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Mar 31

Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2019 Announces Winners

by richanthon in Entertainment, Festival, News, Youth 0 comments 1919 0

Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2019 announces winners. Jane Foley, founder of Fresh Film Festival, second place finalist Cal Arnold O’Driscoll, 16 from Dublin 7, first place winner Sean Treacy, 14 from Wicklow and third place finalist Milosh Hughes, 18 from Malahide, Dublin and comedian Pat Shortt at the Senior Finals of Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards 2019 in the Odeon, Castletroy on March 28th. Picture: Zoe Conway/ilovelimerick

Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2019 announces winners

Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2019 announced its Junior winners on Wednesday, March 27 and its Senior winners on Thursday, March 28 at the Fresh Film Festival 2019 in Limerick. The competition, which received a record of more than 1,700 entries this year, announced the winners at the Odeon Castletroy.

14-year-old Sean Treacy from Ashford in Wicklow took home the title of Ireland’s Young Senior Filmmaker of the year 2019 for his short film ‘Rue’, a story about a boy who regrets his last words to his best friend. Speaking about his win, Sean said, “To win here today is an absolute honour, especially considering the quality of the films that were entered! I think this year’s films are the highest quality that Fresh Film has ever received. They were all absolutely outstanding and any of them could have placed first. I am really honoured and chuffed that it was this film that won. It’s one the actors and I worked really hard on, I couldn’t have done it without them, and they were amazing. I can’t thank Fresh Film Festival enough for organising the whole event, it was just fantastic!”

Sean also directed the short film ‘Spark’, in which the body of a camera brings a young boy’s dream to life, which was also screened during the festival. Sean had previously come second in Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year 2018 for his film ‘Brother’ in which two kids become unlikely friends after they are forced to spend time together.

Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2019 announces winners

Pictured are comedian Pat Shortt, first place finalist Rhianna Keane, 12, Fresh Film Festival Founder Jane Foley, Emma Sams, first place finalists Irina Daw, 12, Rowan Knox, 12, and Art O’Rourke, 13, at the Odeon, Castletroy on March 27th at the Fresh Film Festival 2019. Pictures: Zoe Conway/ilovelimerick

Students from Clare who were part of the Sparks Film Group took home the title of Ireland’s Young Junior Filmmaker of the year 2019 for their short film ‘CAT-astrophe’, in which a strange cat is found and weird things begin to happen. Emma Sams, the group’s mentor from the Spark’s Film Festival in Clare spoke about their win, “Well it’s brilliant! They put so much work into putting the film together. It came from a small festival held at the Scarriff public library in Scarriff, East Clare, called Spark’s Film Festival, which has been going for a few years. It’s a miniature version of Fresh Film Festival. These guys came and did some workshops during the week of the festival and put so much work and effort into putting the film together. It’s brilliant to see that they’ve been rewarded for all their hard work, thanks to Fresh Film Festival”.

At the Seniors, Cal Arnold O’Driscoll, aged 16 from Dublin was the second place winner for his film ‘Big Bad World’, in which two Irish teens from the ’90s, finally break the rules by going on their very own vacation. Milosh Hughes, aged 18 from Malahide in Dublin took home third place for his film ‘Descensus’, which is a story about a young who boy loses his grip on reality as constant nightmares cause him to spiral into madness. Waterford’s SWAY Project for Waterford city won Best Group at Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year 2019 for their film ‘Big Trouble in Little John’s Park’.

At the Juniors, students of Kilcoona National School in Galway, were the second-place winners for their film ‘Some Time in the Woods’, which follows Anna and her five friends as they go into the woods for a picnic, where Anna stumbles upon an old pocket watch which leads to them travelling back in time. While Ivan Fair aged 11 from Westport, Mayo took home third place for his film ‘I Miss You’, a sad story about a boy who misses his brother that died, and how he copes with his grief.

Vigga Wagner from Copenhagen in Denmark won the International Film Award for her film Bubblehead which follows a girl who lives a solitary life with her pet fish that meets a cute boy when she visits the pet shop after her goldfish dies.

Other entries received Highly Commended Awards on the day. In addition to the Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year awards, a number of specialist awards were presented for both the Juniors and the Seniors including the Radharc Trust Award (documentary), the Boulder Media Animation Award, the RTE 60 Second Short Film Award and the RTE Factual Award, in addition to the International and Audience awards.

Jane Foley, Artistic Director of @FreshIreland congratulated winner Seán for his film “Rue”! Congratulations to everyone! #ilovelimerick #irelandsyoungfilmmakeroftheyear pic.twitter.com/rgNpx1TQqy

— #LimerickTilliDie (@ilovelimerick) March 28, 2019

Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year is the highlight of Limerick’s Fresh Film Festival, which is now in its 23rd year. Other highlights of Fresh Film Festival 2019 include feature screenings and workshops including an Industry Master class with The National Youth Film School.

“Ireland’s Young Filmmaker has a very interesting approach,” says Jayne Foley, Director of Fresh Film Festival. “Storytelling is at the core,” she says, “because the budget is usually either low or non-existent, filmmakers have to be very inventive with plot and location.” Jayne adds, “The festival is a forum where young film-makers can meet each other. Even at that stage networking is important. You may end up meeting the same people again later in your career. As advocates of young filmmaking, we also try to showcase films abroad. We’ve brought Irish films and young filmmakers to Korea, Austria, Germany, and Edinburgh. This year we are excited to have a number of international young filmmakers coming to Fresh and sharing their filmmaking experience with us.”

For more information on the Fresh Film Festival, go here.

For more stories on the Fresh Film Festival, go here.

Jun 05

Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2018 Senior Finals announces winners

by richanthon in Festival, News, Video, Youth 0 comments 3587 0

John Farrelly, 17, winner of the Senior Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards 2018 pictured with his family at Fresh Film Festival at Odeon Cinema, Castletroy Limerick. Picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick

Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2018 Senior Finals announces winners

Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2018 Senior finals announced its winners at the Fresh Film Festival 2018 in Limerick on Thursday, March 22. The competition, which received a record of almost 1,500 entries this year, announced the winners at the Odeon Castletroy.

Limerick winners included Melanie O’Donnell, from Limerick aged 18 took home third place for her film ‘Catharsis’ and Luke Culhane, aged 15 from Castletroy who took home the RTÉ Factual Award for his film ‘What’s Your Story?’.

Melanie O’Donnell, aged 18 from Adare, Limerick took home third place for her film ‘Catharsis’, in which a young patient purges her mind through art with the help of her psychiatrist. Speaking about her third-place finish, Melanie said, “I’ve been making films for seven years and I have to say when it comes to making films, whatever age you are, you have to have perseverance, patience, and passion”.

Limerick’s Luke Culhane, aged 15 from Castletroy, also took home the RTÉ Factual Award for his film ‘What’s Your Story?’. Speaking about his win, Luke said, ”I’m speechless. The standard was so high. I have no words. I’m really proud and honoured”.

17-year-old John Farrelly from Warrenpoint, Down, took home the title of Ireland’s Young Senior Filmmaker of the year 2018 at the Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2018 Senior Finals for his short film ‘Choice’, a boy suspects there is something not quite right with his life. Speaking about his win, said, “I’m so glad I won Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year 2018. I worked really hard and the hard work paid off. I would encourage anyone interested in film to enter next year as it’s a great opportunity and encourages young people to make films”.

Sean Treacy, aged 13 from Ashford, Wicklow was the second place winner Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2018 Senior Finals for his film ‘Brother’, in which two kids become unlikely friends after they forced to spend time together. Speaking about his second place, Sean said, “Today has probably been one of the best days of my life. The standard was on a whole other level than I think anyone here expected. Fresh Film Festival is making so many stars here because the level of filmmaking was just amazing. I’m so shocked and so blessed to have come second place”.

Melanie O’Donnell, 18, Limerick with her family who won third place at Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards 2018 Senior Finals which took place at Odeon Cinema, Castletroy Limerick. Picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick.

Waterford’s SWAY Project won Best Group at Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year 2018 for their films ‘Useless’ and ‘DUFF’, with the latter also taking home the Audience Award on the day. Speaking about their win, Youth Worker Eoin Dalton said, “We are delighted to win. They are a great bunch of young people and they put so much work into their films and took their responsibilities as filmmakers very seriously”.

Other entries received highly commended honours on the day, including CBS Ennistymon in Clare for Ensemble, Jack Doyle from Kildare for Performance, Rueben Harvey from Laois for Comedy, Josh Lynas from Down for Direction and Dónal Cotter from Dublin for Production Design.

Luke Culhane, (15), Castletroy, Limerick winner of the RTE Factual Award at Senior Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards 2018 which took place at Odeon Cinema, Castletroy Limerick. Picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick

In addition to the Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year awards, a number of specialist awards were presented on the day including Emily McGee, aged 18 from Kilkenny City whose film ‘Bird’ took home the Boulder Media Award for animation, and Aaron Moloney, aged 19 from Clonlara, Clare, whose film ‘ Toast’ won RTÉ 60 Second Award. Additionally, Jakub Bajerski, aged 17 from Ennis, Clare, won the TG4 Award for the best film in the Irish Language for his film ‘The Baile Mór’, while Anna Murray, aged 16 from Loreto Secondary School in Fermoy won the Radharc Senior Award for her film ‘Traveller Life: The Reality’.

Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year is the highlight of Limerick’s Fresh Film Festival, which is now in its 22^nd Year. Other highlights of Fresh Film Festival 2018 include feature screenings and workshops including an animation workshop with Brazilian animator Alexandre Almeida Juruena De Mattos.

Fresh Film Festival encourages young people from Ireland and overseas, aged 7 to 18 years, to create, exhibit and share films. The festival provides an opportunity for these young filmmakers to have their work seen on a cinema screen for the first time and to compete for the title of Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year. All films submitted are also considered for a range of Specialist Awards including the Radharc Trust Award (documentary), the Boulder Media Animation Award, the RTE 60 Second Short Film Award and the RTE Factual Award, in addition to the International and Audience awards.

Reflecting on this year’s Festival, Fresh Film Festival Director Jayne Foley commented, “This is our 22^nd Fresh Film Festival, so it’s a huge Festival this year. We’ve had 1,500 films from filmmakers all over the world. We are here with a packed, packed cinema, so it’s a great success. We are delighted to have all of these young filmmakers from around the globe joining us for the Festival this year”.

Further details about the Fresh Film Festival can be found here.

For more stories on the Fresh Film Festival, go here.

Jul 29

VIDEO Limerick 2020 bid Street Party

by richanthon in Art, Award, Awareness, Children, Community, Competition, Culture, Dance, Education, Entertainment, Events, Family, I Love Limerick, Inspirational, Learning, Local Buisness, News, Press, Promo, Youth 0 comments 4545 0

Announcing details of the event at upper O’Connell Street, Limerick were, Catherine Ryan and Laura Malone of Fidget Feet with Limerick localTom Muldowney, Henry Street. Picture: Alan Place/ilovelimerick.

The excitement is building up as the countdown for the ECOC jury panel’s review of Limerick on Tuesday, July 12 starts coming closer. Limerick has got one last chance to push the city’s European Capital of Culture Limerick 2020 bid with a spectacular street party to celebrate the magical journey of the campaign.

While the ECOC jury panel reviews the city and the cultural institutions, thousands of the city’s citizens will get to indulge themselves in culinary delicacies, art and musical culture. The event will start up around midday and finish in the evening.

The public will be treated to various events including the Culture and Chips food carnival on O Connell Ave from noon onwards, a taste of international cuisine with the World Recipe Exchange, and lots of gatherings at venues such as the Hunt Museum, Howley’s Quay and O’Connell Street’s urban garden.

Daniel O’Connell’s whole block on upper O’Connell Street between Hartstonge Street and Barrington Street (the area known as The Crescent in the Georgian Quarter) will become party central as Culture & Chips Takes To The Streets from noon until evening.

If Limerick succeeds, it will indeed be historic. It’ll also be – according to estimates – worth around €170m to the city. Limerick won’t get to enter the European Capital of Culture again for another 15 years so that’s also why there is such a huge push to try and succeed.

The Limerick 2020 bid team makes its final presentation to the panel at the National Concert Hall in Dublin on July 14 and the winner being announced the following day. It’s a tough competition as Limerick competes against Galway, Waterford, Wexford and Kilkenny for the title.

Bid director Mike Fitzpatrick said that now is “the right time” for Limerick to earn the prestigious title. “Limerick is aware that the jury is in town, but it’s not about the jury; it is about having a moment to say, ‘Look how far we have come’ in terms of how culture has formed part of everyday life in Limerick. Whatever happens on July 15, whatever the decision is, culture will remain at the centre of what we do. It has given us so much confidence and belief in ourselves.”

Bid deputy director, Sheila Deegan, said the festive day “may go down as one of the most important days for the city.”

“Win or lose with the Limerick 2020 bid, we have achieved an awful lot and it is time to celebrate so we are asking that as many people as possible to turn out and enjoy this party with us. The journey has awakened a real sense of cultural identity in Limerick and a wider awareness of just how rich, diverse and talented our cultural heritage is. We were Ireland’s first City of Culture and we certainly showed over the course of that magical year just how much Limerick has found its cultural voice and it is now singing from the rooftops.”

SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

Limerick Street Food, run with Limerick Council: this weekly pretty market of tents will deck out on Harvey’s Quay on Tuesday 12, 11am to 4pm.
For a serving of culture with a side of chips, Culture & Chips Takes To The Streets in conjunction with Limerick 2020 are throwing a street party of food, culture, performance on Tuesday 12, 12.30pm-7pm at The Crescent, O Connell Ave.
The new Urban Garden on O’Connell Street will host the Gig in the Garden from 2.30pm: “an eclectic mix of home-grown talent” led by The Harmony in Hands Deaf Community Choir.
Hunt Museum Garden Party begins at 2.30pm with face painting and artists creating new works, all to a jazz accompaniment.
Children head to Ormston House for the Science Magic Show, 3pm, which promises “an explosive time with chemistry and magic to enthrall”.
International class pipe organist David Casson plays in concert free at Sacred Heart Church, The Crescent at 8pm. Part of Limerick Pipe Organ Festival.

Caseys Centra love thy neighbour summer Fundraiser

by richanthon in Awareness, Business, Charity, Community, Culture, Entertainment, Events, Family, I Love Limerick, Inspirational, Learning, Local Buisness, News, Support, Youth 0 comments 3406 0

Caseys Centra Love Thy Neighbour Summer Carnival launch – Pictured: Jackie Bonfield, General Manager Mid West Simon Midwest Community and Duncan Casey, Mid West Simon Community Ambassador.

Caseys Centra host Love Thy Neighbour Summer Carnival in aid of the Mid West Simon Community and Limerick Marine Search and Rescue takes place on Thursday June 16, from noon until 3 pm, at the Caseys Centra store, Mount Kenneth on the Dock Road.

Munster Rugby star Duncan Casey, actor Myles Breen and Richard Lynch of I Love Limerick will be your hosts for a day of summer festivities with carnival games, free food tastings, drinks, music, prizes and giveaways galore with Limerick’s Live 95fm providing music during their live roadshow.

Caseys Centra are inviting guests to sample their tasty deli food offerings, including Mexican dishes, carvery dinners, sandwiches and salad creations. Carnival games include ‘Test your Strength’ where you could win a signed Paul O’Connell Munster Rugby Jersey, ‘Dunking Duncan’, an opportunity to dunk one of Munster Rugby’s hottest players into a bath of freezing cold water, Hook a Duck and Piñata Bash.

Caseys Centra Love Thy Neighbour Summer Carnival MC Myles Breen

All activities on the day are donation based and organisers are pleading for the public to dig deep in order to raise as much funds as possible for two extremely deserving Limerick based charities.

The event concept originated when management from Caseys Centra, located on the Dock Road, saw the positive impact they had on their neighbours Mid West Simon Community after they began donating unused food to the charity’s service users. Caseys Centra decided they needed to do more. This evolved into a fundraising day for both Mid West Simon Community and fellow neighbouring charity, Limerick Marine Search and Rescue.

Kevin Foley, Manager Caseys Centra said, “Calling the fundraiser “Love thy Neighbour” came from us wanting to show our support for local organisations such as businesses, charities and communities. There is strength in numbers and if we all support one another, Limerick would be unstoppable. We want these charities to know we are there for them and will continue throughout the year to support them unconditionally.

Jackie Bonfield, General Manager Mid-West Simon Community, said, “We are so honoured that our neighbours Caseys Centra and Limericks Live 95fm have decided to support our fundraising initiatives with an event that not only shows the best of Limerick but also stresses the importance of how much we all need love and support from our neighbours.”

Joe Morgan, Chairperson Limerick Marine Search and Rescue said, “This year we are celebrating our 30th anniversary and in the spirit of community, the event really emphasises the importance of local support. Our organisation is volunteer based and we need to raise ongoing funds to continue the work we do.

Fergal Deegan, Marketing Manger Limericks Live 95, said, “We are thrilled to support our neighbours and the work they do. Limerick Marine Search and Rescue play a key part in tracing missing people in Limerick. The River Shannon is the life force of Limerick and this organisation keeps it safe for all of us. Mid West Simon Community reaches out to people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or experiencing housing difficulties. Both organisations are vital to the Limerick community.”

Love Thy Neighbour Summer Carnival in aid of the Mid West Simon Community and Limerick Marine Search and Rescue is on Thursday, June 16 from noon to 3pm at Caseys Centra and all are welcome.

Find Caseys Centra on Facebook here
Mid West Simon Community online here
Click here to find Limerick Marine Search and Rescue Facebook page

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Jul 22

Andy Lee welcomes St Francis Boxing Club extension

by richanthon in Community, I Love Limerick, News, Sports, Youth 0 comments 4003 0

Former WBO World Middleweight Champion and one of Limerick’s great all time sports people, Andy Lee, returned to St Francis Boxing Club for the official handing over of keys to Limerick City and County Council of a property adjacent to the club.

The property acquired by the club will provide what was described as a much-needed extension that will allow the club to expand from what is currently a 40-member capacity to over 70 members.

Former Middleweight Champion Andy Lee spoke of what it means to see the club where he honed his skill receive the expansion, describing the difference it can make by putting “People on a path in life.”

He added, ”You have to invest in young people, give them a purpose. You get a life-long return from it. The St Francis Club has turned out and still is turning out national champions.“Who knows, maybe we already have an up and coming world champion in our midst in the club and that’s something we all dream about.”

Andy Lee “Who knows, maybe we already have an up and coming world champion in our midst in the club and that’s something we all dream about.”

The adjacent property, which will help double the club’s capacity, was recently purchased by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government through Limerick City and County Council. St Francis’ is the longest running boxing club in Ireland and in the past decade has produced over 20 All-Ireland Champions as well a WBO World Middleweight Champion in Andy Lee.

St Francis Boxing Club President Noel Griffin, who has over 60 years experience in boxing said, “Today is a dream day for us. We have been constrained in terms of capacity for so long that I expect we will double the members in the club within weeks of the new extension opening.”

At the ceremony, speeches echoed the importance of this expansion for the club and the community, focusing on the impact clubs like St Francis’ have on the youth in the city.

Speaking to ilovelimerick.com Ken Moore of St Francis Boxing club said, “We will develop to a membership of 70 people, 30 extra boys and girls will have somewhere to go every night. It will get them off the streets, away from their video game consoles. They will be here learning a skill and great sport.”

You can read more stories about Andy Lee here.
Here you can find more sports stories.

Mar 08

Young Social Innovators with Luke Culhane

by richanthon in Awareness, Children, Community, Culture, Dance, Education, Entertainment, Events, I Love Limerick, Inspirational, Learning, News, Press, Promo, School, Youth 0 comments 2911 0

Young Social Innovators from St. Munchin’s College, Limerick advocate for Team Limerick Cleanup at the Lime Tree Theatre. Pictured with Richard Lynch at the Speak Out were Jack Kingston, Sean Skelton, Andrew Tierney and Luke Culhane of #CreateNoHate. Picture: Derek Speirs.

21 schools have taken part in the Young Social Innovators Speak Out that took place in Limerick as part of the YSI Speak Out Tour 2016 which will visit seven counties throughout March and April. The Speak Out Tour is part of the Young Social Innovators of the Year Awards supported by Ulster Bank.

Over 6,500 students throughout Ireland are taking part in Young Social Innovators this year working
in 450 teams to tackle social issues affecting them and their communities. 60 teams will be shortlisted to compete for the national title of Young Social Innovators of the Year on the 10th of May 2016 in Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre. Young Social Innovators challenges young people to work within their communities to identify areas of need and to come up with and implement solutions for positive social change.

Young Social Innovators with Luke Culhane

Young Social Innovators from St. Munchin’s College, Limerick advocate for road safety at the Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick. Pictured with Richard Lynch of ilovelimerick.ie at the Speak Out sponsored by Ulster Bank were Jack Kingston, Sean Skelton, Andrew Tierney, Claire Culhane and Luke Culhane. Photo by Derek Speirs

The Speak Out Tour gives young innovators the opportunity to come together to present their creative ideas and actions as well as a chance to see what other teams are doing to tackle their chosen social issues. Teams are given two minutes on stage to present their social innovation to an audience of their peers, invited guests and a YSI Panel. The events give teenagers a platform and voice in society and a way of contributing to real life issues impacting on lives around Ireland and beyond. The teams that presented at the Speak Out in Lime Tree Theatre Limerick spoke on a wide range of issues including mental health, body image, autism and sexual and gender identity.

The guest speakers for the Limerick event were Richard Lynch of I Love Limerick and Luke Culhane from #createnohate, whose video about cyberbullying has gone viral and has been watched all over the globe.

The Young Social Innovators of the Year Awards is now in its 15th year. This year, 6,500 teenagers are working on 450 projects from 211 schools looking at a very diverse range of issues including integration, equality, crime, health, safety, homelessness, intergenerational initiatives and more. CEO of Young Social Innovators, Rachel Collier said: “YSI offers a unique opportunity for young people enabling them to grapple with difficult social issues, advocate reform and advance change. This experience boosts their ability to deal with uncertainty and change, a hallmark of today’s world.

YSI prepares young people for life and work and has both social and commercial value. We want young people to become innovators in their own lives and be resourceful in creating positive change and solutions in the world around them. The energy felt at these events must be experienced and we wish all the participants the best of luck in progressing their projects and continuing to advocate for change in their communities. We are of course grateful to Ulster Bank and all our partners for their support and look forward to increasing our reach and impact into the future.” Ulster Bank’s partnership with the programme is part of its ongoing commitment to fostering social innovation and entrepreneurship from a young age, and to build on its strong community legacy of education evident in its MoneySense and Skills & Opportunities fund programmes.

Speaking about YSI and the Speak Out Tour, Cathal Daly, Regional Manager, Retail Banking, Ulster Bank said: “One of Ulster Bank’s goals as a business is to enable growth through innovation which is why we’ve focused investment on financial education, entrepreneurship and skills programmes for young people. We want to inspire a new generation of social innovators. Our partnership with YSI extends beyond financial support, to include volunteering our business skills and insights – from our experience working in communities across the country – to help raise the voices of our talented youth who hold the future of positive change in this country in their hands.”

For more information about the event you can check out Young Social Innovators website here

Follow YSI on Facebook and Twitter

Follow Luke Culhane on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram

For more related check out the I Love Limerick site here

Jun 30

Limerick Pride 2015 launch at Dolan’s Warehouse

by richanthon in Advertisement, Art, Audio, Business, Charity, Community, Culture, Dance, Education, Entertainment, Events, Fashion, Festival, Gay, I Love Limerick, Inspirational, Learning, Local Buisness, News, Nightlife, Old Posts, Parade, Performance, Photos, Press, Pride, Promo, Support, Video, Youth 0 comments 3199 0

Pictured: Mrs Elsie Cox, Myles Breen, Richard Lynch, Mayor Jerry O’Dea and Aladdin Kishk. Picture by: Jonathan Baynes.

The countdown to Limerick Pride 2015 officially began with the press launch at Dolan’s in Limerick City on Mon, June 29.

At the Limerick Pride 2015 launch Patrick McElligott, Chairperson of Limerick Pride said: “We are thrilled to be able to offer a fantastic line up for Limerick Pride 2015, running from Tues, July 14 until Sun, July 19. There is something for everyone culminating in the annual Pride Parade on Saturday July 18 and the PrideFest party directly after the Parade. We want to welcome everyone to join us in celebrating LGBT culture in Limerick and show Limerick for the truly open and accepting city that she is. It is set to build on the success and positive energy of previous years festivals, promoting community spirit, community engagement and celebration. This past year the Irish LGBT community has received resounding support from the wider Irish community in their support of equal rights and marriage equality so this will be reflected in this year’s Pride Parade. We will celebrate our freedom and the opportunity we have been given as a community to develop the concept of the family unit within our community.”

Jerry O’Dea, newly appointed Mayor of Metropolitan District of Limerick, showed his support for the LGBT movement at the launch, adding: “In previous years, people who have participated in Pride have felt that this annual event was their only time to be truly express themselves. Since the passing of the marriage referendum, Ireland’s LGBT population has been joined by the wider population in celebration.”

The Limerick Pride Festival 2015 will be taking place starting on Tues, July 14 with events each day until Sunday July 19 and will feature a multitude of events, from educational workshops and discussions to evenings of music and club nights, to cater to the Pride needs of everyone.

This year’s Pride will have an educational aspect. Workshops will be held during the week covering topics such as a Coming Out, Sexual Empowerment and social groups for people of all ages, orientations and genders. All will be welcome to the workshops regardless of their sexual orientation giving the people of Limerick City an opportunity to get to know the Limerick LGBT community more and everyone is encouraged to get involved.

For the first time ever, The Mr and Ms Gay Limerick competition on Sat, July 11 will be held before the Limerick Pride festival at the Best Western Pery Hotel at 9pm, hosted by Paul Ryder with Regina George taking to the decks once the winners have been crowned to entertain us with the best party music around. Tickets are priced at €10.

Limerick Pride’s official Launch night on Tues, July 14 will be in “Stroker’s Gay Bar” on William Street with champagne, finger food and dance floor musical treats.

The ‘Pride Wedding Show’, a wedding fair established in 2014 as part of Limerick Pride Festival, will take place on Wed July 15 at the Limerick Strand Hotel. Sharon McMeel, an award winning wedding planner, said about the fair: “We’ll have different suppliers and vendors there, so all couples regardless of their sexual orientation will have a good opportunity to get answers to their important questions if they are considering getting married. With the historic ‘Yes’ vote this year for the marriage referendum, we actually had many engagements on the day of the referendum. It’s great to be able to look out for all the people who have gotten newly engaged.”

The annual Pride Parade on Sat, July 18, bring some extra colour and music to Limerick City Centre, gathering at City Hall at 2pm, the Parade will make its way at 3pm up O’Connell Street, across Mallow Street to Henry Street, past Arthurs Quay Park and returning to the Potato Market for PrideFest 2015 – a showcase of LGBT Culture in Limerick that you will not want to miss!

This years Grand Marshall will be none other than Limerick legend, actor, director and playwright, Myles Breen. Myles has been a stanch advocate of LGBT rights for decades and in 2009 as part of Limerick Pride, staged his play “Language UnBecoming a Lady”, telling the story of one gay man’s life in Limerick and it left a profound effect on audiences in Limerick. Now as Myles is about to take the play to New York in Sept, it is fitting that he leads the community in their walk through the streets of Limerick celebrating their freedom and new-found equal rights. Myles said: “I am beyond honoured to be asked to be the Grand Marshall of this years Parade. Growing up in Limerick in the 70’s and 80’s, I never dreamed of one day leading a Parade through the streets of my beloved hometown in celebration of equal human rights for the LGBT community. It’s a dream come through and I feel my life has come full circle. I hope everyone comes out to help me celebrate!”

That night after Pridefest, the main “Climax Party” at Dolan’s Warehouse, will feature “Dragged Up” star Paul Ryder and guests Pixie Woo and Victoria Secret performing their colorful show full of energy and movement, followed by DJ Ruth on the main floor and a “Saved by the 90’s” party upstairs.

A full line-up for Pride week can be found at the Limerick Pride website, with updates on their Facebook and Twitter pages. Tag your photos and comments about this years Pride with #ExpressYourselfLimerick.

For media inquires email the Chair of Limerick Pride at [email protected]

For more information on Limerick Pride, click here

Check out the Limerick LGBTQ Facebook here

Check out the Limerick Pride Twitter here

To read more about Limerick Pride, click here

Category Archives: Youth

Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2019 Announces Winners

Irelands Young Filmmaker of the Year 2018 Senior Finals announces winners

Andy Lee welcomes St Francis Boxing Club extension

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