a woman whose house was condemned by the Health Service Executive (HSE) four weeks before Christmas because it was infested with rats and was deemed unsafe.

Mary, the woman at the centre of this case, described her experience: “We lost everything we owned, absolutely everything, we had to leave the house with just the clothes on our backs. We even had to leave behind

the gifts that were bought for that Christmas and my kids asked me how Santa is going to find us when we have no house.”

Safe accommodation was provided for Mary and her family but she found herself in the dreadful position of being put into a new house two days before Christmas without a single possession to her name, no toys for her children, no utensils, no clothes and no furniture.

There was a fantastic response to Mary’s cause, so much so that Novas was able to give Mary and her children gifts for Christmas; but they were also able to replace some of the old toys as well.

Novas also helped set up the house with some basic commodities like furniture, utensils, bed clothes and

food.

“It changed my life, to be perfectly honest, because I am a completely different person from when I first met the girls at Novas. I want people to know that there is no shame in asking for help,” Mary said.

Mary, who is now volunteering as an advocate for Novas, said that she wants people to know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness: “What Novas did for me and my kids was just unbelievable. I want to raise awareness about Novas as not many people know about them.

These people will help you and not judge you,” Mary said.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the toy appeal should contact Una Burns at (061) 370 325 or by email at una.burns@novas.ie.

Pictured at the launch of the Novas event in the Greenhills Hotel were (clockwise from right): • Housing Minister Jan O’Sullivan; Rob Lowth, Limerick City Council; and John Rogers, NOVAS. • Lisa Nolan; Tracy McCarthy; and Nicole Keane, speaker.

• Nicole Keane; Una Burns, NOVAS; and Housing Minister Jan O’Sullivan.

Pictures:Press 22

‘Pet napping’ on the rise in Limerick area PET napping is increasing in Limerick in the run up to Christmas, as thieves are stealing animals from the safety of their homes and demanding ransoms for their safe return.

“These criminals are sneaking into people’s gardens when they go off to work and taking their dogs,” said Helen Burke of Limerick Animal Welfare. “If that’s not bad enough they wait a few days and ring up the owners, offering the dogs back in exchange for a sum of money.”

Burke has revealed that the prob-

lem has grown worse over the past few months, especially in the Limerick area.

“We are getting reports on a weekly basis of pets stolen during home break-ins. We are even hearing about pets being taken from cars while people are doing their errands. It’s becoming a bigger problem.

“We’ve had numerous reports of ‘petnappings’ around the county. The people would get the contact details off the dog’s collar and then ring the owners.

“They are told to bring a certain sum of money to an isolated place in the middle of the night and then go home and wait for a phone call,” she continued. They often think ‘have I been set-up’ but then the phone call arrives with details of where they can find their pet.”

Burke added that having a pet stolen can be a very traumatic experience for their owners: “We would often deal with very distressed people when their pet is stolen. I know it can’t be compared

but in some instances it is like losing a child, for older people especially who rely on their pets for company.”

She said dogs are more commonly taken than cats, but has warned all pet owners to be mindful in the run up to Christmas: “We advise owners to please make sure their animals are micro-chipped, and just to be very careful around this time of year. It is a yearly problem but it gets worse around Christmas.

Never leave your dog unattended,” she added.

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

18 | Business

Food co-op delivers new jobs boost to city centre

Business

By Federica Sgaggio A NEW food shop delivering wholesome food at affordable prices in the city centre will hire five full-time workers in 2014.

The Limerick Community Grocery (LCG) is the first consumer cooperative in Limerick, according to its chairperson and co-founder Bill Kelly.

Consumer co-ops, a model of business in which members pay their suppliers and wholesalers to get local and good-quality food, are quite popular in continental Europe and the USA. It all started off when some of the 19 LCG founding members visited the huge Spanish Mondragon coop, which now employs more than 80,000 worker-owners, and other similar businesses in the UK and USA. The LCG has four suppliers: two local organic farmers and two wholesalers.

Mr Kelly said that when they went to visit the long-existing Brooklyn food co-op they found out it had “an annual auditive turnover of US $48 million (around €36 million), running a store smaller than the average Lidl or Aldi”.

The Limerick urban co-op is now operating as a buying club where members book their goods online and collect them on Friday at the store, but it will soon become a full retail service.

“At least five full-time job positions will come on stream for our store on Mulgrave Street, but we expect there will be more,” Mr Kelly said.

The LCG also works at establishing a ‘cooking circle’ where members will mix up food cultures coming from different countries, following the example of the Italian ‘Arci-Gola clubs’ which later became the internationally known Slow Food movement.

“Our reasonable target is to get 300

members by Christmas; then we may open the shop two days a week in January and become a full retail service by Easter time,” Mr Kelly said.

Local authorities provided the LCG with funding to help the co-op refurbish the building.

Limerick City Council (LCC) Senior Executive Officer in Eco-

nomic Development Paul Foley said: “The community concept, inherent in the Limerick Community Grocery, is very consistent with the objectives of the wider city renewal process, and in this regard the local authority is very pleased to give assistance to LCG.” Mr Kelly said: “Our role in the

community is to operate in a transparent manner in a business entity that is owned, controlled and operated by the members.

“We can establish the co-operative model of economic development in our city as an alternative to the exploitative economic development model, that is the de facto model in Ireland.”

When he went to visit the Brooklyn co-op, Mr Kelly found it amazing: “It was very instructive to see firsthand what you can do in a flat, egalitarian, non exploitative structure.”

And then, you take a 20 minute ride on the subway from Brooklyn into the heart of Manhattan, into Wall Street, and you can see the other alternative – speculative, predatory model. And most people, when given the opportunity, go for the former.”

Left: Jose Serres pictured with his fresh fruit. Picture by Federica Sgaggio

IN BRIEF

Limerick Chamber Skillnet host interview workshop THE Limerick Chamber Skillnet is organizing a free interview preparation workshop to help people to build confidence, deal with interview anxiety, identify strengths, and to do a better interview.

The workshop will take place on Wednesday December 18th from 9:30am to 12:30pm at the Limerick Chamber of Commerce, 96 O’Connell Street Limerick. Refreshments will be included.

If you would like to book a place on this workshop please contact Rachel Joyce at rjoyce@limerickchamber.ie or call 061 217605.

Council plans to bring business back into the City Centre

limerickvoice.com @limerickvoice Limerick Voice

LIMERICK City Council are set to bring business back into the City centre throughout Christmas and the New Year by introducing a number of new initiatives.

Director of Economic Development and Planning, Tom Enright told the Limerick Voice that he expects the local economy to generate up to €10 million this Christmas. This generation will be significantly aided by the City Council’s plans to draw people back into the City Centre.

This Christmas will see a signifi-

cant increase in activity around the City Centre. “We have implemented a number of initiatives to attract people into the city centre including a large Christmas tree situated on Bedford Row and for the first time in a long time, a Santa’s cabin on Thomas Street.”

The city council have also introduced free parking in the city centre and an increase in the number of seats around the city centre to facilitate shoppers and visitors to the centre.

The switching on of the Christmas lights on Saturday 23rd November attracted hundreds of people into the city centre as well as the opening of Santa’s Cabin for the children. The lights were switched on by Mayor of Limerick, Kathrine Leddin and Irish celebrity, Emma O’Driscoll.

The beginning of next year will also see new measures being taken to ensure the buzz around the city centre continues as the City of Culture comes to Ireland. “We have recently opened a market at Cruisers Street

which is guaranteed to increase footfall in the centre” Mr Enright further stated. “There will also be a new car park located on Michael St and Ellen St.” “Covering will also be placed on Cruisers St to facilitate music and events especially during City of Culture.”

With the new initiatives in place, Limerick City centre will be at it most popular through Christmas and into the New Year which is good news for local traders in the centre.

Business | 19

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

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Opened and closed in 2013 Good things are happening in Limerick, according to Nigel Dugdale who is charged with reviving the city’s retail image. But just how good it has to get remains a matter of intense speculation Seamus Barrett and Tom Horan “LIMERICK City has a unique selling point and it’s time everyone was proud of their own city.” That is the view of Nigel Dugdale from the Limerick City Bussines Association (LCBA).

This organisation has amalgamated with the Limerick Chamber of Commerce and is now known as LCBA @ the Chamber.

Limerick is seeing a great surge in the number of businesses setting up locally, and the past year has seen

exceptional growth. “Cruises Street in particular has seen a lot of new businesses set up and it bodes well.

Limerick has seen its first Japanese restaurant open and Waterford company Hook and Ladder is also looking to open in Limerick.

“New businesses will always be helped, particularly by the City Hall as well as rate reductions, 50% for the first year and 25% for the second,” Mr Dugdale said.

Interaction with Retail Excellence Ireland occurs on a regular basis and a project plan for the city has been created. “There are three main areas

we look at in the plan, firstly retail excellence, secondly citizen engagement and lastly the look and feel of the city.

Co-operation is also ongoing with the Gardaí, Tidy Towns and Limerick Trust, which is also good.”

Regarding hopes for 2014, Mr Dugdale sees the City of Culture title as another huge boost for the city. “It should help with the re-imagining of Limerick City.”

Limerick has a bad reputation for crime, while we continue to try and improve this image, it is far from being as bad as it is perceived, Mr Dug-

dale said..

Being the City of Culture should help overcome these perceptions. It will attract more people to the city and they will experience everything from theatre, music and sport.

“Culture takes in everything, not just looking at museums as might be the common perception. It should help businesses as well as persuade others to set up. Good things are happening in Limerick.”

While the recession is not fully over Mr Dugdale does sense a shift in momentum. “There is a sense of positivity creeping back into the city.

I feel the worst is over and it is onwards from here.”

Paul Foley, Senior Executive Officer of Limeirck City Council, told the Limerick Voice that the closure of HMV and Wallis Ladies Fashions have been significant losses to the city in 2013.

However, he was eager to state the positives; “In terms of the city centre, the focus is on building businesses – helping the new ones to grow as well as maintaining those already established in the city” he said.

Dutec boss fears EU tax could cause job losses Niamh Dillon A LIMERICK businessman has hit out at the Government for imposing a 23 percent VAT rate on whey-based food supplements, claiming the higher rate is driving companies out of Ireland.

Sean Conway, managing director of Dutec Ltd, in the Corcanree Business Park on the Dock Road, says the higher VAT rate has forced companies in the food supplement sector to leave Ireland.

“We worked with a company exporting protein and whey products but this increase in the VAT rate is leaving Ireland at a competitive disadvantage.

“These companies are now looking at places like Holland where the VAT rate for these products are six percent,” says Mr Conway.

The VAT rate for protein and whey products was originally meant to change in 2011. However it wasn’t until November 2013 that the increased VAT rate from zero to 23

percent was implemented.

Mr Conway says that a number of established Irish and potential American companies are now moving to other European countries where VAT rates for these products are significantly lower.

“It’s very negative for business coming into Limerick and Ireland with the way the VAT is structured.

It has had an impact on Dutec as well as several other companies across Ireland,” says Mr Conway.

“The VAT increase has affected Du-

tec’s revenue and it will also have a negative affect on job creation within the company if businesses from abroad no longer see Ireland as an attractive location to carry out their logistics and after-sales services,” he states.

“Companies had previously chosen to come to Ireland to avail of our lower VAT level. However as it now stands, we are at the higher rate of VAT compared to Germany at 19 percent and the UK at 20 percent.

“Ireland is on the periphery of Eu-

rope where shipping costs are also higher.

“If the reason for the increased VAT rate is to harmonise taxes across Europe, why is Holland still allowed to operate at a much lower rate?” Mr Conway asks.

Products from Ireland destined for online home sales, which is a significant growth sector for Irish companies, is also disadvantaged compared to a number of other EU countries whose VAT rates are significantly lower.

20 | Regeneration

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

communityfocus

Challenging times for Moyross

By Linda Pototzki MOYROSS has been allocated €106.5m over the next 10 years – the largest chunk of the Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan.

Moyross Community Enterprise Centre manager Paddy Flannery said that the Limerick Regeneration Plan to demolish 527 houses may pose challenges for older residents who will be “living in a building site for the next 10 years”.

Mr Flannery suggested for every 100 houses that are built as part of the Regeneration Implementation Plan, 10 of these houses should be reserved for attracting new families into Moyross.

Mr Flannery believed in regeneration from the beginning. He said: “The will to deliver is there and it is a great plan: but when?” spokesman Brian Geaney commented on Mr Flannery’s statement and said: “We are making progress all the time.”

Close to 100 units were delivered

Tracey McElligott said that while the Regeneration Plan is positive, not everybody is happy, as residents do not have a choice in the areas that are set out for demolition.

According to Ms McElligott, the refurbishment of seven houses

Paddy Flannery at Moyross Community Centre, where Government cutbacks pose a threat to services. in 2013; 34 units in Cliona Park completed in Febuary 2013; 35 under construction in Colivet Drive in Carew Park and 29 units in Vize’s Court, both nearing completion, and will be allocated in the new year.

Also as part of the regeneration Mr Flannery said €200,000 will be pumped into the upgrade of CCTV coverage across the Southside of Limerick city and it will be monitored from Moyross.

The CCTV Community Monitoring Station operates 24/7 all year round and is a backup to the Gardaí and residents “if something was to go wrong – even on Christmas day.

“At the end of the day houses are only houses – it’s the people that make a community. The more you invest in people, the stronger you get your community to be,” Mr Flannery said.

Moyross Residents Forum worker

weeks ago as part of a regeneration pilot project.

The residents forum worker said that when the road opens to St Nessan’s College, the residents of Moyross will truly believe in the plan. Ms McElligott said people are engaged in the process of regeneration and they believe in it again.

When asked whether €106.5m is enough to meet the requirements for Moyross – 10 percent of the original promised in 2007 – Mr Flannery said there is never enough money once, it is only enough if it is spent wisely.

“Regardless of what challenges the plan presents, it presents positives that enable you to drive forward.

Without the plan we had nothing: we had aspirations. At least now that we have an implementation plan Flannery said.

Moyross boys and girls welcome Santa to their créche

By Linda Pototzki THE good children of the Moyross crèche and after-school centre watched in awe as Santa Claus made a special stop in the centre last Thursday, before he commences his big annual trip.

Sophie (8) asked Santa Claus for: “a dolls house, tickets for one direction tickets and a real baby.”

Levi (19 months) asked ‘The Big Guy’ for: “a bubble car.”

Loryn (7) requested: “a furby and a popcorn maker.”

All kids in the crèche, after-school service and Corpus Christy Primary School took part in a carol singing service.

The boys and girls sang great seasonal classics such as; “Away in a Manger”, “Silent Night” and “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer”.

There was the annual blessing held in the crèche for all the kids that were born this year in the locality.

Manager of the Moyross Community Centre Paddy Flannery said these kids are given a bauble for their Christmas tree and is an effort to attract these families and children “to introduce those kids to the crèche for the next year.”

The children who were in attend-

ance retired to the community hall, where there was a Christmas market with tea, coffee and biscuits for all.

Moyross crèche and afterschool service is adjacent to the community centre.

The afterschool club runs from 3pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday and provides a hot dinner for the children each day after school.

Mr Flannery said: “The crèche and afterschool service is an integral part of the work we do.”

Clockwise from top: Santa Claus with Markham and Vicky O’Connor Keogh.

Picture: Brian Gavin/Press 22

MOYROSS

Monks are ‘here to stay’

Brother Thomas at the St Patrick’s Friary, Moyross.

Picure: Liam Burke/Press 22

By Cormac Dowling BROTHER Thomas has promised local people that as long as they are needed the ‘Monks of Moyross’ are “very much here to stay”.

The Delmege Park community is facing upheaval as further demolitions go ahead as part of Regeneration plans.

One thing that will remain constant is the youth outreach service that the Brothers of St Patrick’s Friary, Moyross, provide.

“Our intention from day one was to stick with this community, especially its youth,” the Brother conHe freely admits the novelty of their presence has long since worn off, and new FÁS funding for after school programmes in the area has lessened their workload – nonetheless, he feels they still have much to offer.

The Friars have established various outlets for the youth of Moyross sessions, but one element the Brother is particularly proud of is the after-school homework help they provide.

“We don’t want to just teach about faith and forget about the rest of human formation,” he said. always encourage students towards further education, a sentiment the Brother feels is currently shared by many parents in the community.

“Some of our kids’ parents are really pushing them to continue onto college as they, themselves, never had the chance.”

Regeneration | 21

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

communityfocus

Dore brings soccer to African children

By Barry Creed

NOT everyone gets to visit Israel or Tanzania. Imagine if you’d already worked in both places by the time you were 19. That’s exactly what happened to Dylan Dore-Robinson from Carew Park.

You may have read about Dylan becoming the first trainee to earn his soccer coaching badges at Arsenal as part of Limerick FC’s Reclaim programme.

He was only 17 when he applied, and over the last year has spent time in London, Israel and Tanzania as part of the course.

Dylan recalled: “You had to choose where you went and why. First choice was obviously Barbados. Second choice was any part of Africa.”

He didn’t even think of Israel.

Dylan spent three months in Israel which he described as “one of the best experiences of my life”.

“After the first few days, I was looking to come home. I got very homesick,” Dylan said. He rang his friends and family who persuaded him to stick it out.

He coached Arab and Jewish children five days a week. He also travelled around the region, and visited places like the Dead Sea and Bethlehem.

He wasn’t home long when he was informed he was going to Tanzania for three months.

He taught English for four hours a day. “I never expected to be doing that,” he said. He also helped out in orphanages and coached soccer every day.

At the orphanage, he noticed a boy with an Irish jersey on, and went straight over and chatted to him with the help of a translator.

SOUTHILL

Southill wants to focus on people instead of houses

By Barry Creed

Dylan Dore-Robinson holding the boy he met at the Tanzian orphanage.

He bonded with the child, and even managed to get him a football jersey before he left.

Dylan also helped out with the Street Child World Cup where he met QPR’s Benoît Assou-Ekotto.

On his experience Dylan said: “You can look back and tell your grandchildren when you’re older. It’s an achievement for anybody no matter what age you are.”

Despite getting his badges with Arsenal, Dylan still thinks Chelsea will win the league this season. n

SOUTHILL Parish Priest Father Pat Hogan believes that effective estate management is the only way to ensure the Southill regeneration project is a success.

“A strong city wide management team should cover health, education, law and order,” Fr Hogan said.

“It was important that all parts of the city worked well and that all communities were managed and listened to,” he added.

Fr Hogan said: “I think the new council are getting around to it. You need to manage people living in cities. That doesn’t mean you interfere in their private lives.

“The council used to say ‘We don’t manage people – we manage houses’. You don’t have to manage houses: just manage people and the houses will look after themselves.”

The Southill Parish Priest added: “We tell them there’s no point building anything unless you are going to manage it.

“You want all parts of the city working well. You don’t want any part of the city dragging you down and above all, you don’t want people living in poverty.”

He said that while it might cost money to keep management structures in place, in the long run it would save the city a lot more money.

Fr Hogan pointed out that while some Southill residents were still sceptical of the rebuilding plans,

Southill Parish Priest, Fr Pat Hogan.

Picture: Press 22

great strides had been made socially.

He said that the outreach workers in Southill have worked tremendously well in the last year or so.

He added that they are very “highly thought of” and do excellent work in the community.

Fr Hogan also stated Southill has become quieter in the last few years.

“The greater peace and quiet is down to a lot of good social intervention,” Fr Hogan said.

He added that locals have a good relationship with the Gardai who are investing time in people.

Fr Hogan also praised John Keyes and Limerick FC’s ‘Project Reclaim’ programme, a social inclusion initia-

tive set up in 2011 to deal with antisocial issues in Limerick.

“He has broken down tremendous barriers and that has been a big breakthrough in the last 12 months or so,” Fr Hogan said.

Fr Hogan also stated that “perception is everything” when it comes to Southill and Limerick.

“We cannot afford to buy into perception and prejudice,” he added.

He said that while there might be a small percentage of “challenging people” in Southill, there are excellent people there who would “make the hair stand on your head” the way they look after each other, and the way they look after their children. n

Tait retrofits reduce solid fuel bills by €60 a week

By Elaine Tubridy TAIT House has recently provided heating and insulation upgrades -new windows and doors, boiler upgrades and insulation - for 200 houses in the fuel poor bracket across Limerick city and county.

The retrofitting project has reduced residents’ heating bills from €80 per week on solid fuel to just €20 per week on oil, according to Tait House Enterprise Manager Pat Kennedy.

“Their lives have been changed totally. We’re very proud of that, it’s been very positive,” he said.

Based in Southill, Tait House Community Enterprise provides community services and social enterprise initiatives including a law and mediation centre, a community crèche and adult education services.

Tait House General Manager Tracey Lynch confirmed that the demand for their services has increased significantly over the last four years due to the effects of the recession.

“It does allow us to be able to facilitate opportunities for people, to be able to assist them when they don’t have anywhere else to go, to build self esteem and confidence, to

be part of a work environment,” she said.

Tait House works alongside the Office of Regeneraation and they are optimistic that the new Framework Implementation Plan will benefit the area.

“The new implementation plan is a positive step forward for the whole of Limerick,” Ms Lynch said.

“We’re really keen to see what comes out of it in terms of support for employability and work, you know, what kind of supports are going to come out in the next year or so to be able to engage and provide

training,” she added.

Southill Development Co-Op was re-branded as Tait House Community Enterprise last June and the organisation has launched a new website to coincide with this.

Ms Lynch said that they are planning to bring Tait House back to life and ultimately to open a “mini Bunratty”.

Future hopes for the site include developing an urban farm, opening a café, house tours along with the possibility of offering Tait House as a venue for civil marriage ceremonies. n

Teacher Michelle Bargary with some of the children at Tait House.

Picture: Courtesy of Tait House

22 | Regeneration

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

communityfocus

BALLINACURRA WESTON

Tidy Towns taking root in the local community

Ballinacurra gets into the festive spirit

By Rose O’Connor regeneration areas are doing well de-

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Colby Crawford at the Christmas Fair in Our Lady Of Lourdes, Ballinacurra.

Pictures: Tony Grehan / Press 22

Rose O’Connor

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THERE were 21 stalls at Ballinacur-

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neighbourhood.

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Pictures: Ballinacurra Weston Residents Alliance

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Residents of Ballinacurra Weston show real community pride when it comes to Rose Ryan from Fedamore at the Christmas Fair in Our Lady Of Lourdes.

Regeneration | 23

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

communityfocus

Regeneration cash boost of over €51m Elaine Tubridy A TOTAL budget of €51.4 million will be spent in St Mary’s Park as part of the Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan over the next 10 years.

Forty nine new housing units are included in the new implementation plan, along with 321 units earmarked for refurbishment.

The refurbished houses will be upgraded from a “G – BER” to a “C – BER” insulation standard, which will reduce heat loss through walls and windows.

St Mary’s Park Community Group Secretary Carmel Duggan confirmed that she is happy with how plans for new housing are proceeding with the Regeneration Agency.

“It has come a long way in the past two months. We are pleased with the progress we have made,” she said.

Ms Duggan said that this is nothing more than the residents of St

Mary’s Park deserve.

“They have a human right to live in a good condition,” she added.

A budget of €10 million has been allocated for improvements to access roads and infrastructure.

Some residents of St Mary’s Park are opposed to the proposal of a new road going through the locality. The planned route begins in Moyross and will go through Kings Island before continuing on to Corbally.

“No way are they going to let [it happen], it’s too dangerous for children,” Ms Duggan said.

In response to the fears voiced

by St Mary’s Park residents, Senior Executive Regeneration Officer Brian Geaney said that he would have to take everybody’s views on board going forward in the adaptation of the plan.

He hopes that the road will be approved due to the limited access to and from St Mary’s Park.

“We hope that people who have

fears with the project, that those fears will disappear over time,” he added.

St Mary’s Park was the final area to join the regeneration process.

Ms Duggan claimed that the residents of St Mary’s Park were an “afterthought” in the regeneration programme.

“People down there have been neglected for a long time,” she added.

Last September, the St Mary’s Park Community Group resigned from their local Regeneration Committee.

They felt that their views on the regeneration process with regard to housing and infrastructure were not being listened to. The community group has since been reformed and Ms Duggan is satisfied that “things are going forward”.

“It’s all about people being committed, you know, and giving up their time for the community. If we had more on board it would be better,” Ms Duggan added.

ST MARY’S PARK

Anthony laments rising heat bills that arose after ‘Regen’ demolition scheme Lisa Blake A Kings Island tenant is about to enter his fourth winter with excessive heating bills due to a delay in insulation instalments from the regeneration project.

Anthony O’Donnell of St Munchin’s Street, St Mary’s Park has had problems with his heating due to a house being knocked next door to his four years ago under the regeneration project.

“The heating has to stay on from the minute we get up in the morning until last thing at night, otherwise the house turns into an icebox,” explains Anthony.

Project Officer of the Local Moyross Regeneration Committee Brendan Murphy spoke on the matter: “When the house was knocked next door it left a wall exposed which was not originally built for external use.

Regeneration is providing insulation and central heating for houses in the St Mary’s Park area and we are looking at speeding up this process.”

According to Mr. O’Donnell he has requested that the boiler in his house be considered for renewal as soon as possible.

“The boiler is gone at the moment but I’ve had it temporarily fixed, to fix it properly would cost 590 euro.

There’s no point in me paying that when they are going to provide us all

with new boilers soon anyway,” said Anthony.

Under a revised project for the area, parts of the regeneration project plans are to provide insulation in attics, re-glaze windows upon assessment and provide new boilers where necessary.

Originally the whole area of St Munchin’s street was to be knocked and instead boarded up houses will be opened for renovation and only partial areas will be knocked.

“The houses are 70 to 80 years old and built of mass concrete which has a life span of approximately 50 years,” said Anthony.

He continued, “I made the change over to a new heating provider to try and keep my bills down. Before that house was knocked I used to pay €35 a week and now I pay €60 a week and I find myself in arrears during the winter months.”

The gap in the streetscape at St Muchin’s Street, St Mary’s Park.

Green light given for new community centre €2 million promised as part of Regeneration plan

Elaine Tubridy

Limerick Youth Service Worker, Mary T. Real, has said the current facilities are not satisfactory.

PLANS for a new €2m community centre for St Mary’s Park have been announced as part of the Limerick Regeneration Implementation Framework.

Senior Executive Regeneration Officer Brian Geaney confirmed that the community centre will go ahead, although no specific timeframe has been given for the construction of the social regeneration project.

“A new community centre in St Mary’s will be constructed as part of the plan,” he said.

Limerick Youth Service Worker Mary T. Real claims that the facilities currently used by the St.

Mary’s Park youth club are not satisfactory.

The Kings Island Youth and Community Centre is currently shared by many groups such as the community café and the youth club.

The community café clear away their furniture at the end of the day so the space can be used by other groups.

The hall, which is suitable for a group of up to 10 children, has often had to deal with groups twice that size.

Ms Real said that it’s very frustrating for teenagers who want to run around and let off steam.

“It’s frustrating for them, it’s frustrating for you, because

you end up giving out,” she added. King’s Island Youth and Community Centre Chairperson Carmel Duggan is also concerned about the lack of facilities for youths.

“We need something for the kids down here because they are the future,” she said.

Ms Real confirmed that the youth club keeps the kids interested and gives them something to do.

She claimed that the risk of kids getting into trouble increases when they are idle.

“There’s loads of things down here to get involved in. Kids in other parts of the city wouldn’t have the same amount of things

that go on here on a regular basis,” she said.

Ms Real said that even though her work can be quite challenging, she enjoys working with the youths.

“They’re funny, we’ve had good craic down through the years,” she added.

There has been a Garda presence at the youth club meetings since the beginning of November.

The Gardai do not attend the meetings for security reasons, but to improve Gardai relations with the community.

Ms Real said that some of the children have a perception of “them and us”, so the Garda visits help to break down this barrier.

limerickvoice Newsroom, University of Limerick web: limerickvoice.com email: limerickvoice2013@gmail.com

The future of Limerick

THIS week, the European Investment Bank announced that the University of Limerick (UL) will receive a €100m loan for 12 projects, some based in the university and more in the city centre.

City projects include: a new student campus in the city for up to 500 students along with an expansive student residence and a new clinical research centre at the Limerick University Hospital.

UL President Professor Don Barry said the plan will allow students to contribute to the economic revitalisation of Limerick City Centre and that academics were ‘queuing up’ to secure prime location in the city centre for their departments.

This new strong link between ‘Town and Gown’ will hopefully help to give Limerick a much-needed economic kickstart.

However, the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show that Limerick has become Ireland’s capital of youth unemployment.

And while the focus has been on urban disadvantage for most of Limerick’s history, youth unemployment in small county towns is as high as 60 percent.

It is hoped that the jobs that will be generated in building the new UL projects on the campus and in the city will help to take some of the 14,000 unemployed Limerick people off the dole.

And while this is a good news week for Limerick and the University, it still brings little hope to the thousands of Limerick third level students who will be graduating next summer.

Only a fraction of next year’s graduates can expect to get employment in Limerick or in Ireland. And they will have no option but to emigrate or sign on.

By Siofra Mannion Editor

Regenerating Communities THE first real concrete evidence that the new 10-year Regeneration plan will deliver for Limerick people is revealed in the Limerick Voice this week.

Sixty four people living in disadvantaged areas will get new homes in the early New Year in Southill and the city centre.

This second phase of the regeneration building plans will cost €9.3m and provide homes in Colivet Court, Southill and Vizes Court, Wolfe Tone Street.

It is a positive beginning to a plan that is more realistic and achievable than the first Regeneration Plan launched amid huge aplomb in 2007.

In the new regeneration plan, there are also proposals to improve energy ratings of 300 houses throughout the city and broadband internet access will be rolled out in the next 12 to 18 months.

And there are plans for several social projects aimed at bringing hope and self-confidence back into communities that have been neglected for years.

Longterm, Limerick Regeneration “needs to do itself out of business.” That is the view of Senior Executive Officer Jason Murphy.

Let’s hope that in ten year’s time, Mr Murphy will be moving onto a new job.

By Rose O’Connor Deputy News Editor

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

“Regeneration is not all about the money…”

Dr Eileen Humphreys spoke to Limerick Voice reporter Shane Donnelly about how the success of Regeneration will be measured not in money, but in the depth of its engagement with local communities

“

The earlier you intervene in the lives of children… the better the outcome and investment.

“

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REGENERATION areas will only succeed if Limerick City itself engages in its own form of economic and social change, according to sociologist Eileen Humphreys.

Dr Humphreys, who wrote parts of the new Regeneration Plan, believes that both social and economic change within Limerick will allow the regeneration plan to become a success. The potential success, she believes, will be linked to how the city fares in terms of a broader regeneration of its local economy and income.

“You can’t just look inward on these regeneration communities and all of the money from local Government.

It has to be part of a much bigger picture.”

She said that any further economic growth in the country must be inclusive growth, as the Celtic Tiger only deepened the economic and social divide between communities in and outside the regeneration areas.

“In that period you had much more serious problems of crime and drugs,” she said. There was also a serious problem of seemingly wealthy drug dealers becoming role models for impressionable youths.

“That was the kind of role models you had at that time. That was all part of this really crazy culture at the time.

And that did nothing for them. It only highlighted what they couldn’t have,” she added.

The New Limerick Regeneration Plan differs from the original Limerick Regeneration Project in 2007 which pledged a €3-billion investment over 10 years. Now, €250-million is to be spread over the decade.

Dr Humphreys feels that while the current plan is much more financially modest, the social programme can be easily implemented provided it is backed by mainstream government.

While certain areas of Limerick have been disadvantaged for generations,

Dr Humphreys explains that one ‘end vision’ is the removal of ‘ghettoized’ communities within regeneration areas.

This begins by realising that people living in these areas are not a ‘problem’ but rather human beings who can offer something socially and economically.

However, given the time lapse between both regeneration plans, the current one has arrived too late for some people.

“The earlier you intervene in the lives of children in particular to support them, the better the outcome and investment,” Dr Humphreys said.

Despite the relative large amounts of people who have left regeneration areas to relocate elsewhere, little information is available on how these people have coped.

While some people have had very good experiences, others have felt that they do not necessarily belong to the community they moved into. There is evidence also of children moving to schools that can’t cope with their level of disadvantage, Dr Humphreys explained.

While she accepted that some critics think that the taxpayer is throwing money into a black hole, she believed that the concern need not exist. Referring to the old Regeneration Plan, Dr Humphreys explained: “There was a simplistic notion that if we put lots of money into this [regeneration areas] that we could solve it. You know, completely level it and rebuild all these communities. But I think that was the wrong analysis.”

For Dr Humphreys, the success of Regeneration “depends on the different players from the community and the authorities working on it seriously, and trying to get a more joined-up approach and learning from past mistakes.

“It’s not all about money, it’s about a willingness to be serious about it.”

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limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Understaffed and undervalued With the continuous scaling down and paring back of frontline healthcare resources in the post Celtic Tiger era, it’s little wonder that nurses, who have one of the most crucial jobs in society, often feel undervalued. And, as Limerick Voice online editor, Gary Whelan about their daily duties. typical day could entail me working for 12 hours on a ward with responsibility for 14 patients, with one student nurse or care assistant to help,” she said.

The Limerick Voice contacted An Bord Altranais regarding the “safe ratio” for nurse to patients, but were told that the HSE has never patient ratio in Ireland.

The problem with having such a high number of patients to nurses is staff having to deal with irate ably worried about the absence of care for their loved ones. They see the nurse as the person responsible and tend to vent their anger in their direction.

“Some of these patients need constant supervision and due to me caring for the entire ward on my own, I simply cannot give every patient the required attention they deserve.

“This can result in verbal abuse

from patients and family of patients who do not realise the circumstances in which we are working,” added Nurse O’Donovan.

Student and newly graduated nurses have their qualms as well.

During their studies, students are having to work in hospitals for less than the national minimum wage, which currently stands at €8.65 per hour. A fourth year student nurse will now earn €15,869 per year before tax to both study and work in a hospital. The minimum wage for the year before tax is €17,542. ria Ryan told the Limerick Voice, “when the student nurse becomes a registered staff nurse they are being paid €11.50 (85 percent of a staff nurse pay) for year one post registration and €12 per hour (90 percent of a staff nurse pay) for year two.

“It is extremely disheartening when a newly registered staff nurse is getting paid less than a health

care assistant. We are expected to take on all the responsibility of a staff nurse but with less pay.

“The government has got away with this unfair pay cut by calling it a new graduate scheme and insisting that the new graduate nurses complete a college course for the two years, on our hours off from our 39 hour week. Six years of college to become a nurse is a bit much if you ask me,” she said.

Hospitals around the country are already struggling to cope with massive staff shortages. And with austerity reigning in Ireland and successive generations of schoolleavers already resigned to emigration in a search for fairer conditions and more pay, the situation could become critical sooner rather than later.

The Limerick Voice contacted the HSE regarding this issue by telephone and email but had yet to receive any reply at the time of going to press.

Features

WITH one of the most crucial jobs in society, nurses care for the sick and injured, both young and old, every day.

Many people in Limerick and around the country have family members who are nurses and are very familiar with how hard their mothers, sisters and daughters must work on a daily basis.

The past six years have seen continuous scaling down of resources in the Health Service Executive (HSE), from reduced wages to increased hours, which has been blamed on the economic circumerick nurse Mary O’Donovan told the Limerick Voice that falling resources in hospitals and nursing homes is resulting in a sub-standard level of care which can only have a negative outcome.

“Nursing has changed greatly in the past few years; it has become a very stressful job with staff shortage levels at a critical point. My

Features Editor Roisin Curran

limerickvoice.com @limerickvoice Limerick Voice

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

26 | Features

Don’t ignore the symptoms

By Sophie McDermott IN October of this year, Limerick was shook by the devastating death of 15 year old Chloe Kinsella, whose body was found in the River Shannon after an extensive 6 day search for the missing girl. This tragic case highlighted the importance of recognizing depression and suicide risk in teenagers, not only in Limerick but nationwide. The taboo of mental illnesses such as depression has been lessened this year with many celebrities speaking out about their own struggles with mental illness. The Samaritans took 32,500 calls in 2012 in their Limerick branch alone.

It’s important during the teenage years for parents or guardians to ensure that their teens are as healthy mentally as they are physically. It’s easy to confuse the normal teenage mood swings or bad habits as being a typical teenager but it’s vital that adults recognize that small bad habits can be the symptoms of depression.

Many people associate depression as being an ‘adult illness’ and that the younger generation cannot suffer from depression because they don’t face the day to day struggles of being an adult such as bills, raising a family or the hardship of being unemployed.

With up to 10% of teenagers are affected by depression, parents dealing with their teenagers’ depression can be difficult and heart-breaking.

However, the most important thing to remember is that it’s nobody’s fault.

Kate Donnolly of Aware.ie urges parents to pay close attention to their teenagers’ mood and any symptoms of depression that may become more noticeable over time. Symptoms can include headaches, physical body pains such as in the abdomen and chest, low self-esteem, feelings of boredom, lack of interest in usual hobbies or socializing and thinking of death.

“Parents can confuse these symptoms as just being a normal teenager

however symptoms ongoing for long periods of time need to be investigated.”

“If you have any anxiety around your child, there is never any harm in bringing them to your local GP.” Parents natural reaction to their child being ill is too panic but it’s hugely important to remain calm, listen to your child, ensure they know that you are there for them and be pro-active in the recovery process by going to appointments with them if they wish.

As with when dealing with any depression in the family, communication is key in the recovery process, especially when dealing with teenagers who have depression. “It’s very difficult dealing with depression, keep talking to each other and utilise your own support circle as well.”

Be considerate that your child may be particularly sensitive during this time and remember not to have any unrealistic expectations of recovery.

Every case is different.”

Mairead Sweeney, Director of the Limerick-Tipperary Branch of the Samaritans also stressed the importance of communication when coping with depression. “Don’t be alone with it. Talking is a positive, courageous and empowering thing to do.

It is a sign of strength to reach out for help.”

Former Cork hurler, Conor Cusack, who authored a blog entitled ‘Depression is a friend, not my enemy’, which went viral in the Irish media, offered his advice to young people in Limerick affected by depression.

“It’s not good to be carrying around the struggle in your head on your own, if you have one person you can trust, whether it’s a parent or a teacher, share your problem with them. I know the fear that you’re struggling under the pressure and you’re not feeling well but it’s an incredible act of kindness to yourself to talk to someone about it and get help. It’s a difficult journey to go on by yourself.” n

Who to contact if you feel affected by the issues raised in this article...

Aware has a helpline for both people suffering from depression or mood-related illnesses and their family members for advice on how to cope with depression and to be an additional source of support. This helpline can be reached on 1890 303 302.

The Limerick Samaritans are based on 20 Barrington Street, and open every day 9am-10pm. A new freephone number, 1800-116-123 will be launched in the next couple of weeks.

Seeking change in access to fertility treatment Federica Sgaggio explains the limited resources for infertile couples in Limerick and how Helen Browne has been campaigning for change for over 17 years

INFERTILITY cruelly slams a door in the faces of couples who dream of having children. It’s a harrowing state of affairs that’s deepened for affected Limerick couples who, given the absence of public infertility treatment clinics in Ireland and the lack of adequate insurance cover for treatment, undertake a succession of financially and physically draining, and emotionally harrowing journeys to and from private facilities in Dublin, Cork or Galway.

Limerick woman Helen Browne, who spoke recently at a public meeting in Limerick, first embarked on what she terms her “fertility journey” almost two decades ago.

Helen’s experience prompted her to set up a support group to help couples find the best treatment and psychological support.

This has been a successful forum for couples requiring advice on how to cope with infertility, and guidance on what steps to take when opting for treatment, but the backdrop remains effectively unchanged.

“When I first embarked on my ‘fertility journey’, in 1996, Ireland had one specialised clinic. Now there are eight, and they are all private,” Helen said. “No one is apparently in the Limerick area, and the Health Service Executive [HSE] does not provide any facilities.”

According to Helen, travel is not the only barrier to treatment. Fertility treatment can vary from €2,000 for Intra-Uterin Insemination (IUI) to €5,500 for In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), causing more problems for individuals or couples who wish to avail of the treatment. A treatment with donor eggs or sperm can be much more expensive, because couples or singles tend to go abroad.

Helen says “The HSE does not provide any facilities to women who undergo fertility treatments—you can just get €160 for the drugs, under the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) and a 20 percent tax relief.”

Helen, who set up the National

Infertility Support and Information Group (NISIG) in Cork 17 years ago with two other women, was a member of the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction (CAHR).

CAHR was in operation from 2000 to 2005 and submitted 40 recommendations for legislation to the government at the time. Eight years later, Helen says the situation hasn’t improved. “We didn’t get anything.

It’s all still on the shelf. We are now hoping to have a meeting with the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Health. We would like Irish people to get their treatments for free.” she says.

It’s estimated that at least 15% of

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limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

A night on the ground with Corbett Suicide Watch Limerick Voice reporter Lisa Blake joins the voluntary group for a one night patrol and writes on her experience SATURDAY 9th of November at 11.30pm, my car displayed a temperature of 3 degrees outside. I met with Paul Hogan, chairperson of Corbett Suicide Watch and the rest of his team at their base shed in the potato market. Life jackets, high visibility floatation coats, torches, first aid kits and throw bags were being assembled. After a quick briefing, we were all told to put our phones on 999 so we would be ready for any emergencies.

We then set off to patrol the banks of the River Shannon. The tide was in, which was met with some worrying looks. The volunteers separated into two groups; after Arthurs Quay Park (dubbed as one of their “hot spots”) the other team headed towards Sarsfield Bridge while we went in the Thomond direction.

Paul gives me the lowdown on what a typical night involves.

“We meet every state of mind – broken hearts, financially broke, broken relationships – everything is broken. Coming up to Christmas will be a scary time for us, and after it even scarier. If we were a business, we would be booming. We meet anyone from 17 to 70 years old.”

Generally, there are two types of people they meet. Some are completely resigned to what they are about to do. Others are caught up in Irish couples have difficulty conceiving. However, there’s a significant portion of these couples that are affected by male issues. Specialist in Ultrasound Diagnostics, Cytology, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy Dr Neufeldt says “My personal experience is that the amount of patients I see for fertility issues has increased over the years.

Half of my patients come to me because of their difficulty conceiving.”

Male issues are not a statistical blip, but a fact of life, and increasingly so. In May 2012, Declan Keane, director of the Dublin fertility clinic ReproMed, told the Irish Independent that male issues were a factor in 40% of his clients.With all of this in mind, Helen Browne concludes: “in the end there are only three outcomes to fertility issues: success, adoption and acceptance.”

the heat of a moment, often fuelled by alcohol.

Along the route, Paul reflects on the year they’ve had as the CSPP’s one year anniversary rolls around.

“We have had 64 interventions since this time last year. Those 64 people might not have all intended on taking their lives but those people all needed help. Physically, we have saved 14 people from going in. Last Christmas nobody entered the river.

That was because of us. Before we started, 12 out of 17 people who entered the river lost their lives.”

Paul informs me that it is forbidden to put a railing along the bank of the skate park due to an old boat docking law that dates back centuries. It begs the question, which is more important, a boat docking law (I am yet to witness a vessel of any sort pull up in this particular spot) or saving a life?

CSPP says there wasn’t a need for a group like this 20 years ago, so what has changed in the minds of our society?

“Kids don’t realise suicide is final.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Life is not a video game, there’s no reset button.

There is no coming back.”

All was relatively quiet until just after 3am. A young woman who appeared to be on her phone was sitting on a bench. As we observed, she stood up and approached the railing by the river. Two volunteers were sent forward but the woman was hostile and unwilling to talk. She then proceeded quickly under Sarsfield Bridge; a dark, unlit and unsafe area.

The volunteers picked up pace and approached her again.

“The best policy is to broach the subject straight away; you ask them do they plan on entering the river.

There’s no point avoiding it,” says Paul.

The woman, still resisting the help

Graffiti scralwed on the wall of Limerick Skatepark beside the River Shannon at the Clarion Hotel.

Pictures: Frank Carlin

of the volunteers, took flight up the steps of Sarsfield Bridge and made her way across towards the skate park. As the volunteers persisted with a third approach, the young woman turned and went in the direction of town.

As the patrol ended around 4:30am I thought about the consequences that could have lay ahead for that woman. Would there be a missing person appeal circulating social networks and news outlets had we not come across her? What I witnessed was either the CSPP momentarily troubling the woman, or I saw a life being saved. We’ll never know. n

Infertility: the HSE position THE Health Service Executive (HSE) outlines its position on fertility treatment on its website, hse.ie.

According to the site, “IVF [In Vitro Fertilisation] is not provided by the public health services. There is no law preventing IVF but there is no legal framework regulating it either. Your family doctor (GP) may refer you to the private specialists and clinics that provide the service.”

The position on ‘Tax relief and fertility treatment’ is outlined as follows: “You may claim tax relief on the

costs involved in IVF treatment as part of the tax relief for medical expenses scheme. Drugs used as part of fertility treatment are also covered under the Drugs Payment Scheme.

“Under the Drugs Payment Scheme an individual or family in Ireland only has to pay a maximum of €120 (from January 2010) for approved prescribed drugs, medicines and certain appliances for use by that person or their family in that month.”

Visit hse.ie/eng/health/az/I/IVF/ for further information.

By Paul O’Sullivan

It was a wonderful time… it was euphoria, I suppose.

“

JFK through the eyes of one Limerick man ON SATURDAY June 29, 1963, the people of Limerick picked up their copy of the Limerick Leader to find coverage of an historical presidential visit all over the front page. This was accompanied by a truly wonderful photograph of “our guest” President John F. Kennedy who was due to touch down in Limerick’s Greenpark racecourse at 1pm the following day.

“This will be Limerick’s day to remember. The first time a US President walked on Limerick soil and spoke to its people. In the minds and hearts of our people, President Kennedy will find a truly affectionate place. With ancestral links in the city and county, we have come to regard him as our own.”

This extract from the Leader’s front page says it all.

Recalling the event 50 years on, Patrick Flynn describes how at the age of 29 he bid farewell to his wife and two young daughters, set forth from his humble abode on Wolfe Tone Street armed with nothing but a ham sandwich, and walked 2km to the racecourse that was to host JFK. “Going out the road, you never saw the amount of people all walking in the same direction, and not coming the other way. That was extraordinary in itself. There was only one way traffic this day. Even then you could see this was going to be vast.

There was a general atmosphere of joy. Let there be no mistake, this was an enormous move up for the Irish.

As he describes the enormity of the crowd, he laughs and tells the Limerick Voice how it seemed everybody was there at the racecourse that day.

“I would have loved to have seen Limerick City when Kennedy was there because it must have been completely empty!”

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limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

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Patrick Flynn Eyewitness to JFK’S visit to Limerick

John Fitzgerald Kennedy during his speech in Limerick’s Greenpark racecourse, just five months before his assassination.

Picture: Limerick Leader

Upon arrival, Patrick found himself a good spot in the crowd and awaited the arrival of the guest of honour. He recalls seeing several helicopters hovering overhead. “One of them landed and everybody was agog with expectation but of course it wasn’t him. It was probably the security people. Then another one came along. Still wasn’t him. Eventually of course he did arrive and it was an extraordinary sound.” Patrick felt it was appropriate that the first Catholic President of the United States was greeted by Limerick’s first Lady Mayor, Frances Condell.

President Kennedy began his address by complimenting the Mayor saying that her speech was “the best speech I heard since I came to Europe”.

Speaking about the President’s speech Patrick said that “he was absolutely like we had seen him on the television before. He was a marvellous speaker and he seemed to have a joy in being there. And everybody got that feeling. He had an intimacy

JFK wades his way through the crowd. Picture: Limerick Leader about the way he gave speeches that every individual there felt that JFK was talking to them personally. I’m really privileged that I was one of the people there.”

He added: “It was a wonderful time. It was euphoria I suppose. I couldn’t explain why it happened but it did. I think everybody related to him. I think in Ireland we really needed a boost. It wasn’t anything financial. It was just the feeling that suddenly things were looking up and you felt better. It was a less tangible thing than you would imagine.

It was only five short months later that the people of Limerick would learn of JFK’s assassination.

While describing his own personal feelings, as well as that of Limerick when the news came through, Patrick’s voice changes from a tone of joyous nostalgia to one of reflective mellon collie.

He recalls seeing Charles Mitchell deliver the news on television, that November.

“The feeling was disbelief. Total disbelief. You couldn’t imagine anybody, having seen the man here,

wanting to kill him, or any reason why they would. It was just incomprehensible. You can’t ignore the truth or news when you see it. It was just unbelievable. It was like a fantasy.

“We were so joyful about him being president and so hopeful about the future and in one fell swoop it all seemed to die, literally, with him. I can’t imagine anybody else having an impact such as he had.

“I’m sure everybody in Limerick remembered when he had been in Limerick, how nice he had been and how emotional that day was. I’d say people took a long time to get over the whole thing.”

Ceremonies were held all over the country to mark the anniversary of JFK’s death, including Bruff where Bishop of Limerick, Dr Brendan Leahy celebrated Mass in his honour.

This was followed by a function in the Thomas Fitzgerald Centre where an announcement concerning a permanent display of memorabilia and photographs of JFK’s visit to Limerick and Ireland in 1963 and the Fitzgerald family’s connection to Bruff was made.

Richard Harris Festival was a fitting tribute

By Mike Gilmore LIMERICK City is just settling down following a weekend of celebrations in honour of one of the city’s finest exports, Richard Harris.

This is the first time our most prolific Hollywood success has been celebrated with his very own festival in his native Limerick, eleven years after his death. He was a man respected worldwide for his two Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe victory as well as many roles in blockbuster films including The Field, Unforgiven and Gladiator.

A man known for acts of harmless deviance, lengthy drinking sessions and a wicked sense of humour, it’s no wonder the people of Limerick

remember him so fondly. In his youth he was a sporting man excelling at rugby and football which was sadly brought to end after a bout with tuberculosis in his teens. He did however continue to remain an avid fan of rugby supporting Munster and Young Munster throughout his life.

His acting career began in the late fifties with his role in Alive and Kicking and spanned six decades culminating in his role as Dumbledore in the first two instalments of the Harry Potter franchise just before his death in 2002.

He is still a well known and respected source of inspiration in his native Limerick, with fond memories and stories of him often recanted in certain parts of the town he would frequent. In one instance a shrine has been put in place in

one of his old haunts, Charlie Saint George’s, on Parnell Street in the City.

Local scriptwriter, Eleanor McSherry, said that ”having grown up down the road from where Harris grew up, and him ending up like a Hollywood icon, meant that even somebody like me could end up getting that far”, she went on to say “that he is a great inspiration to anybody in Limerick.”

Festival director Robb Gill said that given his “stature it was a surprise that we hadn’t tried to commemorate our biggest Hollywood actor already.”

The Festival featured showings of This Sporting Life accompanied by showings of films by Irish actors such as Aiden Gillen and ended with short films created by young Irish talent.

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Picture: Limerick Leader

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limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

A journey of discovery

Jean Mounsey talks to Jerry Roche a recovering addict now studying at the University of Limerick A NEW journey for Jerry Roche has begun. In September he commenced the Masters in Integrative Psychotherapy in the University of Limerick (UL). He is an ex-prisoner and former addict. He hopes that by telling his story he will help even one person in some way. We meet in a lively establishment and welcome the arrival of our coffees, his preferred drink since he stopped drinking alcohol in 2001.

He is a man of slight build with a quiet wariness about him. As we sat together and settled in, he began to tell me the journey he had from his birthplace of Ballinacurra Weston in the heart of Limerick city to UL, with its many twists and turns.

He was born in 1967; he was the first son in a family of nine to parents Gerard and Lena. His father worked on the Docks, and his mother was a quiet woman. “She did everything in her power to support us the best way she could.”

Jerry grew up thinking violence was normal. He also became aware of the prevalence of drinking in his community. “In my child’s head this

is what you do to become a man.

You go to work, you get drunk and you come home every day”.

He found an escape by hanging out with other children in the area.

At the age of 10 he began to drink alcohol and he started to commit violent acts, such as fighting, robbing and breaking into homes.

He was first sent to prison in 1985 for 10 months. He began a relationship with a Limerick woman and they had two sons in 1990 and 1994.

Every year between 1985 and 1999 he was in and out of various prisons, leaving her to bring up their two boys on her own. In 1994 Jerry’s oldest sister died suddenly.

A fortnight later he commenced a five year prison sentence for injuring a man in a shooting in the area where he lived over a disagreement.

Towards the end of it he reflected: “I wanted to change my life but I didn’t know how to.” In 2001 Jerry fathered another son from a second relationship.

As the new millennium dawned, the end of the world that some people predicted was unrealised, except

Jerry in front of Plassey House Picture: Francis Carlin

in Jerry’s case. In January 2000 he and his family’s world were torn apart yet again. His two younger brothers died tragically by suicide

nine days apart. “I felt responsible for them, for the younger people in the house.”

At the time Jerry was estranged from his girlfriend and he had lost contact with their sons. “I wanted to die.” He used drugs and alcohol to cope. He was admitted to the psychiatric ward in Limerick University Hospital on numerous occasions for drug overdoses and to detox.

The medical team arranged for him to go to addiction treatment centres, first to Talbot Grove in Castleisland and then to Tabor house in Navan. There he began to learn to take responsibility for his actions.

Despite his doubts he managed to stay sober. He reconciled with his girlfriend. “Without her support I don’t think I could have carried on to where I am now”. In 2006 another brother died suddenly.

Jerry has succeeded in staying off alcohol and drugs for nearly 10 years. He has done extensive personal development through courses, counselling, and further rehabilitation in the Aljeff treatment centre (named after his deceased

brothers Alan and Jeffery). The Aljeff treatment centre was set up in 2000 in Limerick after their deaths to provide services to people with addictions. It closed last year due to unforeseen problems.

For the past eight years he has worked with different organisations in the area of drug and alcohol addiction. He says: “Drugs aren’t only in my community. Until people start waking up and understanding, then the real work can start happening to change it”. He considers as role models many of those whom he sees working with people with addictions. He acknowledges the ‘great support’ he received from people over the past thirteen years or so and who let him ‘make mistakes in a very supportive way.’

When asked how he coped with the tragedies in his life, he said: “From a very early age, my father told me if ever down on the ground and anybody kicking you, get up, never stay down on the ground, it’s dangerous to be down on the ground, every time I’ve been down so low that voice has kicked in.”

Why immigrants remain in Limerick for Christmas

Lylian Fotabong spoke to several immigrant groups on the reasons why they celebrate Christmas by the Shannon

TO many, Christmas means a time to return home to family and friends, wherever that may be. For immigrants in Limerick, this means returning to their countries of birth.

However, increasing numbers are now choosing to stay in their now adopted home of Limerick City over the Christmas period. The reasons for their reluctance to travel home mainly include their love of the community life here.

With the holidays quickly approaching, Limerick city is looking like a wonderland, but this is just one of the reasons that attract non-Irish nationals to stay back for the season.

Some non-natives consider Limerick to be the “Holy Grail” of Ireland where people are kind and welcoming, especially at Christmas.

Maurice Kikangala, who arrived in Ireland from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has a more serious reason for his stay in the city.

He has been living and studying in Limerick for over 12 years, and when

The view over the River Shannon.

Picture: Lylian Fotabong

asked on his hometown and his upcoming absence: “I stay in Limerick for Christmas because I cannot return to my home country. I ran away because of my political inclinations and if I return, I will be putting my life in danger.

“Although I have no choice, I love Limerick and have built a great friendship with the people from the moment I arrived. Christmas in Limerick is a reminder of how peaceful and safe it is to live in the world,” he said.

Another non-Irish national living and working in Limerick is Dr Matt

Cannon from New York. He is married to an Irish national with whom they have three children.

Mr Cannon said his family travelled to the USA for Christmas in the past, “but as my family grew, it became more expensive to make the trip back and forth to the States, and the longer I lived in Limerick, the more frequent I stayed”.

He said that Christmas in Limerick allows his family to “catch up” with some of his wife’s relatives who live in the west of Ireland. He hopes that his mother and brother will join him for Christmas next year.

He recalled his first and most memorable Irish Christmas as one filled with a heavy snowstorm and widespread electric power cuts.

“I joined a friend and her family for Christmas dinner in Limerick and volunteered to serve food in a home for older people – it really was an interesting and rewarding experience.”

Former Liaison Officer for New Communities Partnership (NCP), Jacques Lobe, is from Cameroon in west Africa and has lived in Limerick for about eight years.

He said, although he would prefer to join family in his riverside home in Cameroon, he is staying in Limerick for Christmas because his lack of money.

“But it is a blessing in disguise because Ireland is my home now and so is Limerick, with its glittery lights and the vibrant community life along the River Shannon.

“I use the period to enjoy, not only the high-spirited celebration of the nativity, but also to share a few pints with friends. After all, we are all Irish in the making.” Mr Lobe said.

Many may not have a choice to return home and may have separated from their loved ones under painful circumstances and cannot return home, even at Christmas or other festive occasions.

However, all immigrants, newcomers and natives will see Limerick in its full glory this Christmas. The city and county are dazzling with lights, shopping centres, free festive events, traditional foods and craft

markets.

Over the last decade, Limerick has welcomed a strong flow of immigrants to its shore. In 2012, there were 16,112 non-native residents, according to Integrating Limerick, a report published by the Limerick City and County Councils on the Integration Plan 2010 – 2012.

This represents migrant workers from EU and Non-EU zones, international students, asylum seekers, refugees and persons with Leave to Remain in Ireland. Some of these immigrants have a burning desire to remain in Limerick for Christmas.

Top 10 reasons immigrants stay here for Christmas • To remain in refuge, peace and safety • Limerick is their new home • Higher costs to return to their birth-places • They have integrated strongly and created families and friends • Their businesses are succeeding • A Lack of choice and restricting responsibilities • The hope for the snow and a white Christmas • Limerick city is beautiful in their eyes • To help others in need • The city landscape is reminiscent of their birth place

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

30 | Features

The Culture Page

A rising tide raises all boats

Francis Carlin our Cultural Reporter, spoke to the Chief Executive Officer of Limerick City of Culture 2014, Patricia Ryan, about her hopes for the year ahead THE Limerick Voice sits down with the CEO of Limerick City of Culture Patricia Ryan. This position represents something of a homecoming for Patricia, as a Limerick woman and educated in UL before she set off on her career, which has now brought her home.

“By the end of the next year there will be no question about Limericks ability to deliver world class events,” says Patricia. No.2 Pery Square is buzzing, it has been designated as the HQ for Limerick City of Culture and at the helm is Patricia Ryan.

“We [Limerick City of Culture] do believe that the expertise is here, and where it’s not we’re going to try and grow it and that will also be part of the legacy.” Patricia has worked as an advisor to Pat Cox, the former president of the European Parliament, and for several other Irish Government departments as well as setting up her own consultancy company.

Originally brought on board as a consultant for Limerick City of Culture, Patricia became more involved with the project and is now the CEO. Her passion for the project is clear.

Patricia visited Liverpool, who formerly held the European City of Culture and got advice from the team there on how not just to make the year itself a success and to make sure it has a lasting legacy for the city.

She wants Limerick to be left with an energetic cultural scene and a reputation of a city that can put on world-class events. As well as working towards a bid to make Limerick the European City of Culture in 2020.

Patricia says: “There are two parts to next year, it has to be fun, it has to be popular. There has to be something in this for everybody. If you pick a family you have to be able to go though the Granny and Granddad and all the way down to the kids. It has to be inclusive, and it has to cre-

Patricia Ryan CEO of Limerick City of Culture Picture: Francis Carlin

ate a buzz around Limerick. That and the legacy are really important.”

The scope of the festival is very broad, covering all aspects of culture in Limerick. The program is aimed at not just creating new events but also working with the already growing cultural scene in Limerick to make it more accessible to the general public and keep it thriving long after the international performances are over.

Patricia says that another hope for the project is that it will, “...give people a lift.” It also has the potential to attract more business and tourism to the city, this festival will be about improving the lives of everyone living in Limerick and making the city a more interesting and diverse place to live.

When it comes to spending money the team at No.2 Pery Square understand that it is public money that they are spending and they want to get the most out of what they are spending, Grant Thornton have compiled an economic assessment of Limerick City of Culture 2014 and the event should be very beneficial to the city.

Patricia is clearly excited about the program, the way she speaks about the events it is hard not to feel excited as well. From the large scale acts and big events like New Years Eve, to a pop up museum in No.4 Rutland Street.

“I’m sure there will be crisis at least once a month but you just deal with it, get on with it and move onto the next thing. It’s definitely not going to be boring.”

As I was heading away after being given a tour of the head quarters a delivery of boxes had just arrived.

It gives a great sense of confidence when the CEO of a large project pitches in and the ease with which Patricia started hefting boxes shows she is a woman who is not afraid to throw herself head on into whatever situations or obstacles may arise. n Shortly after this interview, it emerged that Ms Ryan’s job as CEO of Limerick City of Culture had not been advertised publicly. Despite several phone calls and emails to Ms Ryan on this matter, she had not responded at the time of going to press,

‘Not just what we do on Sundays…’

CULTURE is a tricky thing to munity that exists in Limerick is so define, it really can mean almost strong and I really feel that artists anything, but culture is undoubtcan now be those leaders in the comedly more than just the arts. “What munity that priests used to be years is Limerick’s culture?” is a question ago. That person that is reflecting on that must have been asked over and how we feel, presenting visions to over again in the run up to Limerick aim toward, you can feel it’s almost City of Culture 2014. Catherine tangible when people are together, O’Halloran is working on projects there is a real power there.” funded by Limerick City of CulIn the beginning Catherine had ture as well as being a senior youth her doubts about the Limerick City worker at the Northside Family of Culture, she was worried that it Resource Centre in Ballynanty. She might end up being about “Firealso works with people to help them works and glam” rather than authenexperience and develop their own tic cultural events that the people of relationship with Limerick would culture. connect with.

Catherine But helping plan believes that our the festival gave biggest resourcher inspiration es in the city are and reassurance young people when she disand she hopes covered that oththat Limerick er people were City of Culture asking the same will make good questions as her. use of our city’s She is vehement resources. “If that this festival you need to hire should be about people, hire discovering and young people showcasing from our FAS culture from projects, from all areas and different probackgrounds in jects where they Limerick. are developing Limerick skills there that City of Culture they want to has been put Catherine O’Halloran, youth worker, take out into the under scrutiny artist, and community advocate. real world and due to allegaPicture: Francis Carlin this would be a tions that jobs brilliant place were given out for them to get hands-on practice.” without being advertised. “If it’s The importance of including evetrue, it is completely unethical.” But ryone in Limerick City of Culture she doesn’t seem entirely surprised, is a priority for Catherine; “Culture she said that she has seen it happen is woven into our living, it’s not before and that there is corruption just something we do on a Sunday.” everywhere, but hopefully the fact She has worked with many differthat is has come out early on means ent strands of culture. Horse culture it can be resolved and she definitely is something that has been on the doesn’t think that this should detract agenda with Catherine for a long from what Limerick City of Culture time, how it is a tradition that is 2014 could be. passed on and still survives in LimWhen asked what she was most erick. She is worried that some of looking forward to as part of the the minority groups who can be left festival Catherine told me that out of society may be left un-catered while she is excited about what is for by Limerick City of Culture. in the main program, it will be the “One of the greatest assets we fringe events and small projects that have as a city is the talent of our haven’t yet been announced that she young people. That creative comis truly anticipating. n

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limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

A public inconvenience

By Sophie McDermott

“

LIMERICK City is a shopping haven for both locals and visitors from all over Ireland. In the run up to Christmas the city is filled with hoards of people bustling around,

Limerick has only three public bathrooms in the city

excited about their Christmas shopping or just having a day around town. However, at a certain point of their day they’ll encounter a major problem – they need to use the bathroom, but there is none in sight.

Limerick City has three public bathrooms in the city centre, two of which are free to use and are situated outside the People’s Park and in Colbert train station. The third is upstairs in Arthur’s Quay, which you have to pay 20 cent to use. The only other option is to walk into nearby cafés and restaurants to use their bathrooms, but the majority will not buy anything in the establishment.

This puts a strain on the establishment’s facilities as well as being an inconvenience to the shoppers themselves. Some restaurants and cafés even have different types of security in place to ensure that their amenities are used only by paying customers in their establishment.

City Councillor and former Mayor, Gerry McLoughlin stated that although Limerick City needs more public bathrooms, “the city relies on the generosity of the local city traders such as hotels and cafés to make their facilities available to the public.”

Cllr McLoughlin believes that the issue is not set to be discussed in this month’s budget and is unlikely to be discussed next year. “I think we definitely should make provisions for this in the budget but the cost is prohibitive. Two to three years ago,

the capital cost and the public cost of setting up and maintaining public bathroom facilities was in the range of 25,000- 30,000 euro.”

He added: “I would like to see some research into other parts of the country to see how they service their public toilets, especially down the coast.”

How do the local traders feel about people using their customeronly bathrooms? Emma McCarthy, Manager of Burger King on O’Connell Street told the Limerick Voice: “Our bathrooms are generally kept well but then you have a lot of young people coming in to use the bathrooms after four and then the

odd day, they could be wrecked.”

Ms McCarthy also suggested: “There should be more public bathrooms to solve this problem for businesses like they have in other cities.”

John McEnroy, Manager of Abrakebabra on O’Connell Street also commented on the lack of public bathrooms in the city centre.

“The issue I have with it is that people would walk in and not even ask to use the toilet and sometimes they are destroyed by people that are out drinking on the street. We can’t really lock the toilets to keep people out, you have to be somewhat nice about it.”

With no solution to the lack of public bathrooms in Limerick City in sight, it appears that shoppers will have to continue to rely on the generosity and discretion of the local traders to share the facilities with the public. The Arthurs Quay public bathrooms will also see the strain of excessive shoppers with little choice but to wait in long queues to use the bathroom.

“Businesses will be paying for the public bathrooms through their council tax anyway and so it’s important that we look at the cheapest options for the setting up and maintenance of public toilets facilities,” Cllr McLoughlin concluded. n

“

Filling in the gaps at the Hunt Museum Limerick Voice reporter Mike Gilmore takes a look at the latest exhibition at the hunt museum

THE Hunt Museum in Limerick city exhibits a small yet fine collection of art created by the MA students in interactive design at the University of Limerick. The students put together several works for the ‘Filling The Gaps’ exhibit with the most artistic five chosen to be displayed at the Hunt Museum. The Limerick Voice speaks to Museum curator, Dominique Bouchard about making the exhibit possible.

Though the collection is small it portrays its multi-fold mission statement quite well. It encourages the museum patron to view everyday things they might take for granted and to see them in a different light.

Another aspect of the exhibition was

to encourage the creation of art solely for the public realm. This inspired the use of the works created by the MA students in the University.

According to Ms Bouchard the exhibit “was the result of a lot of hard work between the two departments with team teaching attributing to the collection of works”.

The collection deals mainly with a post-modern vibe with the main focus revolving around the notion of invisible art. Post-modernism, as we

all know has contributed in a massive way to contemporary art, deals a lot with the experiences of the patron.

Sometimes using the entire installation to give an experience for the patron as they go from room to room.

However, this is not the case with ‘Filling The Gaps’. When exhibiting something, you would rather have the ability to take it all in and have a stroll. I’m afraid your stroll would end abruptly here.

Instead, as Ms Bouchard explained,

the art “works attempt to display the journey between the inception of the idea, the build-up and then the culmination of the work in the pieces that are on display”. Instead of using the all-building experience, they opted for a concise message in just the five works created.

Though the works themselves have

not been specified as being for sale or not, if one tickled your fancy it could be arranged to negotiate with the original creator of the piece through the proper channels at the Hunt Museum.

The exhibition got underway in November and continues to run until April. n

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

32 | Features

Shake your feathers in the new style, as burlesque takes hold DESPITE the fact that Burlesque has been around since the 19th Century, mention it and you’re certainly going to turn a few heads. Viewed by many as a taboo form of entertainment, Burlesque tends to come along with a bit of a bad reputation. However, it’s few who actually understand the intricate layers of this particular art form.

One woman who spends much of her life delving in and out of the seductive world of Burlesque is Evonne McMahon – Burlesque performer and instructor.

Evonne instructs Burlesque classes for hen parties with the company ‘Dancing Hen’. The search for an alternative hen night is growing in popularity and Burlesque certainly has something different to offer. Evonne says: “First, I give a little talk to the girls about Burlesque and explain that Burlesque is for every woman; every woman of every shape and size and from the shyest to the most elegant to the most mischievous. There’s a place in Burlesque for each woman.” Evonne explains that Burlesque is “really a celebration of our individuality”, with no better place to emphasis this than during a performance. But what exactly does Burlesque involve?

Evonne says: “There are really four main, strong characters in the Burlesque world and most of us would be stronger in one of them.”

These four characters are the Femme

“

Fatale, Sensual Seductress, Cutie and Rule-Breaker. Evonne divides the hen party group up by asking the women which character they associate with most and according to her, this is a great way to get the group to loosen up, with friends helping to identify each other as a certain character. The group thenlearn a dance routine with each character group receiving some individual instruction and having their own small piece in it. Evonne stresses to the women at this point that they “won’t be stripping but learning about the art of the tease.”

So who are these four characters

then? The Femme Fatale, Evonne explains, is “like the ringleader in the group”. Evonne says: “She’ll be the first one to walk into the room.

She’s confident, she moves quite sharply – she’s very sure of her movements and she’ll claim whatever she wants.”

After the Femme Fatale is the Sensual Seductress; a woman who, according to Evonne, is in no hurry and knows that men will come to her. “Where they fall in lust with Femme Fatale, they fall in love with Sensual Seductress.” Cutie is very popular with women and unlike her predecessors, “being innocent totally works for her”.

Finally, the RuleBreaker speaks for herself – rules that are a no-go for other Burlesque performers are the name of her game.

Burlesque is “really about embracing the shape you have and working with that, instead of trying to hide it

Burlesque is for every woman and every size

“

Karen O’Connor Desmond

Evonne McMahon, Burlesque Performer and Instructor with Dancing Hen and fit into this stereotypical perfect kind of size”. It doesn’t matter if you’re shy or cute, she says, the point is to work with it and embrace it. Burlesque, according to Evonne, is a huge confidence builder because of this. Evonne says: “If you’re around other Burlesque performers and see them completely embracing their body, the different shapes they have and the different ways they move, it completely builds confidence.” Evonne also says that you’ll often find more women than men at Burlesque shows as it is so empowering for women to see other women fully embrace themselves.

“A Burlesque performance is about having a glimpse into somebody’s beautiful imagination, seeing them express themselves artistically, maybe showing a vulnerable side of them that they don’t get to express

all the time.”

For the hen party, red lipstick, heels and fishnets, typical characteristics of Burlesque, are encouraged.

Evonne says: “Some people come in all corseted up and very little on, whereas others will come in completely done up in classic, nice little tight suits…but it all works.”

According to Evonne, doing a routine together and then watching the other character groups’ individual pieces is a great way for the hen party members to connect with each other and get the party going. Props are also used during the performance, ranging from feather boas to gloves to feathered fans. Limerick is one of Dancing Hen’s most popular locations, with brides-to-be and their flock coming from all around the Emerald Isle to celebrate here in style. n

Less money, more love in Limerick this Christmas Róisín Delaney speaks to those at the heart of Limerick weddings

Bryan Hayes from Dooradoyle and fiancée Cady Hrasky Photo supplied by Róisín Delaney

By Róisín Delaney

Deputy Features Editor

THIS is the time of year for our city’s “engagement season” to be in full flow. The Limerick Voice investigates whether or not the wedding industry in Limerick is coming back to life. Róisín Delaney sits down with a Limerick couple preparing to get married and Limerick’s favourite wedding planner Sharon McMeel, to look at the realities of getting married in 2013. Limerick based wedding planner Sharon McMeel says that some wedding venues in Limerick are “back to levels we would have seen in 2002 in the boom” and that there are plenty of idyllic venues in the city today.

“The traditional castle weddings are still doing very well. Limerick has castles that other regions don’t, and this is a huge advantage to the wedding industry here.”

According to Sharon, the recession has made couples tying the knot more spending savvy, but it hasn’t

affected the wedding industry as a whole. “Couples have definitely become smarter since the downturn.

They’re engaged for longer periods of time so that the cost can be spread out and DIY weddings are more popular nowadays than in the boom. People still want to go all out on their wedding day, and that’s the way it will always be, recession or no recession.”

Cady Hrasky, 22, moved to Limerick from Boston to study an MA in Education Studies. Cady and her fiancé Bryan Hayes, 22, from Dooradoyle, are engaged to be married on July 5th 2014 in Limerick.

Cady says: “We got engaged a few weeks ago, and my godfather in the States is helping us plan and fund the wedding. He has reserved a rural country house is Doon for us to hold the wedding in. So that is already cutting the cost as some of my family can stay there when they fly over for the wedding.”

Having been engaged for less than two months, even now in the early

stages of wedding planning, this young couple has had to overcome obstacles.

Brian says: “We were planning on having my former religion teacher as the officiate, but he recently told us that we can’t actually hold a Catholic wedding ceremony outside of the church. It’s making things difficult.

“The way we had to amend the plans means it’s probably going to add a personal touch to our day so it’s working out. Cady’s godfather is making it a lot easier for us by funding the wedding. He is taking so much of the pressure off. “ Cady recalls being encouraged by friends not to get married in Limerick but she argues that Limerick has something unique to offer her wedding guests. “Why add the extra cost of getting married away from Limerick? Guests will be able to stay with us in the country house, and we’ll be cooking a lot of the food for the reception too so we’re saving a lot of money in doing that and keeping things local.” n

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limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Limerick personalities in the festive spirit

In the kitchen with...

Head Chef Hugh Greene

Well-known Limerick names reveal their true meaning of Christmas to the Limerick Voice

By Peter Lee

By Leonie Holly

Model Agent Hillary Thompson. Photo supplied by source

FOR Hilary Thompson, of Hilary Thompson Modelling Agency, Christmas is a relaxing time.

“Normally, I just relax for Christmas. I just spend it very quietly with my immediate family and close friends.”

Of course it can be quite the hectic time around Christmas, especially the big day itself when the whole family is gathered round and eat a delicious meal and share gifts.” n

Restaurateur Padraic Frawley Photo supplied by source

FOR Padraic Frawley, Limerick restaurateur and proprieter of Cornstore restaurant, “I have four young kids so I love the whole Santa surprise with them and the whole lead up with the excitement.

But no matter how hectic this time of year is we can always think back and reflect on the wonderful days of our youth, when it seemed like a far more simple time.” n

RTÉ 2fm DJ Will Leahy

Photo supplied by source

RADIO DJ Will Leahy, host of the hugely popular ‘More Music Drive’ on 2FM, remembers his favourite Christmas occasions.

“My favourite Christmas memory from childhood is probably going to see Santa in Todd’s. There are very few Limerick households that don’t have Santa ’82 or Santa ’75, so their my favourite Christmas memories of walking through Santa’s Wonderland which comprised of about three mechanical snowmen in the middle of Todd’s to get to Santa.” n

WHEN it comes to deciding what you want with your turkey each year it is sometimes difficult to spruce up the regular brussels sprouts, carrots and an array of potatoes on the Irish person’s dinner table. Hugh Greene, executive chef of Hugh’s on the Greene restaurant, Greenhills Hotel, Ennis Road, Limerick, has given us some exciting new side dishes to try out this festive season.

First on the menu are some honey roast parsnips for a different take on root vegetables.

You will need: Duck fat Parsnips Honey Fennel seed Brown sugar Garlic How to make it: Peel and slice parsnips into quarters lengthways.

Place in a large roasting pan.

Heat duck fat with four whole cloves of garlic.

Add parsnips – let them brown slightly.

Then add the sugar, honey and fennel seeds.

Let it roast in the oven.

This should only take 15 to 18 minutes and it’s ready to serve.

Try something new with your cut of ham when traditional meets oriental in this ham glaze.

Christmas lights on Patrick St and O’Connell St in the city centre Photo by Munster Images

Christmas at The Plaza, UL Photo by Francis Carlin

You will need: 100g English mustard 100g Honey

Celebrating Christmas in Limerick...

Christmas dinner suggestion

Photo by Francis Carlin

100g Brown Sugar The juice of two oranges The zest of one orange 100g Sweet Chilli sauce How to make it: Mix all ingredients together and brush a thick layer onto the ham.

Place in oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Pour one small bottle of ginger ale or red lemonade over as a final glaze.

If you fancy making your own cranberry sauce with a kick, then the Limerick Voice has something a bit different in just four easy steps with Hugh’s suggestion of fresh cranberry sauce with orange and tawny port.

You will need: Two kilograms of fresh cranberries, the juice of six oranges, with the zest of two.

Two Onions Four cloves of garlic Two kilograms of jam sugar.

One large glass of Tawny Port.

How to make it: Chop the onions and garlic, then gently fry for five minutes.

Add the port and orange juice, reduce by half then add the jam sugar.

Add the cranberries, bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes.

Take off the heat, stir well and add the zest of two oranges.

34 | Features

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

celebrating Christmas in Limerick...

Features | Music 35

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Limerick band spreads wings in UK Limerick band DeLorean Suite recently signed a deal with Million PR in the UK. Their drummer Tony Roche spoke to the Limerick Voice about growing up and playing music in Southill in the 1980s.

By Barry Creed

Deputy Online Editor

THERE were quite a few musicians from Southill in the eighties who are still highly regarded in today’s scene in Limerick, and these were the people who influenced Tony when he was growing up.

“Some of my friends gravitated towards music, others towards sports. I suppose my father would have been into his music and lads like Dave Hockedy, Mark Coleman, Frank Collins, the Franklins. They were all into rock bands at the time.

Other lads like Anthony Clancy, Damien Healy and Harry O’Sullivan were into heavy metal, and they all got me into music. There was a great community in Southill at the time and in the early days we rehearsed in houses and garden sheds, anywhere at all. There were drug problems too, in Southill in the 80s, but we were only into the music, and that kept us away from anything bad that was happening.”

Tony then got involved with Southill Connection, set up in 1985

by Boston native Billy Higgins

along with Father Joe Young.

Southill Connection was set up to offer educational and athletics exchange programmes between Southill and various Boston neighbourhoods. In 1986, 96 children from Southill went to Boston and played music for three weeks in order to raise money for projects in Southill.

“It was easy to get gigs in the 80s and 90s. It was probably a lot easier to get gigs than it is now, and good paying gigs too. Nobody cared where you were from when it came to music. Maybe it would have been harder to get a job if people knew you were from Southill, or maybe a girl from another part of town might not go on a date with you if she knew where you were from, but there was a good vibe in the music scene around town, Tony says.

“The only place in Limerick you could buy drums was in Sammy Benson’s. It wasn’t cheap to buy a drum kit back then either. Now you have a lot more choice when it comes to buying instruments.”

Tony gigged in America and Scandinavia for years, before returning to Limerick as dance music was

emerging on the scene. He started playing percussion with DJs in the now legendary Strictly Rhythm.

“I think rave culture brought people together in Limerick. It was a good thing. Music broke down barriers.”

Tony hasn’t lived in Southill for a while, but he still knows a lot of people there, and reckons that children now have more opportunities around Limerick than ever before to express themselves creatively.

“You have good community projects now in Southill and things like the Learning Hub out in Kileely, where you can go and learn an instrument, or learn how to paint, things like that.”

So what advice would Tony give to teenagers in Limerick who want to play music?

“Try and meet people into the same music you are into, and get together and practice and play anywhere you can, and you’ll start to make connections around town.

Try and get in a band, and just go out and try and play. That’s how we did it.”

Tony is also urging teenagers starting out to take full advantage of

Drummer Tony Roche in action Photo supplied by source

the internet in terms of putting songs and videos online: “The internet is the easiest way to get your music out there and spread the word.”

DeLorean Suite’s debut album ‘Two Lives’ blends house music, electronica and nu-jazz. Contri-

butions on the album come from legendary bass player Chuck Rainey (Michael Jackson, Steely Dan) and two members of Beyonce’s touring Band: Divinity Roxx and Kat Rodriguez. n

Moshing: When headbanging isn’t enough

Lead guitarist of local metal band No Man’s Land, Gerard O’Reilly, tells the Limerick Voice about an element of culture in Limerick that may seem quite intimidating to “more civilised folk”.

By Paul O’Sullivan GERARD has described “moshing” as what happens “when headbanging just isn’t enough. It’s pretty exclusive to rock and metal. I don’t think many other musical genres can reach the intensity that they do.”

“Sometimes the music can get so heavy and intense that an (often) alcohol fuelled tribal instinct kicks in and you just let loose. There’s a lot of pushing and shoving. People do it mainly just to let off a little steam. With metal music, it can get so intense at times that something’s gotta give.”

“The moshing culture was out in style at the recent Siege of Limerick X. From kick off you had a bunch of Limerick’s young, up and coming metal heads giving it socks and anyone left standing by 2.00am was still tearing Dolans apart.”

Gerard later described one of the more humorous things he experienced in a moshpit. “I was thrashing around in the middle of a pit, when

Limerick metal band No Man’s Land Photo supplied by source

a ring on my finger came loose and flew off. I assumed it was cast into the depths of hell, never to be seen again. Some fellow mosher who had

noticed what happened immediately stopped the pit dead, picked up my ring and proposed to me. Definitely something I never thought I’d see at

a metal gig.”

“I think it can be a little baffling to anybody who has never moshed before. It can definitely seem quiet intimidating and is sometimes looked down upon from more civilized folk!”

However, while there are those who may not understand the value, there are those who question its safety. Gerard says that most people aren’t trying to hurt anybody but Sinn Fein Cappamore-Kilmallock Representative Séighin Ó Ceallaigh has expressed his opinion on how quickly moshing can take over a venue saying: “One minute you’re standing there watching an artist, and the next you are on the ground with several people on you, not realising what happened.”

These descriptions and concerns may seem foreign to many people in Limerick, considering that moshing has a relatively low cultural spread in Limerick, but it does occur regularly in certain venues across the city including Costello’s Tavern, Dolan’s and The Blind Pig.

Just as anyone in Molly Malone’s, Crush87 or Icon can expect to hear certain songs such as Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” on any given night out, it has become almost ritualistic for those on the dark, murky dancefloor in Costello’s to “mosh” during staple anthems such as “Killing in the Name of”, “Chop Suey” and “Lithium” to name but a few.

The dance floor moves from an ordered and grid-like dance colony to an ocean of crashing waves and mayhem. No one is ever shocked by this sudden upswing of adrenalin, except those unfortunate enough to be sporting a loose grip on their drink of choice adjacent to the dance floor during this dramatic shift.

So while large-scale perceptions of moshing place it firmly on a cultural periphery, it is clear that its place in Limerick, however small, is valued by its participants, and is celebrated regularly in certain venues across town as well as twice a year in the Siege of Limerick festival in Dolans. n

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36 | Features

Bikram Yoga: it’s not just for girls

Three day guide on the juice diet n Day One Morning: I had my first juice at 10am, which consisted of Kale, Spinach, Celery, Cucumber, Apple, Ginger and Lemon. It was so refreshing that on the first sip I could almost taste the health benefits.

Afternoon: At 2pm I had my second juice of the day, this one was made of Avocado, Beetroot, Brocolli, Celery, Apple, Cucumber, Carrot and Lemon.

By Laoise Neylon

FOLLOWING in the footsteps of sporting legends like Ryan Giggs and Andy Murray, Limerick’s own sporting stars are turning to Bikram Yoga to improve their flexibility, proving that the notion of yoga being solely for women is a mere myth.

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The heat allows for deeper and safer stretching

Limerick Hurler Stephen Walsh says that he was suffering from excruciating back pain prior to joining Bikram Yoga.

Stephen says: “Within a month of taking up yoga I’d noticed an improvement in my flexibility and a reduction in the pain. After three months of practice the lower back pain was completely gone.”

Stephen also said he has not had any injuries since, and that yoga has definitely improved his overall flexibility.

He also enjoys the mental challenge and has recommended it to other hurlers at his club.

Cora Ryan of Bikram Yoga Limerick tells the Limerick Voice why Bikram Yoga appeals to so many of our sports people.

Cora says: “In Ireland we’ve got lots of rugby, lots of GAA and cycling as well. People are realising that the games have got faster, the training has got more intense…

They need more time to repair, after heavy seasons especially, as they advance in years and want to keep playing.”

Bikram Yoga is the original hot yoga, it is 26 postures and two breathing exercises practiced at 40°C in an intense cardio workout, which causes extreme sweating. –

Evening: At 6.30pm I had my ‘dinner’ juice, which was the same as breakfast.

Cora Ryan of Bikram Yoga Limerick Picture: Press 22

the heat allows for deeper and safer stretching, aiding the detox process.

Cora says that Bikram yoga appeals to men, because it is an intense and challenging workout.

“They get the hit from it, their heart is pumping, their blood is racing, they are struggling to control their breath. It’s the adrenaline hit that really gets them,” she adds.

As well as being good for athletes to increase flexibility and mental and physical strength, it is also ideal for total beginners to fitness. Beginners get all the same health benefits as experts.

What are the physical health benefits that Cora has seen in her clients? “I also have clients who had been told they needed a knee replacement, but after taking up yoga they no longer needed it, and those with high blood pressure who improved so much they were able to come off their medication”.

What Cora finds her clients are most impressed with is the impact on their mental health: “People mainly talk about the clarity of mind and how it helps them to focus and stay positive… The yoga

does: it lifts your heart, it raises your spirits… You just get a burst of life after the class.”

Cora says “Women often focus on trying to lose weight and count calories when they would be better off to focus on being healthy.” Yoga boosts your metabolism but this can work both ways — if you need to gain a couple of pounds to be healthy, it will do that too.

Critics of yoga claim that there is little or no evidence for the numerous health benefits that Cora has described. But studies show practicing yoga improves overall health, lowers blood pressure and causes a significant improvement in patients with anxiety and depression. With all of the benefits in mind, be warned as this is possibly the toughest workout you will ever embark on.

In the words of Andy Murray, “until you do it, you can’t comment on how difficult it is. It’s tough. It’s ugly.”

Bikram Yoga is available at the Delta Sports Dome for more information see www.bikramyoga. limerick.ie n

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Meet Limerick’s very own ‘Mr Motivator’

By Judith Faherty

HE IS Ireland’s answer to ‘Mr Motivator’ and with an appearance on The Late Late Show in the pipeline along with the most successful aerobics fitness class in the country, Richie Clifford is high on life.

The Garryowen native is a “firm believer in life,” is Ireland’s best-known personal trainer and is a legend in his own right at the University of Limerick. Richie was approached to work exclusively for UL 23 years ago and his brainchild ‘Total Body Workout’ has taken the people of Limerick by storm.

Last May, Richie and his daughter Joanna appeared on RTÉs ‘Reality Bites: The Gym’ with Hector O’Heochagain, hosting Ireland’s largest simultaneous Aerobics class with over 700 people.

Talking about the experience, he

describes himself as “the luckiest man alive”.

“Hector rang me up one evening, I didn’t know it was him. He said I heard you’re a bit mad, and I replied with ‘I heard you’re a bit mad too’ to which he said ‘Will we do something together so?’ and it all went from there.

Richie trained as a fitness instructor and personal trainer through the National council for Fitness and Exercise at UL. Married with four children, and a very proud Grandfather to Reuben (3), he now lives in the countryside of Castleconnell with his family.

He was All-Ireland National 25km champion. Richie ran internationally with the Limerick Athletic Club for five years, and is a very keen cyclist, competing in road races around Ireland until last year.

He credits the successes of ‘Total

Body Workout’ to finding out what the market wanted, and giving it to them in the form of a high intensity aerobics class to music, as well as being backed all the way by the University Arena director, Dave Mahedy.

“Dave gave me a free hand to run with this and get it right. He always helped me and encouraged me greatly.”

Richie started in the old gym building teaching the class as circuit training. When moving to the new sports Arena in 2002, new equipment was provided for what was to be a new and improved circuit.

“I asked for a mat, a step and a set of weights. At first I only had 20 steps in the middle of my circuit.

Then I needed 40, then 90, then 150 and then I said ‘YES I know what I want’ and Total Body Workout was born.”

The busiest class recorded so far was 230 people at one time, and numbers can vary from 80 people to 140 each day. Richie stresses the importance of personality, and having fun whilst working out.

“My class is a social thing. People know each other and we all have great craic. We will have a Christmas party and a few nights out.”

Richie admits he is addicted to exercise, however he stresses the danger of over exercising, after experiencing his own health scares as a result.

“Unless you are going to win a gold medal at the Olympics, keep everything steady.

Total Body Workout runs Monday to Friday in the University Arena from 6-7pm and 7-8pm each evening.

Give it a go, even if its just to lap up the positively from Richie. You wont be disappointed. n

Snack: The fourth juice is your ‘snack’ and you are supposed to take it when you are feeling lethargic, as it has natural sugars and will give you a boost. n Day Two Morning: Day two was a lot more challenging. I had my morning juice at the kitchen table while everyone had their breakfast. I would have given anything to have food at this stage. But having gone through one whole day I knew I could make it.

Lunch and dinner were the same as the previous day.

Snack: This juice was my absolute favourite, and definitely one I could incorporate into my diet permanently. It was Pineapple, Apple, Carrot, Orange and Lime – delicious. I didn’t feel one bit hungry after it and didn’t even crave that cup of tea before bed. n Day Three Morning: Day three was the easiest for me. I woke up totally energized, my body felt toned and my skin was glowing. I had my breakfast juice at 8am.

Afternoon: I had my lunch juice at 1.30pm Evening: At 6pm I had my ‘dinner’ juice and I had my fourth snack juice at 9.30pm.

On completion of the detox, I felt totally revitalized. This detox is not easy, and certainly will not suit everyone. Although I didn’t do it to lose weight specifically, I lost a few pounds as well as feeling toned and healthy. You will find that if you can discipline yourself for the three days, you will reap the rewards.

Interview

Sport | 37

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Stephen Clancy:

A rollercoaster year for Limerick cyclist. Page 40

A lot done… more to do

SPORT EDITOR ROB McNAMARA

Picture: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE

Limerick FC manager Stuart Taylor spoke to Limerick Voice Sport Editor, Rob McNamara about the Super Blues’ hopes for 2014, the transfer market and his long-term plans for the club.

LIMERICK FC manager Stuart Taylor has a blueprint for the Super Blues.

The Scot is one year into a three-year deal but he is eager to stay beyond the end of his current contract and realise his ambitions in the city.

“I see Limerick FC as a huge a club in the future. The potential I think is massive. When I came in I could see there was loads of work to be done. I’ve done a lot of work, but there’s still so much more to do.

“I’ve brought my family over here. We’re in a lovely part of the world and we’re really, really enjoying our time in Limerick. I don’t look at the end of the contract as, okay, that’s us going back to Scotland. We’re here; we’re home.”

Taylor is expecting to be busy in the transfer market over the next few months.

The Super Blues have already tied down Shaun Kelly and Barry Ryan to new contracts and

for us. We want to bring that feeling back to the football club where we’ve got people playing for their county and that’s huge for me.”

“Shane is also a good person. He certainly ticks a lot of boxes for me. We’re delighted to get him on board and I’m trying to sign players very similar to that.” phen Walsh would not return for the 2014 season.

However, Taylor won’t be bringing players in just to swell up the numbers in his squad.

“I want to make sure that the people that do come to the football club are the right kind of characters,” says Taylor.

“There’s a lot of aspects that need to be covered before you go and sign a player and a lot of them are got to do with off the pitch. I don’t believe in having the wrong type of characters at the club.”

home city from Cork. Centre-back Michael Leexpected.

“There’s a few other players from different clubs that we’ve spoken with and we’re waiting for them to get back to us, so it’s been an active time.” in Airtricity League circles. “He’s a very good player and he’s a Limerick man which is massive

tion is bound to rise, and the former Airdrieonians player is keen to improve for 2014. grand scheme of things, it was a fantastic season, but we didn’t win anything,” says Taylor.

“We’ll keep grounded and we’ll go and plan for next season and we’ve now got to go and better ourselves. The second season is always more dif-

cal support will be vital if the club are to have continued success on the pitch - whether playing at Thomond Park or back at the revamped Markets Field.

“I keep saying it, they’re a massive part for us.

Sport

Limerick FC manager Stuart Taylor hopes to point the Super Blues to success in 2014 and beyond.

“We had a little spell where we weren’t doing great and the results weren’t there for us. I always felt that the players gave everything that they could give but there were times when the supporters did turn the games.” the Airtricity Premier League season will kick off in March.

Related Markets Field ‘on schedule’ Page 39

LFC in bid to boost gates Page 39

limerickvoice.com @limerickvoice Limerick Voice

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

38 | Sport

Day in the life of a junior soccer team Carew Park, the reigning Limerick District Premier League Champions, have been enjoying a whirlwind start to the season. But having won the league, celebrated their 40th anniversary and returned to pre-season training all within the same month last summer, the whirlwind is a pace that the players of Carew Park evidently savour, as Limerick Voice sports reporter Nigel Naughton found when spending some time with the team.

A FATHER and son competing in goal, playing a league match minus seven first team regulars and losing one of your key players to your biggest rivals.

All these factors have been evident in the whirlwind start to the season by the reigning Limerick District Premier League Champions, Carew Park.

The team finished last year’s season by winning the league in June followed by their 40th anniversary celebrations two weeks later, before returning to pre-season training within two weeks of the celebrations.

Not much time to reflect and relax, but such is the timeline for a successful junior soccer club and their players challenging for honours on numerous fronts.

Last season, Carew Park added the league title to the Tuohy Cup, whilst also being heartbreakingly defeated in the FAI Junior Cup and Munster Junior Cup semi finals,

by Sheriff YC and Clonmel Celtic respectively.

An air of excitement and confi-

dence still exists this season, as the team meet at their Carew Park base before making their way across to the east side of the city, to face local side Aisling Annacotty on their allweather facility in their 10th league game of the season.

They look forward to challenging for major honours again this season, and having added to the squad, manager Albert Slattery fears nobody in their attempts to go a step further than they did last year, and challenge for the club’s first ever FAI Junior Cup. “We will be putting in a big effort, and have a much stronger squad than we had last year, in my opinion.

Getting out of Limerick is very tough, but anything can happen if you do. A couple of home draws and you can waltz into a quarter final.

“The likes of Pike, Janesboro and Sheriff YC are all there, but after that you’ve got to fancy your chances, and with the squad we have, I think we’ve got as good of chance as any of the three of four favourites that’s in it,” Slattery said.

The visitors warm up on the

Astroturf in their all blue warm up attire, and are perfectly comfortable with the surface, as they train twice a week on Astroturf at the University of Limerick.

Instructions are given by Slattery, along with his assistant Cecil Prendergast and coach Leonard Earls during the warm-up, which is high paced and vocal as the players prepare to face the hosts, in what is traditionally a tough place to come and get a result. Both teams emerge from the dressing rooms and make the long walk back to the Astroturf pitch for the 7pm kick off, with a number of Carew Park supporters having made their way to the ground to support their team.

In what was quite a frantic and cagey opening, the Carew Park management team and supporters alike demand more from their team, with calls of ‘come on, sharpen up in there’ and ‘livelier Carew, pick it up’ reverberating around the ground.

The togetherness of the club is noticeable immediately, with banter emerging between supporters and sub keeper Gordon Stewart, who has

Mark Keane, Carew Park, posing with the FAI Junior Cup at the Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road, Dublin. The southside Limerick club have never won the competition but have high hopes for this season.

Picture: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE

been replaced by his 18 year old son Jamie after 22 years as custodian, with Gordon being humorously sledged for kicking the ball into touch throughout his playing days by supporters, the banter being taken in good faith.

Mercurial winger Mark McGrath had been at the heart of everything positive for the visitors in the first half, scoring both goals as Carew went in at 2-1 to the good at the break.

Carew Park committee member Mike Glancy is confident of holding out for the three points; “We’ve looked lively when Mark (McGrath) has been on it and we’re looking dangerous from set-pieces.”

His prediction is accurate, with Carew adding four more goals,

with three coming from set pieces, to emerge with a comfortable 6-1 victory.

Pa Boyle, whose brother John left Carew for Pike Rovers in the off-season, Gary Griffin, and a brace from their ace in the pack, Jonathan Grant, completed the scoring.

Grant has been in ruthless form this season, with this brace being his 18th and 19th league goals of the season, only bettered by Shane Clarke of Janesboro.

Grant bagged 50 goals last season, and although he has lost the services of his then strike partner John Connery, the ex-Limerick FC man is still scoring goals for fun alongside Kevin Barry and the aforementioned McGrath.

Manager Albert Slattery was

Shelbourne take three points in home 3B tie Hat-trick for Mahoney as Corbally JUNIOR SOCCER Shelbourne C: 2 Summerville C: 1 SHELBOURNE claimed the three points in this gritty encounter after surviving a late onslaught from Summerville Rovers, writes Billy Goulding.

The game began at a frantic pace as both sides craved an early goal but it was Summerville who carved out the better opportunities.

The early pressure paid dividends for Summerville when in the tenth minute they were awarded a corner after some tricky approach play from Darren McNamara. The corner was whipped into the danger zone and Marcus Daly leapt highest to head home from six yards.

Shelbourne were not behind for long though as three minutes later impressive winger Jason Lynch stole the ball from a Summerville centre half and curled it into the roof of the net, for the equaliser. .Shelbourne began the second period much more determined and reaped their reward in the 55th min-

ute. Great build up play involving Anthony Ryan and Maurice Hickey culminated in a through ball to danger man Kevin Noonan who skilfully beat two defenders and curled the ball into the far corner to give his side a deserved lead.

Summerville threw everything at Shelbourne in search of an equaliser but had goalkeeper Brian O’ Dowd sent off for handling the ball outside his box and shortly afterwards substitute Darren Daly saw red after a scuffle involving several players.

Shelbourne though managed to hold out for a well-earned, hard fought victory. n

JUNIOR SOCCER Prospect Priory: 1 Corbally B: 5 THE scoreline reads 5-1 to Corbally but this was a game of high quality that was contested well by both sides, writes Cian Liddy.

Corbally took the lead in the 12th minute scoring a goal that left Prospect feeling hard done by.

From a corner, the ball appeared to veer out of play before reaching Dave McPhilips at the back right

post who coolly converted.

Following this goal Prospect enjoyed the better of possession.

Ger Johnson in particular shone on the ball playing as a link man between attack and midfield.

Prospect couldn’t convert their dominance into chances however, and when they did Robert O’Brien was outstanding between the posts, both in his command of the square and as a shot stopper.

Corbally took the half-time break leading one-nil and then killed the game off with a flurry of goals scored

by Mark Mahoney mid-way through the second half.

Sport | 39

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Arsenal ‘double gap’ scheme benefits local community Nigel Naughton LIMERICK school children are reaping the rewards of a program created by top English Premier League club Arsenal. The program, called the ‘Arsenal Double Club,’ is one of many used in the ‘Arsenal in the Community Program,’ and Limerick is the only Irish City that is taking part in the program.

It’s aimed at improving numeracy and literacy amongst young children, and is unique to Arsenal FC. It has been designed by academics in the UK, and uses football as a motivational tool to get the kids working on their numeracy and literacy skills.

Dylan Franklin is a 6th class student at Corpus Christi in Moyross who is enjoying the program: “The Maths we do is all about Arsenal and Football; it makes it more interesting.”

Luke Quinn, Dylan’s classmate, said football is a great hook to improve student’ numeracy and literacy skills. “If we don’t mess and do our work we get to play soccer, it helps me to get better at maths,” he said.

Coordinator of the Arsenal Gap and Double Gap Programs in Limpleased with the performance and the win, saying; “There were a few very impressive individual performances, and the whole team settled in well, as we were missing seven first team regulars. But that’s why we have this big squad, so we can change it around and still put in impressive displays, and most importantly, win games.”

Along with impressing on the pitch, Carew Park, with the work of the likes of Karen O’ Callaghan have also seen their schoolboy section grow. Without schoolboys for 15 years, they now cater for U8s, U9s and U10s, and they are providing the outlet of soccer to the kids of the area, with the club continuing to make great strides forward both on and off the pitch. n

erick is Barry Lynch, and he said football can be used in the teaching of numeracy and literacy, whilst also being used as a hook to get the kids to participant in education aspects of the program.

“We use football as a hook to get the kids to work on their numeracy and literacy skills,” said Mr. Lynch.

“Football and indeed sport in general can be adapted into becoming a great educational tool. The majority of our classroom work based on either Arsenal FC or a fictional club called Shelby Town FC, which is different to the ordinary text books,” Mr. Lynch added.

The idea is that Shelby Town FC have just been promoted to the Premier League. The maths is based around filling the stadium, organising the players wages and selling match tickets, whilst the literacy aspect focuses on signing players, pre-season friendlies, scouting reports, match reports and interviews.

The students engage in a 40-45 minute numeracy and literacy session in the classroom, using the aforementioned double club books. A 45 minute football session then proceeds the numeracy and literacy session.

These sessions allow for Arsenal

Community and their locally based partners RECLAIM to link in with another program they operate in the city, the Arsenal Gap Program, based in Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT).

Trainee coaches from this program then get to hone their coaching skills in local schools like Corpus Christi before the take up their voluntary overseas work placement.

Due to the growing demand for the Double Club in Limerick Schools, the decision was taken to expand the program for the period of April – June 2013. During this period number of classes increased from three to six and the number of school partners increased to four. The number of participants grew to a figure totaling 79 students.

The program is one which is being welcomed and utilized in the schools, where the attendance rates are 86 percent, which is “very high”, according to Lynch, as the program is voluntary.

Corpus Christi Principal Tiernan O’ Neill said: “The holistic nature of the program not only enabled us to develop the children’s literacy and numeracy skills but to nurture the children’s social competencies.” n

Hyde snatch late home victory in 1B clash JUNIOR SOCCER Hyde Rangers 3 Aisling Annacotty B 2 HYDE Rangers picked up their second league win of the season on Sunday morning, after a hard fought victory over fifth place Aisling Annacotty B, writes Nigel Naughton.

Although the home side’s victory was by the slenderest of margins, in truth, they will feel that they should have been more comfortable than the 3-2 scoreline suggests in this game.

Within 30 seconds of the start of the game, Hyde took the lead. The impressive Ben Fitzgerald cut in off the left flank before releasing menacing striker Stephen Benn, who coolly slotted past Annacotty keeper John Kenny to give his side the lead.

The visitors huffed and puffed, and on 13 minutes they drew themselves level. Eoghan Nicholas was fouled in a dangerous area by Andy Meehan, and from the resultant free kick, Damien Collins rose highest to head home the delivery.

Despite Hyde having chances to score, with Benn, and his strike partner Stephen Fitzmaurice both halt-

ed by impressive saves from John Kenny, the sides went in level at the break.

Indeed it was the visitors who began the second half brightly, and they took the lead on 48 minutes, when Shane O’ Regan slid in Joe Horan, who finished past the helpless Dean Phillips with aplomb.

The home side equalised within 10 minutes, after substitute Jeffrey O’ Dwyer’s cross come shot evaded everyone and found its way to the back of the net.

Again Hyde pressed on, and they got their deserved winner with 15 minutes to play. n

ly hit five at Cals

He scored their second and third on 60 and 75 minutes before Ger Constable scored the only goal for the home team.

Mahoney then capped off a brilliant game and quelled Prospect hopes of rebellion with a hat-trick on the 80th min.

The score line does not reflect fairly on the performance of Prospect.

They were forced to throw men forward after going two nil down and often found themselves short at the back.

Corbally were absolutely clinical in taking every chance presented and Dave McPhilips hit a fifth late on. n

Action from Hyde Ranger’s game with Aisling Annacotty. Picture: Brian Gavin / Press 22.

Markets Field ready for LFC use ‘within 11 months’ Seamus Barrett THE Markets Field development should be ready for Limerick FC’s use within 11 months if everything goes to plan according to LEDP’s George Lee. The Roxboro-based LEDP (Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership), commited itself to community development, regeneration, training and education, is in charge of the project.

There is a possibility that the move could be finished by the middle of next year, depending on the winter weather. Mr Lee said: “The pitch has been relaid and sodded. The roots have to go into the ground and the weather will have a big bearing on how quickly that transpires, good or bad.”

“We have recently put in an application to get Phase II of the project started, which involves refurbishing the ground and getting it up to FAI standards.”

This means it is certain that Limerick FC will play most, if not all of next season’s games at Thomond Park again. n

Limerick FC joins forces with UL’s Kemmy School Gerard Flynn LIMERICK FC and the marketing department of University of Limerick’s Kemmy Business School have launched a new project aimed at increasing the club’s attendances for the 2014 season.

The project sees over 60 fourth year marketing students split into 14 small groups competing against each other to devise strategies to raise Limerick FC’s attendance from its average home figure of 1,800 last season.

Limerick FC CEO, John O’Sullivan, commented on last year’s attendances as well as the benefit of engaging with students to explore a new perspective on attendance increase.

“Overall we were very pleased with the attendance last season.

I think we were the fifth highest attendance in the division and we’ve added probably 800 to 1,000 people on the average for the previous season.

Mr O’Sullivan said the fixture list was one of main reasons why turnouts weren’t as high as expected: “We had a lot of midweek fixtures at home. What affected us this year might not affect us next year. The fixtures are out this month and hopefully we’ll see a lot more home weekend games than we did this year.” n

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

40 | Sport CYCLING

Clancy Wraps Up Debut Season

Michael Ramsay The past year has been “a rollercoaster ride” for 21-year-old Limerick cyclist Stephen Clancy. It has been 19 months since the Raheen native’s sporting ambitions were hit by the diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes in his bloodstream. However, defying medical advice, Clancy has gone from strength to strength, penning a two-year professional cycling contract, travelling to different corners of the globe, and even becoming an ambassador for Diabetes Ireland.

“It’s a big change for me,” he be-

gins. “Before now, I was only an amateur cyclist, living at home, working part time in a bike shop and studying in college. It’s been a big step up, but I think I’ve managed it well.”

Typically understating his cycling prowess, his debut season for the Type 1 Pro-Continental team has seen him finish in the top 10 in criteriums in Canada and America, represent the Irish U23’s at the European Championships, and complete an adrenalin-pumping 1500km race in China. Not bad for somebody who was medically advised that his budding cycling career may have to be

prematurely curtailed in March of last year.

However, Clancy has seen enough in his first season to let him know that there is no room for complacency.

“The professional cycling game is a tough world,” he says. “Even at the end of this year, there are lots of guys without contracts for next year – top, top guys. It’s always a battle to perform, to be at your best and show what you’re made of.”

While his debut season was certainly impressive, Clancy stresses that there were significant lows, as he struggled to adapt to the harsh

demands and cultures of certain countries. Speaking about the U23 European Championships in Czech Republic, he describes his disappointment at failing to finish.

“I wanted to wear the jersey proudly,” he admits, with a tinge of regret in his voice. “It was a 150km race.

I didn’t even last about a third of it.

Likewise in Brazil, I had a bad performance on the first day. But while they’ve been bad results, I’ve learned a lot about myself, my body, my preparation to help prevent that from happening in future.”

So what does 2014 hold in store

for this talented sportsman?

“I should probably start out the season similar to the way I did this year,” he begins. “So that would involve me going to America for some time. As the season progresses, depending on my condition, my form and my strength, I may get to do some worldwide travelling, to do some more international races, and I should be home throughout the season for the National Championships in July.” n Above: Limerick cyclist Stephen Clancy.

MMA: the newest sport in Limerick Shane O’Riordan Heralded as the fastest growing sport in the world, Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA as it is better known, has edged its way into every corner of the globe, and Limerick is no exception.

“The first time I watched it I fell in love with it. ‘I need to do this’ I said to myself,” explained Catherine Costigan, professional mixed martial artist and trainer at Pankration Kickboxing, Ballysimon Road.

The Pennywell native is one of the biggest names in the business in Limerick and explains how the sport

has taken off here in a relatively short space of time: “I definitely would say that in the last 6 years it has become stronger with each year that the UFC progresses and branches out worldwide… We’ve gone from a place from just watching these fights on TV to staging regular competitions in Limerick. Also, it’s good to see that in such a male-dominated sport, the women’s scene here has really picked up in the last two years.”

There are two MMA gyms in Limerick at present; Pankration Kickboxing and Shark Bait MMA, formerly known as The Combat Sports Centre.

Ger Healy, owner and trainer at Shark Bait, told the Limerick Voice how MMA attracts such a diverse crowd: “We get people from completely different backgrounds coming into the gym, one of the pro fighters I trained had a PHD.” As with any new sport, especially combat ones, there has been criticism of the discipline with many people comparing it to ‘human cock-fighting’. “But,” says David Woodland, owner and creator of Fighthounds.ie, “that is simply not the case.”

If the negative perception of the sport has swayed regular Joes from

entering the door of their local gym, it might come as a pleasant surprise to find that other professional athletes in the South West are recognising and trusting MMA to help them advance in their own sports.

“Mafi, Donnacha O’Callaghan and a few more of the Munster players came down to us in their off-season,” said Stewart Dollery, owner of The MMA Clinic, Cork and assistant organizer of Battlezone fighting competition.

“We helped them in areas such as challenging for the ball in rucks and controlling other players on the

ground.”

So why should people pay a visit to their local MMA gym? Apart from the immense physical benefits and self-defence aspect the sport has it also provides the fighter with a huge improvement in self-confidence and self-worth, according to Catherine.

For those who are still ambivalent about the sport there will be a chance to witness its passion and skill in the Helix in Dublin on New Year’s Eve when Catherine takes on Elodie Puget in the Atomweight class in her debut fight for the Cage Warriors brand. n

Sport | 41

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Limerick athletes making big Waves Barry Murphy LIMERICK athletes looking for a new challenge may get their wish, as Clare’s ambitious in-line hockey team continues to welcome new members.

The Clare Waves, based in Ennistymon, are one of many teams around Ireland helping this typically North American niche flourish on Irish shores. “We’re the first team in Clare, but you have four or five teams in Galway, ones in Athlone, many in Longford, teams in Dublin...

so many in the North they have their own league all together,” said manager and founder Brian Taylor.

Growing up in Mayerthorpe, Alberta, Canada – hockey fandom was the norm for Brian and his friends, but he believes the sport can appeal to Irish fans.

“People like watching the quickness of hurling and the skill; hockey has that all of the time. But it also has the roughness aspect.”

Brian describes the humble beginnings of the hockey phenomenon in Ireland as nothing more than some

friends playing for fun on an empty tennis court.

“Eventually more and more people started watching, it developed a following,” Brian noted. The founding of the Ireland’s inline hockey league was also a key factor in drawing people in, and allowing them to play competitively with others from around the country.

The sport is still in its formative years in Ireland despite huge growth of late; Brian notes that many of his players have families and jobs that take up much of their time. Commit-

ment to the team is what drives them to partake in mid-week training sessions from 9pm, to hone their skills.

“Some of the guys travel a very long distance – like Mark from Limerick,” Brian says of one of his team members; Mark Hayes.

While not typically a sporty person, Mark notes that the allure of the team sport as well as learning how to play after years of being a fan drew him to joining the Waves.

New-comers are welcomed to participate in club activities, as training involves the basics of skating as well

as techniques for hockey.

“The first few weeks we were just getting started, passing the puck around and stuff but then we moved on to skating, and then onto different drills like skating and passing,” Mark said of the gradual training process.

Brian has high hopes for the team and is always welcoming of new supporters and players. You can find out more facebook.com/ClareWavesInLineHockey. n Below: Members of the Clare Waves get ready for action.

Finnan refuses to get carried away Michael Ramsay THIS city has bred some fine sportsmen over the years, but 2013 has served as a major highlight in the career of one Connie Finnan. Having stunned professional darts player Terry Jenkins at the World Grand Prix in October, he has reluctantly thrust himself into the spotlight. Speaking at a friendly match against UL darts society, he admits that the ‘favourite’ tag at low-key fixtures weighs heavily upon his shoulders.

“Out here tonight, I’m shaking,” he admits. “I’m supposed to win. But with the guys on television, I’m just supposed to give them a game, walk away and shake hands. When you’re playing with some guy in the top 16 in the world, you’re not expected to beat them but the crowd would love if you did. I just happened to beat Terry on the night and I was over the moon with it.”

Having taken up the sport as an after-match pastime during his soccer career with Fairview Rangers in the 80’s, injuries soon dictated that he spend more time honing his dart skills. Having joined the Professional Darts Corporation in 2011, Connie

has gone from strength to strength, which has culminated in representing his country in the World Cup of Darts last February. Playing alongside Cappamore’s Willie O’Connor, the pair

progressed from their group, before being knocked out by a plucky Japan side in the second round. However, Connie was keen to halt the trumpetblowing.

“We thought we’d do a bit better,” he concedes. “In saying that, Japan pushed England to the last game – a team who were the top two in the world at the time, with Phil Taylor.”

With Connie, it’s apparent that there is no danger of him getting swept up in the public furore that he has found himself shrouded in. While his latest scalp was undoubtedly a career highlight, it hasn’t altered his perspective, claiming that his primary goal at the start of the season was to avoid ‘dropping out of the top 64.

“Look, I don’t cod myself,” he admits. “I’m 51 years of age. You look at Phil Taylor who’s 53 – he’s 16 times champion of the world. My main target at the start of the season was to avoid going back to qualifying school. At the moment, I’m 63rd in the world.”

Despite his recent success and rise to sporting prominence in Ireland, Connie still views the sport with the same fondness and principality as when he first started chucking missiles at a board with his mates after soccer.

“I don’t like to win at all costs,” he insists. “I like to win, playing my own game. I just want to play darts and be happy playing it.” n Left: Connie Finnan’s star is on the rise as 2013 has been a year to remember for the Limerick native.

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

42 | Sport

Sporting heart of regeneration The outstanding work being carried out in Limerick’s regeneration areas by the GAA, the FAI and the IRFU will play a central role in the success of the latest round of regeneration projects Raffaele Rocca IF LIMERICK’S ambitious regeneration plans are to succeed where social planning has failed in the past, then it’s vital that the role sports plays in the regeneration effort should not be underestimated.

“Participating in sport can improve the quality of life of individuals and communities, promote social inclusion, improve health, counter anti-social behaviour, raise individual self-esteem and confidence, and widen horizons,” said Professor Fred Coalter of the Institute for Sports Research at the University of Stirling in Scotland.

Sports, Arts and Culture all come under the same regeneration funding umbrella and received a budget of €3 million for 2013.

The three main sporting bodies with the biggest presence in regeneration areas are the FAI the IRFU and the GAA. While the mind-set surrounding rugby in regeneration areas is that of a garrison game played by wealthier middle class, Munster Community Rugby Officer Euan Gee doesn’t

subscribe to that view.

“Our remit is to increase participation, we are looking for the next Keith Earls to come up through the system. One of our biggest problems is that kids don’t associate with clubs, if you look at the Thomond first team, how many of them are actually from Moyross? Very few.”

Another barrier is that unlike soccer, there is more equipment required for rugby. Gum shields, scrum caps and other accessories add up for cash strapped parents, whereas for soccer just a ball, jumpers for goal posts and a sprinkling of willing participants and you are ready to go.

Although the IRFU has drawn up a rugby faculty programme aimed at making clubs sustainable across all age grades, some clubs, especially those in the regeneration areas, have not adopted it.

The reason why is simple. For Thomond, maintaining senior status is the goal, for Saint Mary’s attaining senior status is their focus. Presentation are a junior club doing their best with limited resources. Young Munster have more resources to put in to underage and have healthy numbers.

While the challenge is significant,

there has been progress and Euan sees a light at the end of the tunnel: “We are seeing more and more young people coming in. The whole success of Munster and the profile of the brand being so big has had a knock on affect and the work I do on the ground is to support that.”

Junior soccer has always been extremely competitive in Limerick and the FAI have been doing their bit to accommodate the growth of the game in the regeneration communities.

The FAI have strategies across all age groups from young kids to adults with one of their most successful initiatives being the ‘Fitness Through Football’ program where on completion, the participants get to go on a day trip so see Sunderland AFC play at the Stadium of Light.

FAI Development Officer Jason O’Connor says the initiative is aimed at adults who are not engaged in any courses or agencies and are usually unemployed.

It lasts eight weeks and includes a cookery course where participants are taught how to cook nutritious meals. Coaches from Sunderland AFC also come over for a week to train with them and improve their fit-

ness and skills.

This is not the only FAI backed initiative. Drop-in coaching sessions and a programme aimed at young girls as well as the Soccer Sisters programmes have also seen success.

“Drop in sessions are at no fixed time. They are aimed at the lads hanging around the corners, I round them up, get them on the pitch and do a session with them,” said Jason.

But the most salient point for Jason is this: “The fact that the pitches and facilities are still intact and have not been vandalised says a lot. We have given ownership back to the young people, so if they vandalise it they are vandalising their own stuff.”

Despite being the largest sports organisation in the country, the GAA has experienced particular difficulties in some of the regeneration areas. Whereas traditionally GAA has been stronger amongst close-knit rural communities, it hasn’t always flourished in certain parts of Limerick’s urban environment.

Limerick GAA Development Officer, Eoin Ryan says the main strength of the GAA is volunteerism.

“In a city where rugby and soccer are very strong, trying to get people to

volunteer to look after kids and take sessions is tough enough.”

While Ballinacurra Gaels run a good underage programme in the Weston area, there is no GAA club in the immediate area of Moyross.

Despite the challenges, the GAA has had success in some areas. Handball has been introduced into schools and has proved such a success that an annual blitz tournament between all the schools has been established.

Other initiatives involve adapted hurleys and equipment where kids learn the fundamental movement of the game, thus avoiding large equipment costs for the schools.

“We know we are not going to find the next Henry Shefflin in here, so it’s about introducing hurling to them and if they enjoy it, we will do whatever we can to get them up to Na Piarsaigh or Saint Pat’s,” said Eoin.

It’s clear that the GAA, along with the FAI and the IRFU are making serious efforts to increase sports participation. As well as committing financially, they have committed emotionally with the communities in the regeneration areas.

The indications are that they’re in the game for the long run.

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

Bodybuilding Limerick

By Linda Pototzki “LIMERICK is the most popular place for bodybuilding. Limerick is the strongest city.”

That is the view of Mick Bullman, President of the Republic of Ireland Body Building Federation (RIBBF), showing why he chose Limerick as the main headquarters for the federation.

Although bodybuilding is becoming an increasingly popular sport in Limerick; while many participants love it, there may be health risks involved.

Tomasz Ochocki (30), a classic bodybuilder said that on the lead up to competitions his immune system is greatly reduced as a result of low carbohydrates and less fats.

Mr Ochocki said, for female bodybuilders there may be serious implications, as for some their menstrual cycle may stop.

“If women get their body fat down below 10%, they won’t be able to get pregnant,” Mr Ochocki added.

Dr John O’Riordan, GP, Specialist in Sports and Exercise Medicine, Fellow Faculty Sports and Exercise Medicine NUI, Cork agrees with Mr Ochocki’s statement.

Dr O’Riordan supports Mr Ochocki’s claims and added: “Period changes that go on over six months increase the risk of osteoporosis.

This doesn’t happen in all bodybuilders as if they train for an event, then stop and let their periods return.

Then the risk is low.”

Dr O’Riordan said that while

bodybuilding may pose health concerns, the resistance exercise and weight training both possess many health benefits.

“It lowers the risk of diabetes, as well as weight loss, bone strengthening, reduces the pain of arthritis, reduces the chance of falling and of course reduces the chance of heart attacks,” he said.

Mr Bullman said due to the extreme nature of the sport, some competitors may resort to dangerous levels of hyperhydration and dehydration.

The Irish College of General Prac-

By Gerard Flynn UL Huskies eased to a comfortable victory over WIT Wildcats in their last top of the table Women’s Premier League fixture at UL’s Sports Arena.

The Huskies started like a house on fire in the first half, taking advantage of poor defensive mistakes by the Wildcats. The defending champions managed to amass 48 points in the first half compared to the Wildcats’ 23 with Rachael Vanderwal in fine form for the Limerick side, who regularly broke on the Waterford team at speed, exposing weaknesses in WIT’s transition defence.

The game started to become a formality in the third quarter as UL finished the period with 72 points to 44.

WIT were much improved in the final quarter however and managed to

a couple living in Limerick. “Bodybuilding is our relationship,” according to Dana.

Tony Wallace said: “The ultimate goal of a bodybuilder is to be better than he or she was yesterday.”

Bodybuilding can be perceived as an extreme, dangerous sport. Meanwhile, it is important to note that the combination of dieting and gym training are all done in moderation to avoid the serious health risks. n Below: Thomasz Ochocki and Dana Poloniova.

IN BRIEF Eagles still in the mix

UL Eagles proved against Belfast Star that they are still in the mix for honours with a comprehensive win that will alert their rivals for the Basketball Ireland Men’s Premier league title UCC Demons and particularly Killester - a clash with the North Dublin side at UL Arena looms on December 21.

Before that though, a trip to second from bottom Templeogue must be negotiated this Saturday and Eagles coach Mark Keenan believes his team need to win to keep pace with the leaders. “We just need to keep ourselves right there. We have 11 games yet to play so there is loads of basketball yet to go,” he said. n

Huskies set to continue form A comprehensive win for the UL Huskies over WIT Wildcats in their last outing will only add to their confidence going into a clash with Liffey Celtics who are propping up the bottom of the Basketball Ireland Women’s Premier League table.

With 2012 Great Britain Olympian Rachael Vanderwal in excellent form for the Limerick team, it’s hard to see anything but a win for them in Leixlip against a Celtics side who have lost every game this season. n

Huskies hold onto top spot after lose UL Huskies v WIT Wildcats UL Huskies 84 – 65 WIT Wildcats

titioners (ICGP) spokesperson Dr Darach O Ciardha said: “Both hyperhydration and dehydration can cause electrolyte disturbance which can lead to kidney damage and in rare cases death.”

Tony Wallace, an amateur bodybuilder said: “bodybuilding is not just a sport or hobby it is a lifestyle choice.”

Dana Poloniova (25), a bikini bodybuilder said that bodybuilding is a great mental outlet. It is “addictive” as she feels revitalised after a good intense work out.

Dana and her partner Tomasz are

Sport | 43

score an admirable 21 points to make the final 84-65 scoreline a bit more respectable.

Both Rachel Roberts with 20 points and Niamh Mullally with 17 were the standout players for a Wildcat side who, in the end, took too long to adjust to the pace of the game.

Both Rachael Vanderwal and Rachel Clancy were standout performers for the Huskies on the night. The former helped herself to a 24 point haul while the latter picked up 14 points from play in a team performance that saw intricate passing and attacking play as well as a solid zone defence.

The Huskies now hold onto top spot in the women’s Premier League, a point ahead of the Wildcats in second place who have played one game more. n Right: Rachel Vanderwal in action.

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

44 | Sport

Ominous future for 2023 bid should consider local sport Munster rugby?

In touch Rob McNamara

IRELAND is set to launch a bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup and Limerick is ideally placed to grab a piece of the pie if that bid is successful.

The potential for re-distribution into local sport is incalculable. This is probably the biggest major sporting event that Ireland is capable of accommodating and the opportunity to nourish growth in Irish sport should be maximised if the tournament is hosted here.

Bringing the tournament to Limerick would be a no-brainer for the tournament organisers.

The city is home to two stadiums that are capable of staging games.

Thomond Park is ready made, as is the Gaelic Grounds—albeit with some work. And the University of Limerick, with its world-class sport-

ing facilities, provides an ideal training base for visiting teams.

Within its bid for the tournament, however, the Government needs to acknowledge amateur and youth sport on a regional basis. The cost of staging the tournament would have to yield a return for grassroots participation and translate into better facilities and funding for all sports.

Limerick is driven by sport and it brings money to the struggling city on a regular basis. The local economy would no doubt benefit from the tournament and this will be well documented by politicians eager to ride on the wave of publicity that is sure to follow this bid.

However, some of that cash will need to be set aside for our sporting legacy for future generations. n

The action heats up at Tom Clifford Park.

Uncertainty, player drains and a lack of solid competition. Could this be what the future holds for Munster Rugby?

Limerick Voice journalist Mike Gilmore asks Munster legends Tony Ward and Peter Clohessy.

THE future of the Heineken Cup may have been thrown a lifeline but doubt still looms over the long term future of the competition. With that in mind, one has to consider the possible effect the lack or change to the premium trophy could have on Munster Rugby.

Munster is a club that has thrived on the lucrative tournament.

The 18 years since the European trophy was put in place have seen them excel in the competition, winning it twice and reaching the latter stages more often than not.

The threat of a new competition opens doors for player drains and a diminished purchasing power if the prize money is not evenly distributed as speculated.

The top players that in the past have so gladly come to Munster may have to consider the offer of more money in a more competitive tournament.

The very notion of the proposed Rugby Champions Cup has sent shockwaves through club rugby in

Europe.

With the English Premiership teams determined to break away from the European Rugby Cup (ERC), if not next season then in 2015-16, leaves the Celtic and French teams with an uncertain direction.

According to former Munster and Ireland prop, Peter ‘The Claw’ Clohessy, “the Rabo Pro 12 is just not enough to keep the top players at Munster”.

Amidst all the talk of negativity in relation to the future of the Trophy, Munster head coach, Rob Penney, has moved to reassure fans.

“It’s too important to European rugby not to have a collective top competition that embraces everybody, Penney said.

“I can’t see the Irish people getting left out in the cold. That would be detrimental to Ireland and to the competition because they have done so well in those competitions,” he added European rugby is the life blood

Paul O’Connell trudges off the Thomond park p of Munster rugby according to the province an Picture: Press 22

of the top teams in the Rabo Pro 12 league.

The promise of this highly competitive tournament attracts players of the highest calibre from all over the world to make Thomond Park their home venue.

If a more lucrative and less redistributive competition was put in place with , it would serve only to undermine the legitimacy of the Heineken Cup, it would create a watered down effect that could see top foreign players and even our own home grown stars looking elsewhere to ply their trade.

Former Munster and Ireland flyhalf Tony Ward remained optimistic about the tournament staying alive declaring that “the Heineken cup will never become obsolete”. However, he added that if the tournament were to be overtaken, Munster would be “up the creek without a paddle”.

Declaring also that “it would be a massive set back in terms of budgets

Picture: Brian Gavin / Press 22

Young Munster hold on for deserved home victory AIL RUGBY Eoin Scanlon YOUNG Munster 22 UCD 16 YOUNG Munster overcame a late scare to record a deserved four point victory against UCD in their last AIL game of 2013.

Despite holding a ten point lead as the game drew to a conclusion,

a converted UCD try cut the deficit to three, only for scrum-half Brian Haugh to have the final say of the game with his sixth penalty.

The students opened the scoring in the second minute, with fly-half Niall Earls accurate from a 30 metre penalty.

Young Munster took the lead in the fifth minute through a Dan Goggin try, following an excellent line break from William Staunton, dashing past the UCD tackles before setting Goggins up to dot down the first try of the game.

UCD responded through another Earls’ penalty, however indiscipline on their part gave Haugh three penalty efforts in the first half, the number nine dispatching each with unwavering accuracy.

Half time score; Young Munster 16, UCD 6.

The students got the second half underway with substitute James Thorton punishing the home side with a penalty following an off-side decision.

Despite playing into a strong breeze Young Munster began to

dominate, camping for most of the half inside UCD territory.

William Staunton, Kolio Hifo, and the lively Dan Goggins doing their best to try and break down their well organised opponents.

When presented with penalties Brian Haugh converted two from four, enough to keep the scoreboard ticking over and to increase their lead to ten.

A smart turn off the back of a scrum by Haugh set Colin Liston straight through in the 75th minute, only to be held up just short of the

line.

With time almost elapsed UCD were handed a lifeline when Alex Kelly broke free inside his own 22 and chased the open space in front of him, before handing off to full-back Tom Fletcher to touch down.

Young Munster hung on however, with Haugh’s converted penalty the last act of the day.

The Cookies march into 2014 on the back of an impressive performance.

Final score at Tom Clifford Park; Young Munster 22, UCD 16. n

Sport | 45

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

No need to change the Heineken Cup says Munster star Amber Galwey

Rugby correspondent

pitch after Heineken Cup defeat. European rugby is vital to the continued development nd Ireland legend Tony Ward. and ambitions” for Munster Rugby.

He’s not wrong. Given that the Heineken cup is mostly responsible for the upgrades to the stadium and the training facilities, not to mention a massive draw for top players from the southern hemisphere, which have joined Munster in the past. The big spending French clubs have already stemmed the flow to top internationals to the Irish provinces. Not since the short term deal with Jean De Villiers in 2009 have Munster signed a top marquee name player.

In relation to the player drain, the 1978 double drop goal hero said that “it was a process that was already in motion with Johnny Sexton opening a market the IRFU wished wasn’t real”. No doubt referring to the superior purchasing power that the French and English teams possess in comparison with the Irish set up.

It had been rumoured that Racing Metro had expressed in interest in Connor Murray, but their signing of Mike Phillips from Bayonne should

ease the fears of Munster fans for now.

The Munster legend continued by saying that despite all the “doom and gloom surrounding Munster’s European future, I remain optimistic enough to believe that common sense will prevail and the northern hemisphere professional game will hit the common ground they should have reached some time ago”.

Optimism aside, one has to consider that it will not be good for Munster Rugby, or its provincial counterparts, if the Heineken Cup were to lose its legitimacy as the premier European Trophy in the Northern Hemisphere.

If the negotiations to keep the top French teams were to fail and they sided with the new tournament, the knock on effect would be catastrophic for Munster Rugby. We would surely see a player exodus in search of greener pastures in France and England. Negating all the hard work from the last 18 years. n

MUNSTER rugby player Paddy Butler thinks the Heineken Cup is a very important competition and he would not be tempted to go and play in France or England if the competition was to be reformed. “Munster is a brilliant club to play for so I wouldn’t want to have to go and play elsewhere,” he says.

Butler made his Heineken Cup debut in 2012 against Racing Metro and since then he has made several appearances in the competition. The Heineken Cup is held in high esteem

by Butler and he credits starting against Edinburgh in a Heineken Cup clash last October as one of his greatest sporting achievement to date. “I was delighted to be starting. It’s a great feeling because you are waiting, hoping to hear you will start, so it was brilliant.”

The 23-year-old outlines the impact the Heineken Cup has had on Munster rugby over the years and how special a Munster win in the competition was for Munster fans.

“The Heineken Cup is such an unbelievable competition and when Mun-

ster won it last I was there watching it with my school. It was brilliant. I think that win had such a huge impact on everyone in the Province,” added Butler.

Butler looks at the positive influence that the competition has had on Munster and explains that he feels that the reform is unnecessary. “It is a great competition and I don’t think there is any real need to change it.

Munster has done so well in it over the years so it would be a shame for the competition to change.”

The Tipperary man has lined out in Europe eight times. n

The Heineken Cup. Soon to be an obsolete trophy but Munster head coach Rob Penney is optimistic about the future of European rugby.

AIL Mid-season round up and predictions Raffaele Rocca CHRISTMAS marks the half-way point of the AIL season, so how are the Limerick clubs shaping up.

Garryowen: The table doesn’t lie for the Dooradoyle club. Winless and bottom, survival is their sole aim. A scoring average of 10 points per game is simply good enough and their defensive stats are also the worst in the league.

If they are to have any hope of beating the drop then the next home game against fellow strugglers St Marys is a must win.

Prediction: Left with too much to do, relegation.

Young Munster: The highest placed Limerick team in the AIL with five wins from eight, Munsters are eight points off the top and well placed to make a challenge. Scoring an average of 20 points per game, their defence could do with tightening up. Prediction: Could mount a challenge but ultimately will fall short.

UL Bohemians: A solid first half for this very young squad.

Consolidation while gaining valuable experience for the panel would have been one of the goals for the season. They fact that they are in the hunt for promotion from 1B is a welcome bonus.

Bohs season so far has been built on a resolute defence, with only table toppers Terenure conceding less. Prediction: Promotion via the playoffs is a realistic goal Shannon: Four wins from eight sees Shannon firmly lodged at mid table. Scoring tries is a problem with no try bonus points from any of their four wins. Only one win on the road is also a concern. The home form has been a lot better with a 75 percent win record and if they are to have any hope of kicking on and challenging for the top places then they must address their travel sickness. Prediction: Do not possess enough in attack to challenge, mid-table finish.. n

It’s not broken, so don’t fix it Amber Galwey

Rugby Correspondent

Action from Young Munster’s clash against UCD. Picture: Brian Gavin / Press 22

THE Heineken Cup is known for being one of the most exciting sporting competitions. Talks of its’ reform have caused concern in Ireland.

Reforming the Heineken Cup competition could force players from Irish Provincial clubs to move to France or England and could spell the end of Munster’s European adventure. Former Ireland and Munster player Mick Galwey discusses the impact that reforming the Heineken

Cup could have on Munster rugby.

“It would be a shame to see players leave, but if the reform happens there is no doubt this is a possibility, which would undoubtedly weaken Munster rugby,” explains Galwey.

Mick, who has experience playing in the Heineken Cup and the era before it, feels there is no need for change.“It’s not broken so there is no need to fix it,” he says.

Mick thinks the competition is one of a kind and outlines the impact it had on Munster rugby. “The Heineken Cup is a truly unique

competition as weaker teams have achieved the unexpected, which is what it is all about. Before the Heineken Cup our season started in September and finished again in November, the emphasis was on clubs at that time.

“We only had about five or six games with Munster and two of those would have been friendly matches.

When the Heineken Cup was introduced it was a huge transition as suddenly we had about 30 games, so it really changed the face of Munster Rugby at the time,” explains Mick. n

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

46 | Sport MUNSTER JUNIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Minor triumph for Ballysaggart

By Seamus Barrett Ballysaggart 3-12 Feenagh-Kilmeedy 0-15 The Bennett brothers were in scintillating form for Ballysaggart when they met Feenagh-Kilmeedy in an exhilarating Munster club junior hurling final in Mallow on Sunday.

Stephen and Shane, members of the All-Ireland winning Waterford minor team, contributed 2-9 of Ballysaggart’s final tally. With brother Kieran at midfield, cousin Tom at cornerforward and father Pat as selector, it really was a family affair.

In terrific conditions for hurling, both teams played their part in a great spectacle in front of a crowd of 2,720. Edward Murphy and Stephen Bennett exchanged frees in the opening passage of the game before Stephen notched his side’s first goal of the contest with five minutes gone.

His initial effort was saved well by Daniel Egan but the sliotar eventually ended up back with him and he pulled first time on the ground to the net. Brother Shane got in on the act soon after with a lovely point. Jimmy O’Sullivan responded for Feenagh with a point before Darren Meagher and Stephen Bennett stretched the lead to five. The lively John O’Gorman pulled a point back only to see Ballysaggart respond through Christy Murphy and Stephen Bennett. A flurry of placed balls from Diarmuid Coleman (2) and Edward Murphy brought Feenagh right back into it with the score now standing at 1-6 to 0-6. Shane and Stephen Bennett restored the Waterford side’s five point advantage but their opponents

ended the half the stronger with frees again from Murphy and two from Coleman to leave it 1-8 to 0-9 at the break.

Coleman and Bennett both pointed frees on the resumption of play and Liam Lynch pointed for Feenagh and it was a one point game with 25 minutes left to play. The game turned on its head in the next five minutes however. A Ronan Walsh goal for Ballysaggart came just as they seemed to be losing sight of the game and while O’Sullivan pulled a point back for Feenagh, the third goal wasn’t far around the corner. Firstly Meagher got his second point of the game, before Shane Bennett goaled to put Ballysaggart in a comfortable position. Feenagh had three points from Coleman, Murphy (both frees) and substitute John Nix. It was to be Ballysaggart’s day though and fittingly it was Stephen Bennett who had the last say with two pointed frees. n

Teams and scorers Feenagh-Kilmeedy D Egan; J O’Regan, L Murphy, N Irwin; M Bergin, E Murphy (0-4f), J Gaffney; D Harrold, G O’Gorman; D Coleman (0-6/0-5f/0-1 65), P Irwin, J O’Gorman (0-1); L Lynch (0-1), J O’Sullivan (0-2) and D Kiely. Subs used: B Hannigan for N Irwin, P O’Regan for G O’Gorman, J Nix (0-1) for Kiely, D O’Sullivan for Lynch and B O’Sulivan for P Irwin.

Ballysaggart M Meagher; B Ryan, K Fennessy, D Devine; B Murphy, E O’Brien, C O’Gorman; C Murphy (0-1), K Bennett; Shane Bennett (1-2), D Meagher (0-2), R Walsh (10); K Cashell, Stephen Bennett (1-7/0-4f) and T Bennett. Subs used: M Kearney for Walsh, S Meagher for Shane Bennett and C Fitzgerald for T Bennett.

Feenagh Kilmeedy John O’Gorman & Ballysaggarts Shane Bennett in action during the Munster Club Junior Hurling Championship Final played in Mallow Co.Cork Picture: Brian Gavin/Press 22

Recruitment drive for Limerick Special Olympics Eoin Scanlon WITH the Special Olympics returning to Limerick for the second consecutive time in June 2014, following on from the successful Games in 2010, active recruiting for volunteers in the region has begun in earnest.

Volunteer Coordinator at Special Olympics Ireland, Lorna Collins, has said 3,000 volunteers are needed to plan, organise and run the Games.

“All we need the public to do now is to fill in an application form, anyone 15 years or over can apply.

“We are asking all volunteers to commit to the four days of the Games. We guarantee it will be four of the best days of your life,” said Ms Collins.

The Games are once again centred at the University of Limerick cam-

pus, where 1,500 athletes will take part in 13 sports, including track and field, football, and gymnastics.

Volunteers have the choice of choosing from 22 different volunteering options.

“With over 3,000 volunteers active across 20 venues at game’s time, volunteer duties will vary depending on the role but the overall goal will be to

ensure the athletes taking part have the experience of a lifetime.

“Whether it’s handing out lunch packs, escorting an athlete to competition or loading a delivery van, every volunteer will play an important role in the success of the Limerick Game 2014,” said Ms Collins.

Those interested in getting involved don’t require any previous

experience as training is provided, but Ms Collins said would-be volunteers should be friendly and have a willingness to learn.

There are also a number of roles which require specific qualifications.

“We need to recruit volunteers with a medical background, including nurses, doctors and physiotherapists.

“We will also be running a Healthy Athlete Programme where athletes will be screened in four disciplines; dentistry, optometry, podiatry and nutrition. If anyone has a qualification in any of these we would be delighted to get them on board.”

As well as ensuring that next summers Games are a success, volunteers will gain invaluable experience and can be proud of their involvement in such an excellent project.

“A Special Olympics experience is one you will never forget. We will provide fun and informative training, an opportunity to meet new people, a chance to expand your skills, but most importantly we are offering you the chance to be there to experience the joy, pride and determination from our 1,500 athletes,” said Ms Collins.

Peter O’Riordan from Castletroy volunteered in 2010 and said he plans to get involved again next summer.

“I volunteered just to help out a worthy cause I suppose.

“It was a really enjoyable experience and I hope to do it again in the coming year.”

The 2014 Special Olympics takes place in Limerick between June 12th and 15th. More information about volunteering can be found at specialolympics.ie/getinvolved. n

Sport | 47

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

MUNSTER JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Keel crowned Munster champions Keel 0-14 Feohanagh-Castlemahon 0-4 Continued from back page

Seamus Barrett It was to be the only time they would lead in the game however as Keel took over. The Kerry men were somewhat fortunate in the fifth minute when Bart Murphy only received a yellow card for a striking offence, which probably merited a sterner punishment.

A Liam Sheehan free in the sixth minute had them level before the impressive Gary Sayers notched his first point of the afternoon with a beautiful kick with the outside of his left foot. A great score from distance by Michael Fitzgibbon restored parity, but it was to be the last time the game would be level. Frees from Sheehan and Sayers made it 0-4 to 0-2. There wasn’t to be another score until the 26th minute, with Sayers again accurate from a free that was to be the last action of note in the first half.

The game could have been over as a contest only a minute into the second half only for Barry Noonan doing well to keep out Mikey O’Connor’s shot. A monster Sheehan point opened up a four point gap but Fitzgibbon landed a tricky free in the 41st minute to respond. Unfortunately for Feohanagh they didn’t register another score for 18 minutes by which stage Keel had opened up an eight point gap with scores from Terry O’Sullivan, Sayers (2), Sheehan and corner back Murphy. A Fitz-

gibbon free stopped the rot, but Keel responded with three more points before the end, two of which were outstanding scores from the classy Sayers, sandwiched by a Sheehan free.

Referee Kevin Murphy’s whistle signalled a disappointing end to what has been a terrific journey for Feohanagh-Castlemahon, as Keel proved too strong on the day. Captain Martin Burke collected the cup for the victors and they will now play the Connacht champions in the All-Ireland semi-final in the New Year. n Right: Feohanagh Castlemahon Donal Mullane & Keels Thomas Ladden in action during the Munster Club Junior Football Championship Final played in Mallow Co.Cork Brian Gavin Press 22 Teams and scorers Feohanagh-Castlemahon: B Noonan; N Corbett, S Downey, M O’Mahony; N Kennedy, P Lomasney, D Mullane; W Lomasney, T Butler; P Carroll, M O’Sullivan, A Roche (0-1); J Guina, M Fitzgibbon (0-3/0-2f) and JF Reidy.

Subs used: C Noonan for Corbett, S Flanagan for Guina, J Clifford for Roche, T Dore for O’Mahony and V Barry for Carroll.

Keel: S Cahillane; E Ashe, G Nagle, B Murphy (0-1); G Evans, E O’Connor, J Nagle; T Ladden, J Long; G Sayers (07/0-3f), L Sheehan (0-5/0-3f), M Burke; T O’Sullivan (0-1), M O’Connor and A Cahillane. Subs used: E O’Neill for Evans and C O’Neill for O’Connor.

Paul’s bitter-sweet season of mixed fortunes

By Cian Liddy Limerick midfielder Paul Browne has enjoyed a bitter-sweet year in the senior hurling championship.

Limerick won the Munster title for the first time since 1996 but were then well beaten in the All-Ireland semi-final by Clare.

Reflecting on that loss Paul said: “We haven’t had as bad a day as a collective group in a long time.” It was very hard to understand what had gone wrong on the day, he said, because in preparing for the game; training was excellent and had gone as well as it had at any stage of the year.”

Following the Munster Final, Limerick had a five week rest period while Clare played Wexford and Galway. The rest seemed to leave Limerick lacking sharpness and cohesion

while Clare were much improved from their early summer defeat to Cork.

Paul is reluctant to blame the fiveweek break for Limerick’s failure saying: “We can’t shift the blame to anyone but ourselves,” but admits that “five weeks is too long to wait for a game”.

While the 2013 All-Star nominee was “disappointed at the departure of John Allen,” he was looking forward to being reunited with Donal O’Grady and TJ Ryan. “You wouldn’t believe the professionalism that Donal and TJ bring, it’s unreal,” he added.

He believes the future of Limerick hurling and hurling in Ireland is on solid ground. He doesn’t believe Limerick’s early form or the quality of this year’s phenomenal championship were once-offs.

He points to the increased standards of training and skill-building that is happening at underage level in Limerick and across Ireland: “I see the preparation that goes into underage teams and it’s a million miles from where it was when I was underage, and I’m not that old. It’s incredible to see the fitness levels and the skill levels of the young fellas that are coming up at the moment. I am involved with the Harty Cup team in Ard Scoil Ris and I see the build of some of these young fellas who are seventeen and eighteen, I was nowhere near that when I was a young fella”.

Limerick begin their 2014 Championship on June 1 against Tipperary at Semple Stadium. n Right: Paul Browne (centre) with two of his fellow All-Stars prior to departure for Shanghai.

limerickvoice, Friday December 13, 2013

48 | Sport

Magic darts as Limerick’ s King of the Arrows reflects on a memorable year

SPORT FOOTBALL: PAGE 47

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HURLING: PAGE 46

| DARTS: PAGE 41 Keel maintain Kerry’s Munster club dominance Keel 0-14 Feohanagh-Castlemahon 0-4 Seamus Barrett KEEL continued Kerry’s dominance of the Munster club junior football championship with victory over West Limerick outfit Feohanagh-Castlemahon in Mallow on Sunday. It is the 11th time in the 13 years of the competition that a Kerry team have emerged as champions.

Feohanagh had a strong wind advantage in the first half and exploiting this was always going to be vital if they were to cause a major upset.

They got the perfect start with a point from Alan Roche in the first minute.

Continued on page 47 Below: Feohanagh Castlemahon William Lomasney and Keel’s Eoghan O'Connor in action during the Munster Club Junior Football Championship Final in Mallow.

Picture: Brian Gavin / Press 22

Injury concern for Penney

By Billy Goulding Injuries sustained to key players Connor Murray and Ian Keatley in last Sunday’s convincing win over Perpignan are head coach Rob Penney’s biggest concern, as his side prepares for Saturday’s return fixture in the South of France.

Immediately after Sunday’s comprehensive win Penney admitted the knee injury picked up by scrum half Murray is almost certain to rule him out of the return game on Saturday,

while also revealing out half Ian Keatley faces a race against time if he is to be included in the match day squad.

Penney said: “Conor’s the main one. I don’t exactly know how bad it is. He’s feeling a little better now than when he came off, but I suspect he won’t be around next week.”

As regards Keatley, Penney explained: “Ian Keatley got a corked thigh, hopefully he’ll be able to bounce back from that. We’ll just have to wait and see as the week un-

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folds” Penney was pleased with his side’s overall performance on Sunday, particularly the first half display which saw them rack up three tries and a 22-0 half time lead. However, he made it clear they are under no illusions and are aware of the enormity of the task facing them this weekend at the famous ‘Stade Aime Giral’ in Perpignan. The Kiwi coach admitted: “It’s a massive challenge going down there. Obviously the passion they have for the game down there, and

the fervour is something we’re used to here, but it’s usually at our backs.

Instead it’ll be right in our faces this time around”.

He added that discipline will play a key role in determining the victor in Saturday’s clash. Penney revealed focus is now primarily on physical recovery, to be followed by mental preparation later on in the week. n Above: Munster head coach Rob Penney. Picture: Bill Murray / SPORTSFILE

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