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Jan 30

New Limerick Brand ‘Atlantic Edge, European Embrace’

by richanthon in News 0 comments 1420

New Limerick Brand ‘Atlantic Edge and European Embrace’ is the first major branding of the city and county to promote it nationally and globally as a destination for inward industry investment, tourism, education and simply for people to live and work in!

https://www.facebook.com/ilovelimerick/videos/460730014804738/

New Limerick Brand ‘Atlantic Edge, European Embrace’ will articulate the city and county’s warmth and resilience for international and domestic markets.

On January 30, 2020, Limerick declared a bold ambition for growth with the unveiling of a first-ever Limerick brand positioning and international marketing campaign.

‘Limerick: Atlantic Edge, European Embrace’ was unveiled today, becoming the first major branding of the city and county to promote it nationally and globally as a destination for inward industry investment, tourism, education and for people to live and work in.

Developed by global creative agency M&C Saatchi, the new Limerick brand positioning will internationalise Limerick, placing it at the most dynamic global crossroads and capturing the sense of warmth and resilience of a historic city and county.

The creation of the Limerick brand involved key inputs from a range of stakeholders, from members of the public and business community during early-stage focus groups through to students of LIT’s Limerick School of Art & Design – one of the top 50 third level art and design institutions in the world.

In addition to M&C Saatchi, the creative process also saw a number of local companies, including True Media, Limerick Printmakers, Treaty City Brewery, and Limerick Chocolate Shop, engaged by Limerick City and County Council, while Ireland’s largest marketing communications company, Core Media, will be involved in rolling out the programme nationally and internationally with a bespoke media buying campaign across traditional and social media.

A major multi-market campaign, ‘Percentages’, is a cornerstone of the programme which aims to quantify Limerick’s combination of edginess and friendliness. The character and culture of Limerick will also be articulated through a roll-out of Limerick ‘heroes’, which will see inspirational people tell their stories on video and become faces of the campaign to amplify the sense of edge and embrace that typifies the city and county.

These include aeronautical engineer and author Dr Norah Patten, who is hoping to become Ireland’s first astronaut; and Michelin-starred chef Michael Tweedie, acclaimed tattooist Ross Nagle, Ireland’s queen of style Celia Holman Lee, hurler Cian Lynch and climate activist and schoolgirl Saoirse Exton.

To broaden the brand’s reach, a Brand Ambassador structure has been established. Each ambassador represents a different field, including Tourism (Patricia Roberts of No.1 Pery Square), Education (Dr. Sarah Brady of UL), Business (Mary McNamee of the Limerick Chamber), Media (Fergal Deegan of Limerick Leader), Culture (Louise Donlon of the Lime Tree Theatre and Local/Community (Richard Lynch, founder of ilovelimerick). Richard was honoured to be asked to be the Vertical Chair of the Local/Community Group and was asked to choose three Community Brand Ambassadors to help him in his task and is now working with three incredible women – Jayne Foley, Founder of Fresh International Film Festival, Linda Ledger, Manager St Munchin’s Community Centre and community activist  Helen O’Donnell, co-founder of Team Limerick Cleanup.

Richard said, “I hope all Limerick gets behind this new branding in the hope of internationalising Limerick and sharing our people with the world.”

Limerick Brand

Richard Lynch, Vertical Chair of the Community Group for the new Limerick Brand pictured with Community Brand Ambassadors Jayne Foley, Fresh international Fim Festival, Linda Ledger, St Munchins Comunity Centre and Helen O’Donnell, co-founder of Team Limerick Cleanup at the launch of the new Limerick brand positioning and international marketing campaign ‘Atlantic Edge, European Embrace’ held at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Thursday, January 30, 2020. Picture: Anthony Sheehan/ilovelimerick

 

Launching the brand, Michael Sheahan, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick said that the brand positioning and campaign reflect the confidence across the city and county today. “This is a real milestone for Limerick. We’ve had an economic transformation over the past decade and we are now rightly going out proudly to the rest of Ireland and the world and inviting them to experience our vibrant city and county. Whether through inward investment, coming here to enjoy our dynamic tourism offering or, indeed, coming to work in and enjoy the affordability of our city and county, we have a compelling offering here now and it’s right that we would take that to the world,” said Mayor Sheahan.

Dr Pat Daly, Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council, said: “This brand positioning and marketing campaign is a dynamic new asset for Limerick that will give us an edge to generate more inward investment, more tourism and more people to come and live and work here. In doing that they will join a city and county on a very exciting journey that will benefit all. Our ‘Limerick 2030: an Economic and Spatial Plan’ is a framework for the future. It was set in place in 2013 but we have already surpassed the job targets for it over a decade out. So now we go again and this brilliant new asset is a timely and exciting lever to propel us forward.”

Laura Ryan, Limerick City and County Council Head of Marketing & Communication said: “A huge amount of work has gone into getting us here today but today is really just the start. We’ve captured the essence of Limerick and we now take that story to wherever we believe there are opportunities for Limerick. Today is a reflection of the new ambition that Limerick has. The brand reflects the confidence of a transformed Limerick. A city that welcomes all, that has grit, determination, and resilience in abundance and one that is at the world’s most dynamic crossroads, where Europe and the Atlantic meets.”

Mary Harris, Managing Partner, M&C Saatchi, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have taken the creative lead on developing the first brand for Limerick City and County. The brand and campaign we have developed represents a major statement of intent for Limerick and sets out its global ambitions. ‘Atlantic Edge, European Embrace’ immediately locates Limerick in the world and captures its grit, determination, and warmth. It also helps establish the City and County as the gateway to Ireland’s premier tourist proposition – the Wild Atlantic Way whilst underlining Limerick’s strong cultural links to Europe, both now and in the past. Working with Limerick has been a true delight – everyone we have encountered has been so generous with their time and their insight. There is a palpable passion for the county and a belief that the time is now for Limerick to come into its own and take its place on a global stage. It’s a very special place and I’m looking forward to seeing it fulfil its potential.”

Use the hashtags #Limerick, #LimerickEdgeEmbrace and #HowLimerick on social media!

 

More information is available HERE.

For more Richard Knows News, click HERE.

 

Sep 23

‘Feed on the Farm’ Pigtown Festival 2019 has an amazing line-up!

by richanthon in News 0 comments 1562

‘Feed on the Farm’ Pigtown Festival 2019 has an amazing line-up!

The Pigtown Culture & Food Series, which celebrates Limerick’s food culture and heritage, trots out for its third year this September 2019. Inspired by the history of Limerick’s famous bacon industry, it is a programme of themed food and cultural events taking place in various venues in Limerick city and county, starting on Culture Night, September 20th with the popular Pigtown Parade. The Pigtown Festival 2019 is developed by the Limerick Food Group and supported by Limerick City and County Council, LEO, and LIT. The Festival runs until October 25.

To launch this year’s festival, Pigtown organisers, Limerick Food Group, collaborated with New Leaf Urban Farmers to bring a pop-up ‘Feed on the Farm’ event led by chef Keith Pigott of new Adare restaurant Oak and Apple.

Pigtown Festival 2019 launch

‘Feed on the Farm’ launch of the Pigtown Culture; Food Series festival 2019 in Crokers Farm, Ballyneety, Co Limerick.
Pictures: Brian Arthur.

The venue was Crokers Farm in Ballyneety where New Leaf’s Kevin Wallace grows all his chemical-free vegetables and herbs. Guests dined directly from the County Limerick farm in a sustainable gourmet feast which also featured a ‘pig in a pit’ reared by John Grisewood of Crokers Farm. John gave guests a tour of the farm on arrival, followed by an introduction to the farm’s honey by John’s brother and beekeeper Paul Grisewood, and Kevin brought the tour around his plots and polytunnels showcasing the impressive Limerick produce he supplies to a number of local businesses.

The zero food miles dinner was the concept of Oak and Apple chef Keith Pigott, also a member of Limerick Food Group and the Pigtown festival committee, who explained the inspiration behind the launch event:

“Pigtown is a celebration of our rich food past but also our rich food present. The ‘Feed on the Farm’ launch event is all about celebrating local food culture, and local people, and the amazing produce we have on our doorstep.

“As a chef, my job is made exciting and easier by great produce. Twice a week Kevin from New Leaf walks through our door in Adare with what can only be described as world-class produce and he creates it here in Ballyneety. Where better to celebrate it than right here on the farm.

“Food brings people together, it creates community and tonight is proof of that. We’re looking forward to more Pigtown events bringing people together and developing the Limerick food community.”

The gourmet menu consisted of a Hakurei Turnips starter butter roasted, pickled and carpaccio served with nasturtium pesto, or, Baby Beets beetroot soup served with barbequed baby beets and sheep’s yoghurt; the main was pit-roasted free-range pork served with that morning’s vegetable harvest; and dessert of baked rhubarb and honey, or spiced courgette cake and honey mascarpone.

90% of the ingredients on the menu were sourced on Crokers Farm with the remaining 10% sourced locally or from a neighbouring county, as an example of the amazing food bounty we have on offer in the Limerick region and demonstrating how we can return to more sustainable food culture.

Other events during the Pigtown festival series include food tours, cookery demos, themed restaurant events, lectures and talks, foraging walks, and a food industry networking event.

The Pigtown Food Series takes place from September 20th 2019 across Limerick.

Events this year include:

PIGTOWN PARADE

–       Family fun at the Pigtown Parade on Culture Night (Sep 20th) through the streets of Limerick City followed by after party at the Limerick Milk Market

 

GUIDED TOURS & WALKS

–       Guided food tours with Teacht Linn Tours of the famous Saturday morning farmer’s market at the Limerick Milk Market, meeting stall holders and tasting along the way (Sep 21st, 28, Oct 5th, 12th)

–       Guided food heritage tours winding from Limerick’s Georgian Quarter to the market area giving insights into the life of times past (Sep 21st, 28, Oct 5th, 12th)

–       The Brewer, Baker & Cheesemaker Tour craft beer trail through six of Limerick’s finest public houses tasting elements of a deconstructed sandwich on the way and finishing up in Bia bistro (Sep 21st)

–       Urban Foraging Walk in Limerick City with Theresa Story of The Green Arpon (Sep 22nd)

–       #eatinlimerick food and drinks walking tour with Olivia O’Sullivan tasting and sampling at several local stops, finishing up with a tour of Treaty City Brewery (Sep 27th)

–       All About IPA talk and tour with Stephen Cunneen at Treaty City Brewery (Sep 28th)

 

COOKERY DEMOS

–       Free weekly Cookery Demos over four Saturday mornings with chefs Eoin Sheehan (Country Munch), Dominique Majecki (Glenlo Abbey Hotel), Bryan McCarthy (Greenes Restaurant), and Ciara Brennan (Happy Food At Home vegan cooking) (Sep 21st, 28, Oct 5th, 12th)

–       Cooking demo with Rachel Allen for Leon’s Lifeline charity campaign (Sep 25th)

 

THEMED DINING

–       Limerick Food Mile – one evening meal over four venues starting in the Limerick Strand Hotel, taking in Treaty City Brewery, the Green Onion, and No1 Pery Square with executive transport included (Sep 26th)

–       The Veggie BBQ six courses, zero miles at New Leaf Urban Farm with Chef Keith Pigott of Oak & Apple Adare (Sep 29th)

–       Themed restaurant events including Family piggy picnic on the terrace at No1 Pery Square Hotel (Sep 21st); Foraging & 4-Course Lunch at The East Room Restaurant (Sep 25th) and Food Meets Science 7-Course tasting dinner (Sep 26th); Pigtown Dinner at the Mustard Seed (Oct 10th), Swine & Wine at Limerick Strand Hotel (Oct 25th)

 

THEMED EVENTS

–       The Art of Pigtown Fair with 40 artists under the market canopy (Sep 22nd)

–       Pigtown FoodWorks industry event sponsored by Limerick LEO (Local Enterprise Office) with guest presentations from the Irish food industry at Fitzgerald’s Woodlands Hotel Adare including lunch at Fielding’s, Limerick’s first organic restaurant with onsite tour of Mary’s Organic Garden

–       ‘Queen Victoria & Limerick Ham’ free lunchtime lecture at St Mary’s Cathedral by Limerick Museum’s Dr Matthew Potter

 

For more information, click here.

For more Richard Knows News, click here.

Sep 11

Bedford Row Family Project 20th Anniversary to celebrate Limerick families

by richanthon in News 0 comments 2189

Bedford Row Family Project 20th Anniversary to celebrate Limerick families

The Bedford Row Family Project is celebrating 20 years of supporting families affected by imprisonment. Founded in 1999, the Limerick-City based charity organisation will be holding a three-day celebration to mark the occasion from the September 25 to September 27.

The Bedford Row Family Project supports families of prisoners, both when they are in and out of prison and have had significant success in turning around the lives of people who are involved with crime and drugs, many of whom have struggled most of their lives.

They work with all generations, from new-born babies to the elderly to try and break the cycle of involvement in crime. They work heavily with children and teenagers who are at risk of dropping out of school and encourage the senior generation to act as a fount of wisdom and experience within their family.

They have specialized social workers and therapists to provide support for both men and women, along with a kids club for children from families who are or have been in prison.

Bedford Family Row Project

Pictured at the Bedford Row Family Project for the launch of their 20th-anniversary celebration are Ger Lynch, Service User, Tracie Tobin, Chairperson, Alison Curtin, Project Administrator and Helena O’Connell, Service User. Picture: Bruna Vaz Mattos/ilovelimerick

The men’s club meets every Friday and gets involved in a number of creative activities, such as cooking and painting. They recently designed a bench, decorated with beautiful colours and sea-shells, to present to St. Michael’s school.

Tracie Tobin, Chairperson of the Bedford Row family project and principal of St. Michael’s infant school, said, “It’s a fantastic project that benefits the whole community. It’s not just a particular part of the community but it’s all the community together. It’s the children, it’s the parents, it’s the extended family, it’s prisoners in Limerick prison and I think that’s really important to have a cohesive approach”.

The organisation was founded by the Sisters of Mercy and the Franciscan Friars, and have been funded by the Mercy Sisters ever since. The Irish Prison Service came on board with funding in 2002, along with the Limerick City and County Council in 2009.

TÚSLA fund counselling and play therapy for children and they also have had support from trusts, foundations, religious communities, academic institutions and other benefactors over the years.

 

In recent years, Bedford Row has opened up a clinic in Clare to offer the same services for families there and have also launched a project that engages with the Travelling Community.

The first day marking the anniversary will be Wednesday, September 25 with a formal gathering of funders, board members old and new and guests from other projects in the community.

This will be followed by an open mic session and poetry reading the next day on Thursday, September 26 with the theme being ‘Anxiety’. This will be followed by an evening workshop with Aries (HSE) on tools for living with anxiety.

The final day will be Friday, September 27 which will kick off with a tea party for all service users and will finish off with a walk from the new bridge to Sarsfield Bridge, symbolising that Bedford Row is the bridge between the family member on the inside and the family member on the outside. This walk is open to the public and will follow the theme of #couragetochange.

Ger Lynch is a Bedford Row Family project service-user who struggled in his past with drugs and crime, first trying heroin when he was 18 years old. Now, he is a reformed addict studying in the University of Limerick who promotes drug awareness and support across Limerick City and was awarded Limerick Person of the Month October 2018 for his work. He credits his amazing recovery to all the Limerick organisations that helped him, in particular, the Bedford Row Family Project.

Ger said, “They’ve helped me through my hard times, having been in prison myself, having been through addiction. I get my therapy here in Bedford Row, it gives me a place to speak to somebody so I know I’m not alone”.

For more information on the Bedford Family Row Project, click here.

For more Richard Knows News, click here.

Aug 23

Leon’s Lifeline – A Young Mans Only Chance

by richanthon in News 0 comments 1503
Leon’s Lifeline – A Young Mans Only Chance
Leon O’Connor, a 22-year-old Limerick animation student, is pleading to the public to help him raise €70,000 to receive Stem Cell treatment in Russia, as one last hope to return to his life before Multiple Sclerosis took it over.
Leon is an animation student at the Limerick School of Art and Design, who is very passionate about his craft. This was before MS changed every aspect of his life, leaving him now partially blind and struggling to walk.
Leon was diagnosed with MS in 2016, when he was just 18 years old and about to sit his Leaving Cert exams. The news shocked his family and turned their lives upside down. Now, three years later, his condition has worsened dramatically but there is still one last lifeline.
Leon said, “I was diagnosed three years ago. It is likely I’ve had MS since I was about ten-years-old and in the last year its deteriorated rapidly, even in the last few weeks it has gotten so much worse.”
Leons Lifeline

Leon’s Lifeline Fundraiser – Please help send 22-year-old Limerick man Leon O’Connor who has multiple sclerosis to Russia for vital stem cell therapy. Picture: Richard Lynch/ilovelimerick.

Valerie O’Connor, Leon’s mother and full-time carer, said, “Fortunately, hope is on the horizon. The options available to Leon to improve his condition are extremely limited in Ireland. But there is hope in the form of HSCT stem cell therapy. This type of treatment is not available for MS sufferers in Ireland, so we have decided to travel to a clinic in Russia where Leon can be treated. We are hoping that this therapy will stop his MS from getting any worse, and it might even reverse the disease completely”.
HSCT stands for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. This type of stem cell treatment involves having Leon’s own healthy stem cells harvested and stored. Leon will then go into isolation and his white blood B cells (the key players in his immune system) will be treated with chemotherapy before his own healthy stem cells are re-introduced. While this is a severe therapy, the success rates are high and Leon’s family have gone to great lengths to find a clinic with a good reputation.
Leon has been offered a date in November 2019. HSCT only has a chance of working with people who are at a certain level of disability and Leon is almost at the cut-off point so he needs to get there as soon as possible.

Leon said, “At the moment I am the perfect candidate for the therapy, my age is one thing. But if it progresses any further I won’t be allowed do it, I won’t be able to do it. So there is no time.”

To cover the costs of the therapy, travel, and accommodation, as well as any help needed by way of special equipment and targeted physiotherapy, they need to raise €70,000. This will be done with your help by supporting the upcoming events Leon’s family and friends are organising, and by donating to the campaign to raise this vital money.
They have done everything they can to help Leon, through medications, diet and lifestyle changes, yet Leon’s disease has taken hold. Leon is dealing with MS as best as he can but his symptoms affect every moment of his life, severely curtailing his everyday activities, things he can do and what he can look forward to.
Leon suffers from loss of feeling in his legs which now makes walking very difficult. He has extreme fatigue so he is exhausted all the time. He is also losing sensation in his left hand, which makes it difficult to hold things. The vision in one of his eyes has greatly diminished which is potentially devastating as Leon is an artist. He wants more than anything to finish his degree and work in this industry. He lives for his art.
These are just some of the issues Leon is dealing with every day. He has been diagnosed with secondary progressive MS. This is when the disease takes hold and is harder to manage. Leon’s quality of life is very poor compared to other 22-year-old young people. He can’t go out at night, he can’t go anywhere alone anymore and needs constant help in his everyday tasks. This has also taken a huge toll on his family, both financially and emotionally.
Speaking about Stem Cell Treatment in Russia, Leon said, “Stem Cell Therapy isn’t a guarantee but it’s the best chance I have and it’s my only lifeline.”
If you would like to donate to this cause and help Leon receive the vital treatment he needs, please click here.
For more Richard Knows News, click here.
About MS:
Multiple Sclerosis affects around 6,000 thousand Irish people at any one time, yet it is a disease that few of us know anything about. Symptoms can develop as early as childhood and can vary from mild to severe, in some cases leading to premature death.
MS is an auto-immune condition which means that the patient’s immune system attacks its own healthy tissue. In MS, this manifests as the nerve coatings on the brain being affected by lesions that crack the nerve sheath and then lead to disability over time. Little is known about why people get MS and little is available by way of a cure. What helps one person won’t help another.
Leons Lifeline Leons Lifeline Leons Lifeline
Aug 17

Now in its 90th year, the Limerick Show is a unique event which brings the people of Limerick City and County together

by richanthon in News 0 comments 1698

 Now in its 90th year, the Limerick Show is a unique event which brings the people of Limerick City and County together

https://www.facebook.com/ilovelimerick/videos/359456071622670/

Limerick Show Launch brings up to 15,000 visitors, 1,000 competitors and 150 trade exhibitors will descend on Limerick Racecourse on Sunday 25 August to experience the show that offers something for everyone.

Competitors showcase their best cattle, horses, sheep, goats, poultry, dogs, crafts and horticulture. For the first time in Limerick Show history, a showcase of Ireland’s native breeds of farm-animals will take place.

This is a unique opportunity to see some of Ireland’s oldest inhabitants. There is evidence of the Droimeann cow dating back as far as 920AD. Included in our display is Dexter, Irish Moiled, Droimeann, and Bo Riabhach cattle, as well as Old Irish Game Fowl and Galway sheep.

Donie O’Connor, event manager of the Limerick Show, said, “Now in its 90th year, The Limerick show is a big opportunity for Limerick, not just the county but for the City as well. It’s to bring the two people together and to showcase what’s good about Limerick.”

Limerick people love their food and at this year’s show, there will be a wide range of artisan food stalls for you to enjoy. Sample homemade cheese, jam, chutneys, bread and more from local suppliers. There will also be cookery demonstrations where you can get some tips from the experts.

There will also be plenty of opportunity for shopping, with the retail village having over 150 stalls for you to browse through. You can find something for everyone from jewelry, food, equestrian, children’s books, clothing, the list is endless! The retail village is in the iconic stables of Limerick Racecourse this year so you can enjoy the atmosphere around the grounds while you shop. On the day, there will also be a fashion show hosted by the Holman Lee fashion agency.

Dooneen at the Racecourse, a one mile and 5k fund-raiser for Dooneen AC, run in conjunction with the Limerick Show will also take place.

The kids will also be entertained with our dedicated Kids Zone with free bouncy castles, face painting, disco dome, balloon making and more. Kids under twelve can go free.

There will also be the annual Limerick dog show, with this year’s dog show promising to be better than ever with a range of classes suiting all breeds.

The Limerick Show chose the Mid-West Cancer Foundation as this year’s charity. Edel Gupta, a board member of the Mid-West Cancer Foundation, said, “We all work totally on a voluntary basis in order to serve the mid-west region which is Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary. we hope to protect and ensure the best possible care for all our cancer patients and their families. We are thrilled that The Limerick Show has selected us this year as their chosen charity.”

For more information, click here.

For more Richard Knows News, click here.

Jul 30

Ciaras Closet donates 10% of Debs dresses sales to Focus Ireland during August

by richanthon in News 0 comments 2510
 

Ciaras Closet donates 10% of Debs dresses sales to Focus Ireland during August

 

Limerick boutique, Ciara’s Closet, has announced that they will be donating ten percent of their profits from the sale of their Debs dresses to the Midwest branch of Focus Ireland, for the month of August. Focus Ireland is a non-profit organisation that provides services for people who are homeless and people at risk of homelessness.

Ciara’s Closet is located at Unit 3 Bellfield House on the Ennis Road, directly across from the Strand Hotel. The Limerick boutique offers a range of beautiful dresses for sale or hire. Their clothing ranges from elegant evening wear to bridal, to bridesmaid’s dresses to Debs, suitable for women of all ages.

Pictured at the Ciara’s Closet August Fundraising Initiative for Focus Ireland are Richard Lynch, founder of ilovelimerick.com, Demelza Morrissey, Ciara’s Closet, Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee, Aoife Sheehan, Midwest Fundraising and Marketing Executive for Focus Ireland and Miss Clare 2019 Emma Austin. Picture: Conor Owens/ilovelimerick.

Dee Morrissey, Ciara’s Closet, said, “We decided to take part in this initiative in honour of our one-year anniversary. We are delighted to be supporting Focus Ireland, a service that provides endless support to those who are homeless or those who may face homelessness.”

Celia Holman Lee, Focus Ireland Ambassador, visited Ciara’s Closet to support this great initiative.

Celia said, “As an official ambassador for Focus Ireland, I am so honoured to support Ciara’s Closet in raising invaluable funds that will be donated to ease the trauma of homelessness that Irish families are currently going through each day.”

Aoife Sheehan, Midwest Fundraising and Marketing Executive for Focus Ireland, said, “According to a recent study carried out by Focus Ireland, the rate of homelessness in Limerick is increasing at an alarming rate with 265 adults currently without a home. There are 1,700 families homeless in Ireland today and this number is growing. In Limerick, Focus Ireland provides prevention and housing advice, support services for families, support services for young people, short and long-term housing, and research-based services. We are thrilled that Ciara’s Closet has decided to support us and we are urging any young lady who is looking to buy a Debs dress, to visit Ciara’s Closet during the month of August.”

 

For more information on Ciara’s Closet, go here.

For more information on Focus Ireland, go here.

For more Richard Knows News, go here.

Jul 17

Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau host the South African Tag rugby team for a weekend in Limerick

by richanthon in News 0 comments 1570

 Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau host the South African Tag rugby team for a weekend in Limerick

https://www.facebook.com/ilovelimerick/videos/2252348361545600/

The South African Tag rugby team were in Limerick recently, to explore the City and play tag rugby ahead of the 2021 Tag Rugby World Cup. The University of Limerick is set to host the 2021 World Cup, with the South African team making an early trip to have a chance to experience the world-class facilities. The visit was organised by the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, who joined the visiting team on their tour around Limerick City.

International Tag Federation (ITF) representatives, who travelled with the South African tag rugby team, paid a flying visit to Limerick to get a real taste of what the city will have to offer as hosts of the Tag World Cup in August 2021.

The Board of the ITF, together with South African TAG representatives, paid a site visit to University of Limerick and other attractions around Limerick on the city’s special ‘tag’ weekend, the Pig’n’Porter festival, to get a feel for what the host city will offer in 2021.

The visitors stayed on campus at UL and were given guided tours of the state-of-the-art facilities and playing fields which will be made available to them during the World Cup.

On their tour, the team got to visit the Treaty City Brewery on Nicholas Street, along with some iconic landmarks, such as the Treaty Stone and King John’s Castle. The South African tag rugby team also got the chance to participate in the Pig ‘n’ Porter Festival, which took place on Saturday, July 13.

Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau and UL met the group along with local and national tag rugby representatives at the Strand Hotel on Thursday, July 11, where the group began their tour of Limerick City.

Karen Brosnahan, of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, said that last week’s visit whet the appetite of the groups for what awaits 2021 in Limerick.

“Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau were delighted to welcome both the ITF board and the South African Tag team to Limerick ahead of the Tag World Cup in 2021. The purpose of the promotional site visit was to give them an insight into what they can expect when they visit Limerick in 2021,” Karen added.

Acclaimed local chef Tom Flavin, gave a talk about the local organic food movement.

Later Dan Murphy, from Global Village Tours and band member of Hermitage Green, brought the group for a walking tour about the history of Limerick, before on to King John’s Castle for an interactive tour. The group later toured Treaty City Brewery where they were treated to a beer tasting.

south african tag rugby team

Pictured at the Limerick Strand Hotel are Dan Murphy, Global Village Tours, Tom Flavin, Executive Chef of the Strand hotel, Stuart McConnell, Chairman International Tag Federation, Stephen O’Connor, General Manager of The Limerick Strand Hotel, Karen Brosnahan, General Manager of Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau, and Holly English, Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau. Picture: Conor Owens/ilovelimerick.

A joint bid led by the UL Conference and Sports Campus and the Irish Tag Rugby Association supported by Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, Failté Ireland and Limerick City and County Council was successful in winning the event for Limerick, which will see 3,000 plus tag rugby players from well over 20 countries and their entourage travel to the Treaty City in August 2021.

The event is expected to deliver a minimum €5m boost for the Limerick economy and 20,000 bed nights over its four days, with many participants travelling from the Southern Hemisphere and teams expected to travel to Ireland for up to three weeks in advance of the competition.

David Ward, Sports Business Development Manager, University of Limerick Conference & Sports Campus, said, “They really enjoyed their stay, got a sense of the excellent range of facilities we will have here but also the sense of fun around the city as well for those in the wider entourage.  The teams, of course, will be focused on the World Cup itself but they also know that they can join their supporters in enjoying the city and wider region after the event.”

Tag rugby has grown enormously in popularity over the past decade, particularly in Australia and New Zealand but also in Ireland and Great Britain. The three previous International Tag Federation World Cups were held in New Zealand (2012) and Australia (2015,2018) but organisers decided to take the next edition to the northern hemisphere and have been won over by the Limerick bid.

For more information about the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, go here.

For more Richard Knows News click here

 

Jul 17

Limerick Pride 2019 Shines with the Largest Parade in History

by richanthon in News 0 comments 1872

 

 Limerick Pride 2019 Shines with the Largest Parade in History

Limerick Pride 2019 took place last Saturday, July 13 and was proved to be Limerick’s biggest Pride parade ever! Thousands of people of all ages lined the streets for Limerick’s most splendid and colourful day celebrating lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender culture. People travelled as far as the USA to celebrate this year’s Festival which marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York and the birth of the LGBT Pride movement.

This year’s Grand Marshall was Moninne Griffith, Executive Director of BeLonG To Youth Services, a national organisation supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI+) young people in Ireland.

Moninne told ilovelimerick what Limerick Pride 2019 means to her, “It is all about, visibility of the LGBT community, being proud and celebrating who we are, reminding everybody in the city and county that everyone has a sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. We have come a long way in terms of LGBT rights but there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure that LGBT people feel visible, valued and included and that we achieve the Ireland we voted for in 2015.”

The annual parade celebrated its 13th year with an estimated 3,000 people and several corporate, voluntary and political organisations taking part. Among those marching were the Limerick county GAA board – the first county GAA group to take part.

Richard Lynch, founder of ilovelimerick and PRO of Limerick Pride 2019 told ilovelimerick what the Parade means to him, “We’re not marching for ourselves, we’re so blessed and fortunate in this country, we’re marching for other people, we’re fighting for other people all around the world that need equal rights. This is not about LGBT rights, this is about human rights for all.”

After the parade, Pridefest 2019 kicked off at the Hunt Museum, which was a free family-friendly event with a free bouncing castle for kids, cone van, cafe and bar on site. There was live music from Cork due, ‘Sparkle’, with plenty of entertainment. Myles Breen also performed the annual Tea Dance, where Mr and Ms Gay Limerick, Lorcan McAuliffe and Amanda Boland joined in.

However, Limerick Pride 2019 did not finish there. On Saturday evening, Dolan’s held the Limerick Pride annual Climax Party, a sold-out event. Performances on the night included Eurovision sensation Sarah McTernan, Limerick singer-songwriter Michelle Grimes and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Jujubee. 

Richard Lynch said, “The parade keeps on getting bigger every year and is the culmination of a week of Pride events in the city. The parades over the years have marked a number of campaigning milestones, including marriage equality in 2015 and the continued pursuit of equal rights for all LGBT groups including the rights to have children and inheritance rights. Our theme this year was Limerick World Pride, as we were marching not just for people in Ireland, but for people all around the world who don’t have the rights that we do in Ireland. We wanted to highlight human rights for all, in particular for the rights of LGBT individuals who continue to be persecuted in some countries throughout the world for their beliefs and sexual orientation. This is about equal human rights for everybody as we are a global LGBT family.”

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