Jun 05

Gold Medal for Adare in this year’s Limerick Going for Gold 2017

by richanthon in Award, Community, News 0 comments 2264 0

Gold Medal for Adare in this year’s Limerick Going for Gold 2017 – Adare was awarded the top prize of €10,000, with €7,000 and €5,000 being presented to Abbeyfeale (2nd) and South Limerick City (3rd) respectively.

Gold Medal for Adare in this year’s Adare Limerick Going for Gold 2017

By I Love Limerick Correspondent Jordan Mac Cormaic

There were jubilant celebrations in The Strand Hotel, Limerick last night as Adare claimed the top prize in Limerick Going for Gold 2017.

Limerick Going for Gold 2017, which is sponsored by the JP McManus Charitable Foundation, has a total prize pool of over €75,000.

It is organised by Limerick City and County Council and supported by Limerick’s Live 95FM, The Limerick Leader and The Limerick Chronicle, The Limerick Post, Parkway Shopping Centre, I Love Limerick and Southern Marketing Media & Design.

A total of twelve communities made the final of the Limerick Going for Gold Challenge Category before the winners were announced at the grand finale, attended by hundreds of people from communities across Limerick city and county.

Prizes were also awarded in six other Going for Gold categories.

Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr Stephen Keary congratulated the participating communities for helping to ensure that Limerick Going for Gold 2017 continued to be a tremendous success.

“Limerick Going for Gold’s mission is to make Limerick a brighter, better, cleaner place to live, work and visit and every community who participated in this year’s event must be congratulated on the amazing job you have done once again.”

“It never ceases to amaze me how a shared sense of community spirit among people can help to transform an area. It is clear that Going for Gold has also helped to complement, consolidate and add value to the council’s involvement and engagement with the broader community sector in Limerick.”

The Challenge Category final was made up of 12 groups from across Limerick.

Finalists were chosen by popular vote on Limerick’s Live 95FM over a five-week period.

The popular vote finalists were Athea, Castleconnell, Galbally, Hospital and Oola. They were joined by wildcard finalists Abbeyfeale, Adare, Croom, Foynes, Kilfinane, Moyross, South Limerick City who were selected by the Limerick Going for Gold Judges Richard Barry (Tidy Towns Chair Tallanstown Co Louth) and Jimmy Feane (retired Director of Service, Limerick City and County Council).

Adare was awarded the top prize of €10,000, with €7,000 and €5,000 being presented to Abbeyfeale (2nd) and South Limerick City (3rd) respectively.

The other placed finalists were Oola and Croom (4th – €3,000/ 5th – €2,000).

The remaining groups were commended and received €1,000 each.

Head of the Adare Limerick Going for Gold 2017 team George Stack said of the win: “This means everything to everyone in Adare, it’s something that everyone in the community has helped with in various ways.”

He continued: “I’m so pleased for all of the marvellous people that have given their time and effort to keep Adare in tip-top shape.”

Going for Gold 2017 Limerick in Bloom was won by Kilteely (€5,000) with runners-up Patrickswell getting €3,000. In third place was Croagh (€2,000).

The following groups were highly commended and each received an award of €1000 – Ardpatrick, Athea, Broadford, Bruff, Caherconlish, Galbally, Kilmallock, and Newcastle West.

Prizes were also awarded to Tidy Towns groups based on their Tidy Towns score.

The Overall most improved across Limerick was Kilcornan (€2,000).

The Overall most improved in each Municipal District will be awarded €1,000 each and they were Abbeyfeale, Glenroe, Gouldavoher and Rathkeale.

The overall winner of the Residential Area Category (€2,000) was presented to Caherdavin with Monaleeen Park in 2nd place (€1,500) and Cappamore Estates in 3rd place (€1,000).

The following areas received highly commended (€500) – Mill Road, Croom Estates, Grange, Glenbrook, Glendale & Glendale Lawn, Castletroy View, Gouldavoher, Carraballawn, Carriglea, Drominbeg, Slugaire, Woodlawn, Verdant, Carriglea.

The Grange in Raheen received the award for Best Newcomer (€500).

Endeavour Awards of between €500 and €1,000 were presented Limerick Fairtrade Committee, Limerick Youth Service Centre, Southill Tidy Towns Group and Westfields Wetlands to encourage and/ or support ongoing work on the environment.

In recognition of National Reuse Month the Limerick Going for Gold Reuse Award went to the UL Environmental Committee for their repair and repurpose initiative of on-campus laptops, macs and smartphones, and to Our Lady of Lourdes for their Food Waste Prevention Project.

The Garden Competition Category was sponsored by the Parkway Shopping Centre and featured a prize fund of €1,000 in shopping vouchers.

Roger Beck from the Parkway Shopping Centre presented prizes to John and Ita Carroll, Castlemahon (1st), Frank Costelloe, Askeaton (2nd) and Robert O’Byrne, Kennedy Park (3rd).

In a new departure for 2017, the Limerick Going for Gold judges awarded a Judges’ Award trophy to The Bake House, Bruff, Tait House, Southill, Leen’s Hotel, Abbeyfeale, The Bridges in Croom and the Stryker Roundabout, Raheen.

The #Loveyourlimerick Photographic Competition was won by John McCarthy, for his depiction of a day in the life of Kilteely and Fiona Quinn for capturing a moment many of us will have seen along the quays in Limerick city.

Speaking at the event Noel Earlie from the JP McManus Charitable Foundation said: “It was considered important that recognition be given to community groups, in whatever form they take, for their contribution to the environment. They’re role models for all of us, leading by example. Congratulations to all the communities involved. Your efforts are paying off.”

To visit the official website for Limerick Going for Gold click here

To read more Going for Gold stories on I Love Limerick click here

Jan 19

Limerick Chronicle Column 16 January 2018

by richanthon in Chronicle Column 0 comments 2565 0

See What’s Happening in the Latest

I Love Limerick Chronicle Column

You can view the article by clicking on the preview.

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Nov 30

PHOTOS: Spar Panto Beauty and the Beast launched at King Johns Castle

by richanthon in News 0 comments 3265 0

The Spar Panto Beauty and the Beast cast in full costume for the launch of the show in King John’s Castle. Picture: Sean Curtin / True Media.

The star-studded cast of the SPAR Panto Beauty and the Beast, were out in force today to launch this year’s show which runs at University Concert Hall, Limerick from December 19. Set against the stunning backdrop of King John’s Castle in Limerick’s Mediaeval Quarter the fairytale cast, in full costume, looked very much at home.

Limerick comedian Karl Spain, most recently seen in RTÉ’s Celebrity Operation Transformation, joined other newcomers to this year’s panto at University Concert Hall -Aoibhin Garrihy and Tom O’Mahony – together with the host of long serving familiar faces which already include RTÉ’s George McMahon, Richie Hayes and Leanne Moore.

Hailed as “achingly funny” (The Sunday Times) Karl is a regular performer at Kilkenny Cat Laughs, the Galway Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has performed in Australia, the US and South Africa and has toured with Kevin Bridges and Ed Byrne. Aoibhin Garrihy became well known to Irish audiences as Neasa Dillon on Fair City and Lyndsey Conklin in BBC’s The Fall with Jamie Dornan. She recently appeared on stage at University Concert Hall in the sellout performance of Landmark Production’s Ross O’Carroll-Kelly’s play Breaking Dad. Ex-MMA fighter turned comedian Tom O’Mahony starred alongside the legendary Rik Mayall in RTE’s record-breaking hit comedy Damo & Ivor as the intolerable toff, Tarquin. He has since been a regular on Irish TV shows including Republic of Telly and Irish Pictorial Weekly.

The rest of the much loved UCH Panto gang are also back for what will be a completely hilarious take on this tale that is as old as time! Fair City’s George McMahon will play the selfie-obsessed Gaston, who professes to love the beautiful Bell, played by Leanne Moore, almost (but not quite!) as much as he loves himself! Richie Hayes will make sure the fun factor is high, playing Gaston’s loveable side kick Gascraic.

West End star, John Brannoch returns to his native Limerick to take on the role of the Beast. John has recently starred as Rudolpho in Matilda the Musical and is currently touring New Zealand in Pricilla. Dame Myles Breen returns for what will be his 20^th consecutive year starring in a Panto, with hilarious Ilovelimerick.com founder Richard Lynch becoming Montyesque as he asks Belle to Say Yes to The Dress!

The SPAR Panto, Beauty and the Beast, at University Concert Hall is now on sale with all seven school shows already sold out and limited availability on some performances in the general run.

There will be a Sensory Friendly performance on Friday 6^th January at 2pm. This show will be a little brighter and a little quieter, without any sudden, loud noises. There will also be plenty of room for audiences to move around and get comfortable, all of which will make it more accessible to some families.

SPAR, one of Ireland’s largest convenience retail groups, announced its title sponsorship of the 2016 University Concert Hall, Limerick Panto in August of this year. Representatives from all ten of the local stores involved were on hand to celebrate today’s launch. A SPAR “Hut”, set up in the courtyard of King John’s, provided the perfect pit stop for Gaston and Co. to refuel on their way to free Belle from “the Beast’s” imposing Castle.

Speaking at the launch, Colin Donnelly, SPAR Sales Director said “SPAR is delighted to be the title sponsor of the 2016 University Concert Hall, Limerick Panto. SPAR stores are at the heart of Irish communities and events such as the UCH panto breathe life into local communities. This year the pantomime is expected to be one of the biggest and best yet. We wish everyone involved the best of luck.”

Director of University Concert Hall, Sinead Hope, welcomed invited guests to King John’s Castle for the launch saying “SPAR are the first title sponsors of our panto and I think it speaks volumes for how far we have come in the past 4 years – to be here, launching our 5^th production, and to have one of Ireland’s largest convenience retail groups joining forces with us. From starting as an unknown entity 4 years ago, we have since sold over 80,000 tickets and the Panto at University Concert Hall is now a “Must See” Christmas show and a guaranteed fantastic family day out!”

The Spar Panto Beauty and the Beast will be running from Monday December 19 until Sunday January 8.

Tickets for the Spar Panto Beauty and the Beast will be from €17.50 Matinee and Evening Shows

For more information visit www.uch.ie or call their box office 061 331 549

For more stories on the Spar Panto Beauty and the Beast click here

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Photos: Cian Reinhardt / ilovelimerick

Nov 25

PHOTOS – Garda Divisional Youth Awards 2016 in Woodlands Hotel

by richanthon in News, Old Posts 0 comments 3348 0

(Back row) Grace, Culhan, Claire Culhane, Richard Lynch, Dermot, Culhane and Luke Culhane, Create No Hate and winner of Garda Divisional Youth Award. (Front row) Super Intendant Dave Sheahan and Super Intendant Derek Smart. Picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick

Youths throughout a number of Limerick communities were praised this week at the third annual Garda Divisional Youth Awards 2016.

Limerick Gardaí, in association with Garvey’s Supervalu and Centra, presented the awards at the Woodlands Hotel in Adare, celebrating young people for the positive contributions they have made to their families, schools and communities.

Chief Superintendent David Sheahan commended the Garda Divisional Youth Awards 2016 winners, praised the work and effort made by the families of winners and called on recipients to “continue to innovate and make a difference” in their communities.

Limerick City and County Mayor Kieran O’Hanlon attended the Garda Divisional Youth Awards 2016 in a show of support, praising the “tireless work to help their communities and helping others.”

Among the winners was Luke Culhane, a second year student at Castletroy college. In February 2016, having been cyber bullied he made a video called Create No Hate to show how it feels to have been cyber bullied and to explain to people that there are many things you can do to stop and prevent it. Thinking that if he could help one person he would achieve something, little did he know that the video would go viral and it now has over 5 million views worldwide. As a result, Luke has appeared on many international TV stations and radio channels and most recently has offered his advice via skype to students in a school in Cape Town, South Africa. By his actions, Luke has shown how to deal with cyber bullies, not to let them dominate your life but to stand up, speak out and challenge them. Speaking to I Love Limerick after he received his award, Luke Culhane said: “I got loads of recognition all over the world, but it is especially nice to receive recognition from my home county Limerick.”

Another recipient included the Express Yourself Mental Health group from Limerick Youth Service, which played a big part in Limerick’s Mental Health Week. The group is based in the Northside Youthspace in Ballynanty and consists of young people between the ages of 17 and 19. Led by Siobhan Wilmott, they are raising awareness about youth mental health and promoting positive mental health attitudes among young people. The group has made presentations at an EU summit in Amsterdam and have engaged in debates with local politicians to ensure that this very important subject is raised at the highest levels in the Dail. They have organised events for young people during mental health week and were successful in securing funding for Limerick Youth Service to provide staff for a mental health team. They continue to volunteer their time to many community events around mental health and are making a valuable contribution highlighting awareness and educating people on how to deal with it in a positive manner.

Among the other recipients of the Garda Divisional Youth Awards 2016 were the Crescent Comprehensive TY Students 2016, Sarah Duggan, Coláiste Chiárain Ambassadors of Strength in Adversity Group, Áine O’Connor, Luke, Phillip and Jake Kinsella, Cian O’Grady and Lee Quinn.

Crescent Comprehensive TY Students

Hugh Conlon, Adam Earlie, Kevin Le Gear, James Mullins and Luke Reilly completed transition year in May of this year. During that time, they had done some volunteering work in Milford Hospice and St. Camillus Hospital. However, during the summer, on their own initiative, they decided to embark on an epic journey by cycling all the way from Malin Head to Mizen Head to raise funds for Milford Hospice. They trained diligently every week, cycling from Limerick to Nenagh and back to prepare themselves for the 800km trip. It took the boys eleven days to complete the trip from Donegal to Cork raising over €1,700 for Milford Hospice. Rather than taking it easy during the summer these young men took on and succeeded in a challenge that resulted in a major contribution to a charity that hugely supports the local community.

Sarah Duggan

Sarah from Mungret, Co. Limerick is a student in Colaiste Mhuire in Askeaton. For the past five year’s she has been a central figure in the raising of funds for her local GAA club, Mungret St Pauls. Every week without fail she has sold lottery tickets in her area and to date has individually raised over €12,000 which helps to support the juvenile section of the club. When not involved with her club, she has found the time to volunteer in a local charity shop in Limerick, raised funds for MS and also helped out the Limerick Panto Society. A recipient of a Bronze Gaisce award, whenever Sarah is involved in a task she will always be enthusiastic, energetic and committed.

Coláiste Chiárain Ambassadors of Strength in Adversity Group

On arriving in Ireland, Hassatou Diallo from Guinea, Merveille Mangidi Ntoya and Moise Kahu-su from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Isaac Wairimu from Kenya, were each faced with common challenges such as learning a new language and adapting and integrating into a new culture. These student ambassadors despite personal sacrifices continue to overcome adversity through their resilience, strength of character, positivity and determination. Showing a true dedication to their academic attainment they also excel in the fields of sport, music and the arts. Through education they aim to realize their full potential and embrace the many opportunities which await them in their very bright futures. They are all ambassadors of ‘Strength in Adversity’. Each of these students, fully reflect the spirit, ethos and vision that is encapsulated in the Coláiste Chiaráin school motto, “Ad agusta per angusta” (Achievement through effort).

Áine O’Connor

Áine from Lisnagry, Co. Limerick is a student in Castletroy College. This year Áine began a fundraising campaign in aid of the Irish Cancer Society, a cause very dear to Áines heart. As part of this campaign she raised €400 in sponsorship and cut off 10 inches of her hair so that wigs could be made for people suffering from cancer. She is currently an active member of the St John’s 3/14 Scouts in Limerick, holding numerous badges in many different disciplines and is a leader with the cubs and beavers. A young person with a great sense of community spirit and willingness to help others, Áine is also in the process of completeing a short film called ‘Don’t Tell Mom’ which she hopes to enter in next year’s Fresh Film Festival.

Luke, Phillip and Jake Kinsella

In December 2015, the Springfield, Clonlara area of County Clare was devastated by flooding. The Kinsella’s home was amoung the houses in danger. As Mike Kinsella, had passed away in 202 it fell to his sons Luke, Phillip and Jake to help their mother Bridget engage in a course of action to save their home. For the next eight weeks, the boys worked day and night manning pumps and monitoring sandbags to ensure that the water did not break through. They faced many obstacles during the ordeal, taking it in turns to stay up all night manning their station. Despite Phillip suffering an asthma attack which resulted in a visit to the hospital, he was back helping the family the following day. Eventually in late January 16, the flooding subsided without breaking through the barriers. The boys then had to return to their studies they all obtained excellent results. The family wish to acknowledge the support of Mike’s parents, Mike and Mona and the help of their neighbours and friends, members of the civil defence, army and fire brigade, Clare County Council and the Gardai during their ordeal. Luke, Phillip and Jake Kinsella faced many challenges during that time. They overcame them with a display of immense dedication, strength and perseverance and their actions are an inspiration to everyone.

Cian O’Grady

Cian is from Herbertstown in Co. Limerick and is currently a student in Waterford IT. His commitment to community work knows no bounds. He has volunteered with St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen in Limerick City, raised funds for Mid West Simon community, helps in the local nursing home and assists his local soccer club raising funds and coaching the younger players. Whenever an event takes place in his community Cian is involved. He has organised family fun days in Herbertstown and is a volunteer waiter at the local monthly parochial dinners for the elderly. Cian has already been recognised for his community work as he was the Irish winner of the Pramerica Spirit of Community Award in March 2016.

Lee Quinn

Lee from Moyross, Limerick City is a man on a mission. Having faced several personal challenges in his earlier years, Lee accepted support from a number of key agencies in the area. Two years ago, having finished his education he applied for the Trainee Jockey programme with RACE (Racing Academy and Centre of Education) in Kildare but was not successful. Such was his determination to get a place on this world renowned programme that Lee put in a year of effort working on his fitness, personal development and gaining work experience in Jim Bolger’s yard and in Leopardstown Racecourse. He reapplied for the course in 2016 and was successful in securing a place and is now three months into this very challenging but rewarding programme. He is a young man that is clear about his goals and has shown that hard work, perseverance and determination can bring its rewards.

Read more about the Garda Divisional Youth Awards 2016 here.

To read more about previous years of the Garda Divisional Youth Awards from I love Limerick click here.

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Garda Divisional Youth Awards 2016. Photos: Cian Reinhardt / ilovelimerick

Oct 14

Limerick Going for Gold 2016 winner is Glin!

by richanthon in News, Old Posts 0 comments 3043 0

Limerick Going for Gold 2016 winner is Glin!

The West of Limerick is awake and celebrating after Glin was announced as overall winner of Limerick Going for Gold 2016.

There were jubilant celebrations in The Strand Hotel this evening (Tuesday 11 October) as the residents of the village claimed the top prize.

Richard Lynch of ILoveLimerick.com hosted the event and said,”I am honoured to be involved with this initiative for the past 5 years. It is my favourite event of the year!”

Limerick Going for Gold’s mission is to make Limerick a brighter, better, cleaner place to live, work and visit. Limerick Going for Gold 2016 winner

The competition fosters and nurtures community spirit and it’s plain to see in every town, village and estate that it’s flourishing.

A total of twelve communities made the final of the Limerick Going for Gold Challenge Category. Limerick Going for Gold 2016 has a prize pool of over €76,000, courtesy of the JP McManus Charitable Foundation.

Prizes were also awarded in five other Going for Gold categories, including Limerick in Bloom, Best Estate/ Residential Area and Endeavour Award.

Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon congratulated the participating communities: “It’s through the hard work and the commitment of the local communities that ensures that Limerick Going for Gold continues to be a tremendous success. Who would have thought that the competition, which began in 2010, would have grown so much and captured the imagination of everyone, and become the success that it is.”

“I would like to that Limerick City and County Council and the JP McManus Charitable Foundation for organising the initiative, as well as the event supporters and sponsors including Limerick’s Live 95FM, The Limerick Leader and The Limerick Chronicle, The Limerick Post, Parkway Shopping Centre, I Love Limerick and Southern Marketing Media and Design.”

“Going for Gold’s mission is to make Limerick a brighter, better, cleaner place to live, work and visit and every community who participated in this campaign, as well as the event sponsors and supporters continue to contribute to that mission,” added Mayor O’Hanlon.

The Challenge Category final was made up of 12 groups from Limerick city and county who were decided by a combination of local judging and results from the national Tidy Towns Competition.

Finalists were chosen by popular vote on Live 95FM over a five-week period. The finalists were Hospital, Kilteely, Murroe, Newcastle West and Patrickswell.

They were joined by seven wildcards – Adare Bruff, Croom, Feenagh, Glin, Moyross, and Rathkeale – which were selected by the Limerick Going for Gold judging panel of David Hurley (reporter with The Limerick Leader), Nick Condon (Tidy Towns Adjudicator) and Gerry Behan (retired Director of Service, Limerick County Council).

Following visits to each of the locations and lengthy discussions between the judges, this year’s Limerick Going for Gold 2016 winner is Glin.

They receive the top prize of €10,000, with Kilteely receiving €7,000 for second and Adare getting €5,000 for third.

All finalists receive prizes to help them continue their good work.

Going for Gold 2016 Limerick in Bloom Category’s Overall winner was Ardpatrick (€5,000) with Strand in runners-up position (€3,000).

Prizes were also awarded to Tidy Towns groups based on their Tidy Towns score.

Rockhill received €3,000 for being the Most Improved Tidy Towns group.

Glenbrook Glendale Glendale Lawn scooped the €2,000 first prize in the Estates/ Residential Area category.

Endeavour Awards of €1,000 each to encourage and/or support ongoing work on the environment were presented to Limerick Youth Service Centre, Back2New Upcycling, Newcastle West and PALLs, Probation and Linkage in Limerick Scheme Dock and the Adapt Shop on Sarsfield Street for their joint Upcycling Initiative.

The Garden Competition Category was sponsored by the Parkway Shopping Centre and featured a prize fund of €1,000 in shopping vouchers. Roger Beck from the Parkway Shopping Centre presented the top prize to Mrs Nellie Barrett, Ballintubber, Newcastle West.

Speaking at the ceremony, Gerry Boland of the JP McManus Charitable Foundation said: “Individuals, Tidy Towns Groups and Residents’ Associations from across Limerick city and county have once again come out in numbers to support this initiative. One hundred and forty four groups participated this year and your participation and the voluntary work that you are doing creates a real sense of community in your local areas.

Gordon Daly, Director of Service Operations with Limerick City and County Council said: “Going for Gold is one of the premier community awards in the country and that is down to the supporters and sponsors of the competition, the generosity of the JP McManus Charitable Foundation, and, in particular, the hard work and dedication of the large number of volunteers across our communities in Limerick. We are delighted that this annual event affords the opportunity to recognise the contribution they make to enhancing the quality of life in Limerick.”

List of Categories, winners and awards:

Going for Gold Challenge
1st Place          €10,000           Glin
2nd Place        €7,000             Kilteely
3rd Place         €5,000             Adare
4th Place         €3,000             Patrickswell
5th Place         €2,000             Newcastle West

Finalists (each receive €1,000)
Bruff
Croom
Feenagh
Hospital
Rathkeale
Moyross
Murroe
Limerick in Bloom
1st Place          €5,000             Ardpatrick
2nd Place        €3,000             Strand
3rd Place         €2,000             Knockainey

Highly commended (each receive €1,000)
Annacotty
Athea
Galbally
Doon
South Limerick City and
Foynes

Garden Competition (trophies and vouchers from Parkway Shopping Centre)
1^st place                       Mrs Nellie Barrett, Ballintubber, Newcastle West
2^nd Place                      Christine Ronan, Pallasgreen
3^rd Place                      Gerry Ryan, Rosbrien

Endeavour Awards (€1,000 for each organisation listed)
Limerick Youth Service Centre
Back2New Upcycling, Newcastle West
PALLs, Probation and Linkage in Limerick Scheme Dock and the Adapt Shop on Sarsfield Street for their joint Upcycling Initiative

Tidy Towns Incentive
Highest scores across the following categories (€1,000 each)
Tidiness and Litter Control                 Castleconnell
Sustainable Waste Management       Kilmallock
Wildlife & Natural Amenities             Broadford and Mountcollins
Landscaping and Open Spaces           Ardpatrick and Adare
Most Improved in each Municipal District (€1,500 Each)
Limerick Metro                       Gouldavoher
Adare/ Rathkeale                    Rathkeale
Newcastle West                      Athea
Cappamore/ Kilmallock          Glenroe

Most improved overall in Tidy Towns 2016 (€3000)
Rockhill
Estates/ Residential Area
1st Place          €2,000             Glenbrook Glendale Glendale Lawn
2nd Place        €1,500             Caherdavin
3rd Place         €1,000             Monaleen Park

Highly commended (each receive €500) Limerick Going for Gold 2016 winner.
Cappamore Estates
Castletroy View Residents Association Limerick Going for Gold 2016 winner.
Kyleafea/ Caemore Court Residents Association
Meadowbrook Residents Association
Rosmor Residents Association
Spring Grove Residents Association
Verdant Crescent Residents Association
Woodlawn Residents Association

Paul O Connell book ‘The Battle’ is set to be a huge hit!

by richanthon in Culture, Entertainment, News, People, Promo, Sports 0 comments 3227 0

They queued for four hours in advance to meet the man who is without a doubt a true Limerick legend.

Coinciding with the release of his much-anticipated autobiography, Paul O’Connell signed copies of his book, The Battle, in O’Mahony’s Bookshop .

Over 500 people queued for hours to meet former rugby legend Paul O’Connell at his book signing in Limerick city this past Sunday, eager to get a signed copy of his book The Battle.

The book signing was due to begin at 2pm, however after The Battle author observed images of the lengthy queues on I Love Limerick’s social media, he arrived early so as not to disappoint fans on his home ground in the Treaty City.

Paul O Connell book signing at O’Mahony’s Bookshop. Picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick

Even before he was due to meet his legions of fans, he had planned to sign more than 200 copies of The Battle, which were pre-ordered by customers who couldn’t attend the signing.

The Battle was co-written with Alan English, former editor of the Limerick Leader and current editorial director of Iconic Newspapers, which own the Leader. He also attended the signing along with many family members.

I had the honour of interviewing Paul at the book signing. With typical modesty, when asked how he felt about the phenomenal turnout, he joked that the book might be an easy Christmas present for people, as many queued to purchase several books for friends and family members.

The former Munster, Ireland and Lion’s captain described The Battle as “the full story. I think it’s very honest and I hope people will enjoy it,” he said.

I asked him what exactly was ‘The Battle’ he faced, he revealed, “the battle was mainly with myself, the injuries, playing high-pressure games, trying to win things, trying to be successful,” and told me, “blaming myself when we lost a game made me better.”

I asked him how it felt to be so loved by the people of Limerick, “I am very proud of my Limerick roots. I love living here, the sense of humour the people have, what a great place to live.”

I admire Paul so much, not just for his sporting achievements, but for his soul. Paul is a man who is truly proud of our beautiful city as he has said himself on numerous occasions and proved undoubtedly over the years through his involvement with positive campaigns and charity work. Congrats Paul. All of Limerick are rooting for you!

You can find out more about the Paul O Connell book, ‘The Battle’, here.
Here you can read more stories about Paul O Connell.

Sep 30

Bressie talk on Mental Health at the Castletroy Park Hotel

by richanthon in Awareness, Healthcare, Inspirational, News 0 comments 3053 0

On Thursday, September 29, Niall Breslin aka Bressie, a role model and advocate for mental health in Ireland gave a talk on mental health and well being at the Castletroy Park Hotel. The Bressie talk at Casteltroy Park Hotel was a huge success with a full house of around 400 people listening to his keynote speech.

Bressie is an Irish musician and former Westmeath Gaelic footballer and Leinster Rugby player. Breslin found success as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter with pop band The Blizzards, as a co-writer and producer with XIX Entertainment and as a solo artist. He was the winning coach on the first and third seasons of The Voice of Ireland.

Before the Bressie talk at Castletroy Park Hotel, Bressie spoke with I Love Limerick correspondent Holly Kenny about mental health and well-being on a variety of topics such as, the evolution of Mental Health in Ireland, the connection between physical and mental health, how music and creativity help when battling anxiety and depression and the next step for the progression of mental health services in Ireland.

Niall Breslin gives a talk on mental health to a capacity crowd at Castletroy Park Hotel Picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick

When asked about his own role models for mental health in the 90’s, Bressie spoke about how mental health was misunderstood, “Things I remember quite acutely, one of our heroes growing up would have been Kurt Kobain and when he took his own life all of us in school were asking the teachers ‘what happened?’. I mean, we didn’t understand what suicide was.”

The conversation turned to the importance of embracing the talents and passions of an individual. Bressie spoke about his own musical history with his band ‘The Blizzards’, “When I play an instrument, I’m not thinking about anything else. Whether it’s piano, guitar or I’m writing music, you go into the present which is the holy grail for anybody. If you can be present, you can actually embrace the moment and not worry about the past or the future – and that’s a cliché thing to hear but until you do things that you love or are passionate about, that’s when you will truly understand.”

Following the interview, the I Love Limerick team sat to listen to the speakers for the evening. The first speaker, Jen Ronan from See Change Ireland, gave a humorous speech about her past and complications she endured when dealing with her mental health issues over the years. Considering it was her first time doing public speaking, Jen stole the hearts of the crowd with her endearing, quirky personality.

After Jen’s speech, Bressie came up on the stage to talk about the spectrum of Mental Health while also touching on some political issues regarding the need for more governmental mental health resources.

Niall Breslin gives a talk on mental health to a capacity crowd at Castletroy Park Hotel Picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick

Bressie spoke about growing up with anxiety and the difficulties of getting support and the pressure of presenting yourself in a positive light even though you’re going through hell on the inside. He also spoke about the importance of being good to your body and how that can reflect on your mental health. After changing his diet, eating healthier and staying away from alcohol his anxiety improved. He also spoke about the importance of facing your fear when trying to overcome anxiety by telling a story about his fear of swimming, and how he confronted it by learning how to swim and signing up for an open water swimming competition.

He said that schools needing to embrace young people’s talents instead of pushing them to do courses that they don’t want to do.

Lastly, Bressie gave five simple tips for the audience to practice at home for 10 days.

First, stay away from toxic people and environments.

Second, practice self-compassion.

Third, say 30 thank you’s from when you wake up and be grateful for life.

Fourth, have 30 mindful moments a day, pay attention to the little things in life, the comfort of a cup of tea or how snug you feel in a blanket.

Last but not least, stop judging people, because you have no idea what that people could be really going through.

Follow Bressie on Twitter here.

Visit Bressie’s Mental Health website A Lust for Life here.

For more news on Mental Health in Limerick from I Love Limerick click here.

Gold Medal for Adare in this year’s Limerick Going for Gold 2017

Gold Medal for Adare in this year’s Limerick Going for Gold 2017

Limerick Chronicle Column 16 January 2018

See What’s Happening in the Latest

I Love Limerick Chronicle Column

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Bressie talk on Mental Health at the Castletroy Park Hotel

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