Limerick NewsWire

‘Winterfest’ hoping to woo shoppers into city center

2009-11-10T18:49:40Z

The Christmas shopping season will get underway in Limerick with a ‘Winterfest’ weekend, which takes place November 20th to 22nd.

As city center traders strive to entice shoppers to spend in the city this Christmas season, numerous markets will take place across the city with Limerick City Council offering free on-street parking on the Saturday of the weekend.

Participating shops, pubs and restaurants displaying a special Winterfest sticker will offer “unique bargains, Christmas specials and up to 50% off purchases.” Some multi storey car parks are also offering parking deals with over €3000 worth of vouchers available for Q-Park Harvey’s Quay carpark from participating Winterfest stores.

A main feature of the festive shopping weekend will be the Georgian Quarter Christmas Market, which will take place at Pery Square over the three days. The No1 Pery Square Hotel will host the unique market which will offer shoppers a vast array of seasonal stalls including traditional handcrafted gifts, jewellery, toys, Christmas cards, dolls and candles.

“Traditional foods, Christmas puddings, meats, sweets, breads, pastries and other festive goodies will also be on offer complimented by artisan cuisine and organic produce from Slow Food Limerick.

A truly continental atmosphere will be conjured up by the lights, sounds and smells of this unique spectacle while children from St Michael’s School will sing traditional Christmas carols to add to the occasion.”

The market will be open from 3.30pm-7pm on Friday November 20th and between 12-5pm on Saturday and Sunday, November 21st and 22nd.

More details on the Georgian Quarter Christmas Market can be found at http://limerickgeorgianmarket.com/.

“This year we are delighted to be supporting this initiative to attract off season visitors to Limerick to enjoy its seasonal attractions, shopping and a Christmas experience,” Eoghan Prendergast of Shannon Development said this week.

Another Winterfest market will take place on Thomas Street on the Friday of the weekend, between 11am-7pm and between 9am-4pm on Saturday. There will also be a Riverside Market in Bedford Row on the Sunday between 12-5pm.

Investigations underway into explosives incident

2009-11-09T14:00:43Z

Investigations are underway into an apparent pipe bomb explosion in Limerick on Sunday night.

Gardai were called to the halting site on the Ballysimon Road around 9.45pm. It’s believed a device exploded after it was thrown into the site however there was no damage and nobody was injured.

The scene was sealed off immediately following the incident with local radio reports saying a number of “items” were removed from the scene for further technical examination.

Gardaí at Roxboro are investigating.

One arrested following gun and ammunition find

2009-11-07T22:02:39Z

A man has been arrested after Gardai recovered firearms and ammunition during a search of a house in Co. Limerick Saturday.

Gardai say a 37 year old man was detained following the search of a house in Doon around 2pm. Two pistols, a stun gun and a quantity of ammunition were recovered. The planned operation was carried out by Detective Gardai based at Roxboro Garda station, assisted by the divisional search team.

The detained man is being held at Roxboro under section 30 of the Offences against the State Act and Gardai say their enquiries are ongoing.

Community workers gather to protest in Limerick

2009-11-07T22:01:57Z

Result of cuts will “fast become evident”, protesters warn.

“Jail the bankers, Save our Jobs” , “Hands off our communities”, the placards read as up to 2,000 people took to the streets of Limerick City Thursday morning to protest possible cuts in funding to community support services.

Protesters came form all over the south west to call on the Government to keep funding community based programmes for which children, families and the elderly rely so heavily on in both rural and city parishes.

Organisers say services such as after school clubs, crèches, meals for the elderly along with a wide range of action centres and Community Development Programmes will most defiantly come under threat from the McCarthy report.

Those taking part in today’s rally included members of community centres in St. Mary’s, St. Munchins, Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Brigids. Women’s networks from Limerick and Clare, along with groups from Tipperary and Cork also showed their support for todays gathering.

The protesters marched down Henry Street, around Arthurs Quay and back through the city on O’ Connell Street.

“Cutbacks and closures will only serve to increase poverty and widen the social and economic divide in society. These cuts will lead to deterioration in public health”, a speaker told the gathered crowds at Perry Square.

Two arrested after shooting attack in Co. Limerick

2009-11-04T19:05:10Z

Two men have been arrested and another man remains in hospital following a shooting attack in Co. Limerick Wednesday.

At around 11.30am Gardai responded to reports of a shots being fired at a man in his car just off the Newport Road near Ahane.

Armed Gardai and ambulances rushed to the scene where the found a man lying near a railway line with a gunshot wound to his head. Gardai say a shotgun was used in the attack. The 26 year old victim was rushed to the Mid-Western Regional hospital where he remains in stable condition.

Around one hour later Gardai arrested two men, aged in their 20’s and 30’s at a location in Castletroy. They are being detained at Henry Street Garda Station under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act.

A large area around the scene, including the victims car which was damaged in the attack, remained cordoned off Wednesday evening as investigating Gardai began technical examinations of the scene.

One line of inquiry Gardai are following is that the incident is related to to criminal activity in the Castleconnel area. Gardai are appealing for anyone who have seen anything to contact them.

Two days of protests to hit the city center

2009-11-03T22:38:13Z

Thousands of people are expected to gather in Limerick City this week for two days of protest marches in the run-up to the next budget.

On Thursday community organisations will march against possible job cuts, with the intention of showing the Government that communities in Limerick and in the south west generally, “demand that their voices are heard.” Marchers will include members of local Community Employment schemes and other community projects such as job clubs and youth services.

“These cuts will rip the fabric of the community apart to the very core. The services and supports provided to the elderly, to childcare, to school-going children, to youth services and to families right throughout Limerick city and county will be in serious jeopardy if these cuts are implemented”, SIPTU organiser, Eddie Mullins said this week.

He says that young, elderly and families alike are supported by these organisations and subsequently are in the most vulnerable category and says as such they are seen by the Government as a “soft target.”

Their rally on Thursday begins at 12.30pm at the Mechanics Institute on Hartstonge Street.

Fridays march will see both the public and private sectors taking to the city streets as part of a “National Day of Action”. Organisers of the ‘Get up stand up” campaign, the ICTU, are calling on all community workers, activists and projects, whether they be a union members or not, to join the rally against a possible €4 billion cut in public expenditure in 2010.

The union says the cuts could cause a “severe deflationary shock in the economy and cause a decade long downward spiral, such as what occurred in Japan in the 1990s”

The protest on Friday in Limerick begins at 2.30pm and will also begin at the Mechanics Institute. Other protests are being held in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford, Sligo, Dundalk and Tullamore.

Meanwhile in a statement issued through the Limerick Chamber of Commerce, Seán Murphy, Deputy Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland said on the issue of public sector pay, “Contrary to what the Unions are stating in their campaigns on public sector pay, we can either protect vital services or protect public sector pay and pensions, we simply cannot afford to do both.”

“If we really are all in this together, then solidarity would demand that everyone bears an equal share of the burden for closing the enormous hole that exists in the public finances”, he added.

City street fight leaves one injured

2009-11-03T18:47:16Z

A man has been taken to hospital following a street fight in the city center Tuesday afternoon.

The altercation between to city families happened at the junction of Wickham Street and William Street around 3.30pm. A number of weapons including baseball bats were used in the melee.

At least one man in his twenties was stabbed during the row; he was taken by ambulance to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle. His condition is not serious.

Gardai at Henry Street are investigating the incident and are appealing for witnesses to come forward. There have been no arrests.

Councillor says Policing Committee must reach out to communities

2009-10-29T19:12:35Z

A Limerick City Councillor and Vice Chairman of the Limerick Joint Policing Committee has said Thursday his key priority on the Committee will be to use it “as a tool in the fight against drugs, organised crime and anti-social behaviour”.

Councillor Maurice Quinlivan said the committee, which was set up to involve politicians and community leaders with the Gardaí in tackling crime, will hold a public meeting to discuss the drugs problem in Limerick “with a particular emphasis on the heroin problem.”

“I am keen to ensure that the Limerick City JPC reaches out to the communities most affected by drugs and crime here in Limerick and I will be encouraging members of those communities to engage as fully as possible with the Committee.

It is essential that the communities give their account of the problems in their areas and offer their views of the best way to address those problems. It is even more essential that the Joint Policing Committee listens to what they are being told and take it on board when developing plans to tackle these problems. As part of this approach I will be proposing that the Limerick City Joint Policing Committee holds a series of public meetings in communities throughout Limerick in order to ensure proper dialogue and engagement between the committee and those suffering the effects of crime.”

Earlier this week Mr. Quinlivan expressed his “deep concern” at the proliferation of illegal fireworks that are being used in huge numbers around the city in the run up to the Halloween weekend.

“I have had a large number of complaints from all over the City. People have complained about damage to their cars after bangers are left on their roofs and bonnets. Bangers have been pushed through letterboxes and in a number of cases being thrown directly at people. Many pets are also suffering distress due to the very loud nature of these devices.” Quinlivan said.

The councillor says he has urged city Gardai to “do all they can to target those who are illegally selling these fireworks.”

Man charged in connection with shooting

2009-10-29T22:47:47Z

A Southill man has appeared in court charged in connection with the shooting of another man in the south side housing estate Wednesday.

Anthony Kelly, of 121 O’Malley Park, appeared before the District Court charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The 49 year old, who is well known to city Gardai and who is the brother of former city Alderman Michael Kelly told Gardai he had “nothing to say” when he was charged Thursday evening.

27 year old Michael Lynch remains in a serious but stable condition in the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle following the shooting incident.

Mr. Kelly is due to appear in court again next Thursday and did not apply for bail. A woman who was also being held has been released without charge.

Man critical following Southill shooting incident

2009-10-29T08:04:43Z

A man is fighting for his life in hospital after he was shot in Limerick City Wednesday morning.

27 year old Michael Lynch was shot during a row with another man in O’Malley Park, Southill around 8am. Gardai arrived on scene and a 48 year old man was arrested.

A 20 year old woman was also arrested at the scene for public order offences. The detained man, who is from O’Malley Park, is currently being detained at Roxboro Garda Station under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act.

A large area around a house was preserved and a technical examination has been carried out.

The victim remains in a critical condition at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle and Gardai are appealing for anyone with information relating to the shooting to contact them at Roxboro Garda 061-214340.