Jul 30

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

by richanthon in News 0 comments 2511 0

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.

Jun 26

Social Media Influencers support Lavery and Osborne: Observing Life exhibition at the Hunt Museum

by richanthon in News 0 comments 1653 0

Social Media Influencers support Lavery and Osborne: Observing Life exhibition at the Hunt Museum

https://www.facebook.com/ilovelimerick/videos/341471859879928/

Social media influencers in Limerick have come together to support the ‘Lavery and Osborne: Observing Life’ exhibition which runs at the Hunt Museum throughout the summer until Monday, September 30, by selecting their favourite piece of art from the collection.

Amongst the social influencers who were involved were Richard Lynch, Celia Holman Lee, Meghann Scully, Patrick McLoughney, Leanne Moore and Sinead O’Brien. The six social influencers split into pairs, with each pair selecting a piece of the Lavery and Osborne collection that they admired the most.

Members of the I Love Limerick team were on location at the Hunt Museum to film short promotional videos of the social media influencers speaking in detail about their favourite pieces of the exhibition and why everyone should make sure to visit the exhibition before it departs the museum on Monday, September 30.

Richard Lynch, founder of I Love Limerick, said, “I really wanted to get involved in supporting the exhibition at the Hunt. The Hunt Museum is the cultural gem of Limerick city and so I want everyone in Limerick to visit and support the exhibition, and more importantly the Hunt Museum.”

The ‘Lavery and Osborne: Observing Life’ exhibition features Irish artists, Sir John Lavery and Walter Frederick Osborne. Both born in the mid-nineteenth century, these renowned artists lived parallel lives as Irish painters who travelled overseas to develop their artistic talent. The exhibition places the two artists side by side for the first time. It is said that they never met, but both were offered knighthoods and both were subject to the same artistic influences including that of James McNeill Whistler.

A total of sixty-two pieces are being exhibited and the majority of them are from private collections travelling from the United Kingdom and the United States, with a few from other Irish galleries including the Crawford Art Gallery, Ulster Museum, and Limerick City Gallery of Art.

Pictured at the Hunt Museum visiting the Lavery and Osborne Exhibition are Naomi O’Nolan, Hunt Museum Head of Exhibitions and Collection, Jill Cousins, CEO Hunt Museum and Celia Holman Lee. Picture: Conor Owens/ilovelimerick.

Richard and Celia previously took part in a photoshoot project called VanGoYourself to promote the ‘Lavery and Osborne: Observing Life’ exhibition. They re-enacted Lavery’s painting, with Starsky, owned by Sinead Hutchison, ‘Stars in Sunlight,’ which depicts Maureen O’Sullivan and Loretta Young relaxing between scenes in Hollywood.

VanGoYourself is a European project which was co-founded by the European Commission to enable and promote the greater re-use by creative industries of cultural heritage resources.

VanGoYourself allows visitors to discover and enjoy art in a whole new way …Visitors to Exhibition can re-enact the painting for themselves. They can become the painting using their own visually creative take on the artist’s work. People visiting the exhibition can recreate an Osborne or Lavery painting, by taking a snap of their version of the painting, uploading it to VanGoYourself, which twins their image with the original artwork for sharing on social media, immortalising their artistic talent for all to see!

Meghann Scully, social media influencer and presenter, said, “This Lavery and Osborne exhibition is amazing and it’s only here until September 30, so whether you are around Limerick city or county, or even further afield, make sure to get here to the Hunt Museum and check it out, as this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Share your experience at the ‘Lavery and Osborne: Observing life’ exhibition on social media by using the hashtag #vangoyourself and tagging the @huntmuseum.

Tickets for the ‘Lavery and Osborne: Observing life’ exhibition can be purchased here.

For more stories on the Lavery and Osborne exhibition, go here.

For more information on the Hunt Museum, go here.

For more Richard Knows News, go here.

Apr 15

VTOS Open Day 2019 helps long-term unemployed return to full-time education

by richanthon in Community, Education, Learning, News 0 comments 1649 0

Pictured at the VTOS Limerick 2019 open day is style queen Celia Holman Lee along with artists from across Limerick. Picture: Conor Owens/ilovelimerick.

VTOS Open Day 2019 helps long-term unemployed return to full-time education

By ilovelimerick correspondent Chloe Reidy

The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme Limerick Open Day 2019 was a great success for Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board at the Further Education and Training Centre, Kilmallock Road Campus. The open day took place on Thursday, April 11, from 11 am to 2.30 pm and was part of the Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival 2019.

The open day was a big success, with visitors and prospective learners having the opportunity to visit information stands and hear about the courses on offer at the centre.

Patricia Kennedy, the coordinator of VTOS tells me, “The day was such a great opportunity for the public to visit and see what courses that we have on offer. We have brilliant facilities and the staff are wonderful, and dedicated to supporting the students.”

Events that took place on the day included the Portrait Artist Festival, The Irish Revolution 1919-1922 and ‘What is Social Enterprise?’.

Jayne Foley who teaches the Art, Craft, Design class said, ‘The Portrait Artist Festival gave students of the Art, Craft, Design class and members of the public an opportunity to create a portrait of Irish model, fashion stylist and television presenter, Celia Holman Lee. Celia was so much fun and so enthusiastic and kind to the artists. What a lady!”

Jayne Foley, Art Craft and Design course leader at @LMKCityVTOS speaks about the different areas in which you study within the course, from painting to digital photography. Jayne also spoke about the different opportunities available to the graduates. @LimClareETB #ilovelimerick pic.twitter.com/sPgKHlBKug

— #LimerickTilliDie (@ilovelimerick) April 15, 2019

Celia said of the event, ‘I’m delighted to have the opportunity to take part in such a wonderful event that encourages lifelong learning. I believe we never stop learning and should always strive to learn and grow to the best of our abilities, so to be able to contribute in this small way is a great privilege’.

The Irish Revolution 1919 – 1922 lecture was a discussion about the Civil War, in honour of its 100th anniversary held by historian Frank Noonan.

The last event ‘What is Social Enterprise?’, gave local social entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet one another and speak about how to make a positive social impact on our society.

Earlier that week, on Tuesday, April 9, VTOS Limerick held an Intercultural Day for others to experience the great diversity of cultures at the Kilmallock Road Campus, with global food stands, tribal drumming and plenty of music on offer.

The VTOS Open Day 2019 was a chance for the Further Education and Training Centre to show to the public what courses they have on offer. The centre offers both the Junior and Leaving Certificates, with nine subjects to choose from for the Leaving Certificate, which is studied over the course of one year, instead of typically two. Other courses on offer, are Career Pathways, English for Work, Retail Sales, Healthcare Support, Office Administration, all ranging from QQI Major Award Levels 3-5.

We spoke to English for Work Teacher, Alison McNamara at @LMKCityVTOS on the Kilmallock Road for their open day as part of the Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival #lovelimerick #ilovelimerick pic.twitter.com/vxFf8n8B6R

— #LimerickTilliDie (@ilovelimerick) April 11, 2019

VTOS is designed to help long-term unemployed return to full-time education without losing their social welfare benefits. VTOS will help participants make the transition back into paid employment or back to further education and eventually leading to paid employment. Participants will make new friends; acquire valuable education qualifications in an adult friendly environment.

The centre also provides many other benefits, which include, books and equipment being supplied, assistance with the cost of childcare/creche, examination fees paid for, free parking on campus, state of the art facilities and meal and travel allowance, including a direct bus to the city centre.

The Lifelong Learning Festival ran from April 8 -14 and is the culmination of work by various partners in promoting learning for all ages throughout the Limerick region in what is promised to be a week of fun and engaging activities, which are free and open to everyone.

For more information on VTOS Limerick, go here.

For more stories on VTOS Limerick, go here.

Jun 05

Irelands Great Get Together – Celia Holman Lee and Limerick Digital Influencers support Focus Ireland

by richanthon in Charity, Events, Fashion, News 0 comments 2959 0

Celia Holman Lee and Focus Ireland have recruited Limerick’s top digital influencers in support of Irelands Great Get Together. Pictured at the Shannon Rowing Club in Limerick, from left to right – Lousie Cooney, Patrick McLoughney, Shauna Lindsay, Celia Holman Lee, Sinead O’Brien, Leanne Moore and Richard Lynch (front centre). Picture: Dermot Culhane.

Irelands Great Get Together – Celia Holman Lee and Limerick Digital Influencers support Focus Ireland

Nearly 9000 people in Ireland are now homeless and over 3000 of these are children. Focus Ireland with support from Bord Gais Energy, is calling on people all over Ireland to take part in ‘Ireland’s Great Get Together’ this April 20 – 22^nd, to raise vital funds to help prevent family homelessness.

Celia Holman Lee responded to the call and with the help of her friend Richard Lynch of I Love Limerick got Limerick’s top digital influencers together for a photo shoot with award-winning photographer Dermot Culhane in Limerick’s Shannon Rowing Club in support of the campaign. The group also shot a Public Service Announcement asking the public to get involved in the campaign. The digital influencers involved in the campaign with Celia were Leanne Moore, Louise Cooney, Shauna Lindsay, Patrick McLoughney, Richard Lynch and Sinead O’Brien of Sinead’s Curvy Style.

Speaking at her Get Together Celia said, “I’m delighted to support Irelands Great Get Together for Focus Ireland. I sadly see the heartbreaking impact of homelessness all around me in Limerick every day and it’s a cause that is very close to my heart. I come from a large family and I would hate to think of any of them feeling alone or worried about losing their home. Irelands Great Get Together is all about Home, Family, Friends and Community all of which I strongly believe in and which are key to us all. It’s about bringing people together to help prevent families in your neighbourhood from becoming homeless. It’s a great cause and I urge everyone to get involved”.

Speaking about Celia’s involvement in the campaign Rebecca Reynolds, National Fundraising Initiatives Manager said “Celia is an ambassador of Focus Ireland and we are thrilled to have her support and the support of six of Limericks top Fashion and Digital Influencers whom she invited to take part in her Great Get Together. They have a collective following of over 250,000 people on Instagram alone, so if that isn’t a Great Get together I don’t know what is! They are all fantastic to lend their support and time voluntarily to Focus Irelands first Great Get Together campaign to help us spread the word. We hope that lots of their fans follow their lead and have their own Get Together. It doesn’t matter how big or how small”.

Celia is now calling on you to support Focus Ireland and host a Get Together of your own. Why not host a fun fashion Get Together with friends swapping clothes, accessories and styling hints and tips! Or have a best-dressed competition at work or your local club!! Whatever you do is up to you – as long as you bring people together to do something you love while helping to raise funds for Focus Ireland’s work to combat and prevent homelessness. #gettogether #focusireland #bordgaisenergy

For more information and to register go here.

For more stories on Focus Ireland, go here.

Jun 05

Celia Holman Lee styles shoot to promote Focus Ireland Beloved shops

by richanthon in Awareness, Charity, Fashion, News 0 comments 2742 0

Celia volunteered her time to style a fashion photo shoot to promote Focus Ireland Beloved charity shops. Celia pictured here with Richard Lynch and the crew from I Love Limerick, the team from Focus Ireland and models from the Holman Lee Agency. Picture: Michael O’Sullivan/OSM Photo.

Celia Holman Lee styles shoot to promote Focus Ireland Beloved shops

Limerick’s Celia Holman Lee has given her backing to the fight against homelessness with the news that she has been unveiled as an ambassador for Focus Ireland.

The well-known model, fashion stylist and television presenter is supporting the Focus Ireland efforts locally in Limerick, and nationally, as the homelessness crisis worsens.

Recently Celia volunteered her time to style a fashion photo shoot to promote the Focus Ireland Beloved charity shops. The shoot was produced with the help of Richard Lynch and his crew from I Love Limerick and took place at the Georgian House building and the Peoples Park in Limerick city. Luke Culhane, Limericks current Limerick Person of the Year and Aisling O’Connor filmed the day’s events. Limerick ladies Lousie Griffin and Mary Joyce donated their time to do the makeup and the hair and Michael O’Sullivan from Cork who regularly works with Focus Ireland was the photographer for the shoot. Models were provided by the Holman Lee Agency.

Focus Ireland Beloved shops help Focus Ireland to raise funds to create safe, secure homes for homeless people all over Ireland.

These quaint little shops have four locations in Ireland and are the talk of the town. The quirky boutiques specialise in quality fashion and gifts for women and children.

Beloved stocks new and gently worn clothing donated by designers, retailers, and private donors. You’ll even find many clothes with the labels still on. Examples of stock include items from designers Fendi and Dolce & Gabbana as well as high street shops Karen Millen, Zara, Cos, and Oasis. The stores also stock homeware, gifts, calendars and iPhone covers.

All the money raised through the stores goes directly towards Focus Ireland’s fight against homelessness.

Celia pictured styling a model from the Holman Lee Agency for the Focus Ireland Beloved charity shops photo shoot. Picture: Michael O’Sullivan/OSM Photo.

Next year, 2018 will mark twenty years of Focus Ireland service provision in Limerick City and County, and now more than ever Celia is urging local people to get behind the efforts.

Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee said, “I am so honoured to become an ambassador for Focus Ireland as thanks to them there is a clear end in sight for the trauma of homelessness that Irish families are currently going through each day.

“It breaks my heart to see that the number of homeless children has continued to rise and to be given an opportunity to shine a light on this crisis is something that I feel very passionate about.

“I am a mother and a grandmother and my family means more to me than anything else in the world.”

She added: “We have to protect these families and ensure that all children in this country feel safe and secure.”

The impact, which Focus Ireland has made on the people of Limerick, was borne out by a recent study, which outlined the difference a youth housing project made in the city.

It changed the lives of young people who were homeless or at risk, and the project has been so successful that leading international experts believe it should be introduced nationally.

Shockingly 1 in 3 now experiencing homelessness is a child and the situation is getting worse all the time. There are now over 2500 children living in emergency accommodation in Ireland. Homelessness is a frightening and shocking experience for anyone, and for a child, even a short period of being out of home can have a long-term and far-reaching impact on their life.

Focus Ireland’s Limerick Manager Ger Spillane has witnessed first-hand the impact of the soaring cost of rent coupled with a shortage of supply, locally.

Mr. Spillane said: “Focus Ireland knows through our work that seeking advice and information as early as possible can really help to prevent people from losing their home.

To have someone as committed and high-profile as Celia Holman Lee supporting our efforts means a lot in terms of raising awareness of the issues, and helping us to fund our services.”

Mr. Spillane said: “Our frontline staff here are still dealing with people who have become homeless from the rental sector as rents have been hiked up and they can’t afford them.

There needs to a much wider range of Government actions taken to keep protect tenants and keep them in their homes.”

The charity said the Government really has to kick-start the building of homes and follow through on delivering a more secure private rented sector if Ireland is to end the deepening crisis in the rental housing and homelessness areas.

Ger Spillane added: “Having Celia on board helps Focus Ireland to raise vital funds and awareness of the fact that the housing crisis is continuing to deepen.”

He concluded: “An average of 80 families has become homeless every month so far this year, compared with 60 a month last year. The crisis is worsening.”

Focus Ireland said it aims to play its own key role in overcoming the crisis – for people who are homeless or at risk as the charity aims to double its housing stock over the next four years. The charity currently provides homes for over 600 households around the country who were previously homeless or at risk.

To find out more about the Focus Ireland Beloved Shops and where they are located click here

To read more of our stories on Celia Holman Lee’s involvement with Focus Ireland click here and here

To read more Focus Ireland stories go here

To find out more about Focus Ireland click here

Oct 24

Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee Joins the Fight Against Homelessness

by richanthon in News 0 comments 3054 0

Pictured at the Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee video promo shoot from left to right – Rebecca Reynolds, Focus Ireland, Richard Lynch and Aisling O’Connor, I Love Limerick, Celia Holman Lee, Focus Ireland Ambassador, Claire Culhane, Luke Culhane, Limerick Person of the Year and Mick O’Connor, Focus Ireland. Picture: Michael O’Sullivan.

Celia Holman Lee Fights Homelessness with Focus Ireland

Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee joins the fight against Homelessness

Limerick’s Celia Holman Lee has given her backing to the fight against homelessness with the news that she has been unveiled as an ambassador for Focus Ireland.

The well-known model, fashion stylist and television presenter is supporting the Focus Ireland efforts locally in Limerick, and nationally, as the homelessness crisis worsens.

Next year, 2018 will mark twenty years of Focus Ireland service provision in Limerick City and County, and now more than ever Celia is urging local people to get behind the efforts.

Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee said: “I am so honoured to become an ambassador for Focus Ireland as thanks to them there is a clear end in sight for the trauma of homelessness that Irish families are currently going through each day.

“It breaks my heart to see that the number of homeless children has continued to rise and to be given an opportunity to shine a light on this crisis is something that I feel very passionate about.

“I am a mother and a grandmother and my family means more to me than anything else in the world.”

She added: “We have to protect these families and ensure that all children in this country feel safe and secure.”

The impact which Focus Ireland has made on the people of Limerick was borne out by a recent study which outlined the difference a youth housing project made in the city.

It changed the lives of young people who were homeless or at risk, and the project has been so successful that leading international experts believe it should be introduced nationally.

Despite the best efforts of many, Limerick is one of the most economically disadvantaged cities in Ireland.

Recent evidence suggests that its position has declined further relative to other cities since the recession.

Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee

Celia Holman Lee, Focus Ireland Ambassador, Richard Lynch, I Love Limerick and Rebecca Reynolds, Focus Ireland. Picture: Michael O’Sullivan.

This environment has, in turn, increased the difficulties faces by many of those Focus Ireland assists in seeking housing, employment and other supports.Focus Ireland’s Limerick Manager Ger Spillane has witnessed first-hand the impact of the soaring cost of rent coupled with a shortage of supply, locally.

Mr Spillane said: “Focus Ireland knows through our work that seeking advice and information as early as possible can really help to prevent people from losing their home.”

“To have someone as committed and high-profile as Celia Holman Lee supporting our efforts means a lot in terms of raising awareness of the issues, and helping us to fund our services.”

Mr Spillane said: “Our frontline staff here are still dealing with people who have become homeless from the rental sector as rents have been hiked up and they can’t afford them.

“There needs to a much wider range of Government actions taken to keep protect tenants and keep them in their homes.”

Ger Spillane added: “Having Celia on board helps Focus Ireland to raise vital funds and awareness of the fact that the housing crisis is continuing to deepen.”

He concluded: “An average of 80 families has become homeless every month so far this year, compared with 60 a month last year. The crisis is worsening.”

Focus Ireland said it aims to play its own key role in overcoming the crisis – for people who are homeless or at risk- as the charity aims to double its housing stock over the next four years.

The charity currently provides homes for over 600 households around the country who were previously homeless or at risk.

To visit the official website for Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee click here

To visit the official website for Focus Ireland click here

To read more Focus Ireland stories on I Love Limerick click here

Sep 28

Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee Joins the Fight Against Homelessness

by richanthon in Community, Inspirational, News 0 comments 2730 0

Celia Holman Lee Fights Homelessness with Focus Ireland

Focus Ireland Ambassador Celia Holman Lee joins the fight against Homelessness

By I Love Limerick Correspondent Jordan Mac Cormaic