famous/infamous persons?!

Inge Binge

Hi there,

thought it's time to bring up sth different from "best place for this and that in Limerick".

Just stumbled over the Knacker-Dwarf thread in the Galway Board: http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054862157

Do we actually have something similar "special" here in Limerick? Any special person everybody knows?

IB

billy the squid

Most "characters" like that are usually people who have fallen on hard times.

Eveybody knows the alcoholic woman who hangs around the offlicence on Parnell street, everyone knows the beggar who used to be outside the AIB bank on William Street.

I suppose if you are looking for well know extrovert people in Limerick one that comes to mind would have been Leo Shine. Everyone knew him, but i don't know if he is still living in Limerick.

Inge Binge

Yes, it's more about the extrovert people and how they appear then the poor fallen ones.

IB

panda100

When I was in school in Limerick a couple of years ago there was always a guy being 'sleighed' around town by his four dogs.Like this

Was a funny site to see.Is he still around?

sioda

What every happened Johnny was it two or three toes he was mad altogether

Poxyshamrock

It was willie 3 toes! Theres also Annie Fitz and Dodo Reddan

Karmafaerie

Willie three toes lives in Clare.
He's from the island field originaly, but he owns some land in Clare.
He doesn't come into town that much anymore, he just lives with his goats!
He'd be the local eccentric you were asking about IB.
Everyone knows him, and unlike Annie Fitz, there's no reason to be scared of him!

radioman

billy the squid wrote:

I suppose if you are looking for well know extrovert people in Limerick one that comes to mind would have been Leo Shine. Everyone knew him, but i don't know if he is still living in Limerick.

Passed him at the Careys/Hyde junction last week so he's still around!

Inge Binge

how does he look like? would i recognize him in town?

ninty9er

He used to wear a croc dundee style hat with cork bottle corks hanging from it.

Dodo Reddan is Dead RIP AFAIK

Inge Binge

never seen him. but i will have a closer look now.

Karmafaerie wrote:

unlike Annie Fitz, there's no reason to be scared of him!

if she's the one in parnell street - my goodness! she scaerd me once barking at me some indefinable gibberish in a slightly aggressive way. oh, that reminds me at the three people sitting on the stairs in front of a house in catherine street near corner cecil street. same caliber...

IB

Crea

ninty9er wrote:

He used to wear a croc dundee style hat with cork bottle corks hanging from it.

Dodo Reddan is Dead RIP AFAIK

If that is the guy on the bicycle who shouts at people then I know him as Cowboy Joe - on account of the hat. Funny how different people have different names.

There was talk of putting a statue of Dodo in the Peoples Park along with her pram full of dogs. Our very own Molly Malone, without Molly's dubious reputation of course.

Cardinal

Willie Three Toes is easily recognisable. He's often cycling around town. He wears a luminous vest, and the afformentioned hat. He's usually shouting about something to the city in general and when he's not cycling he carries an over sized walking cane or stick of some kind. I've seen him with a pram full of dogs before, it may be that he's the same person that Panda saw. I wouldn't put anything past Willie.

He also appeared in that "I'm from Limerick" promotional video that was screened before films in the Omniplex for a while.

Poxyshamrock

Crea wrote:

There was talk of putting a statue of Dodo in the Peoples Park along with her pram full of dogs. Our very own Molly Malone, without Molly's dubious reputation of course.

Yeah, I e-mailed limerick civic trust because they were looking for suggestions for a statue and i suggested Dodo thinking that the statue may eventually become the molly malone of limerick. It turns out that are thinking of a putting a statue of Tom and Paschal (the most annoying people ever born, no offence to anyone) in the park instead.:mad: :mad: :mad: If tourists walked into the park and saw a statue of two men, they'd simply just take a glance at it and walk on but if they saw a statue of a old woman with a pram full of dogs i imagine they would laugh and read what its about and pay alot more attention to it.

If anyone else wants to see a statue of Dodo in the park i suggest you e-mail the Limerick civic trust with this suggestion.

cornbb

Does anyone know the name of the dude who stands at the traffic lights at the junction of Athlunkard St and the Island Road? He sells little books of jokes to motorists waiting at the lights. I bought one once, thought it was kind of funny. Then I saw him sell copies with a different colour cover, bought one again, and found the same jokes inside

Abbey Lass

A statue off dodo in the park would be fantastic. I remember going to a young munster final once in Dublin, Dodo was on the train with her pram and dogs in tow, she was treated like royalty all day and when she got off the train (young munster won) in Limerick that night a path was cleared for her to get through, lol I thought it was pretty cool. Everyone in Limerick knew Dodo and its people like her that are remembered for their charactor. May she RIP. On the subject of statue's are they still putting one of Dickie Harris in Bedford row. I sure hope they are, the city should give him some honor and dont mind their Tom and Pascal, last time I heard of them I was I think 5 years old and was at a pantomime in the Original Savoy!!!

Amazotheamazing

Both Tom and Pascal, and Dodo Reddan are awful ideas for statutes, surely our city has people who actually deserve recognition?

Inge Binge

Tom and Pascal

those: http://www.ul.ie/~cscw/wowtod.html ?
famous or infamous?

IB

Crea

Amazotheamazing wrote:

Both Tom and Pascal, and Dodo Reddan are awful ideas for statutes, surely our city has people who actually deserve recognition?

How about Amao-ing us with some suggestions so?

At least they'd add a bit of colour to the city instead of a boring statue of a politician - except Jim Kemmy.

youthacademy

Cardinal wrote:

Willie Three Toes is easily recognisable. He's often cycling around town. He wears a luminous vest, and the afformentioned hat. He's usually shouting about something to the city in general and when he's not cycling he carries an over sized walking cane or stick of some kind. I've seen him with a pram full of dogs before, it may be that he's the same person that Panda saw. I wouldn't put anything past Willie.

He also appeared in that "I'm from Limerick" promotional video that was screened before films in the Omniplex for a while.

i live a couple of miles from willie three toes, or used to, he shipped himself, his caravan and his goats up to the glens of antrim as he was in trouble with the law.

what a strange thread

Amazotheamazing

Crea wrote:

How about Amao-ing us with some suggestions so?

At least they'd add a bit of colour to the city instead of a boring statue of a politician - except Jim Kemmy.

Why not any one of Limerick's proud literary or sporting tradition, or why not a unique sculpture a la Eyre Sq'a famous Sails piece?

Giving a statute to a mad one who pushed dogs in a pram would be a national joke, as would one giving any more credit to Jim Kemmy, who is rated in this city far higher than he should be, given his actual political achievements. (anyone care to list the numerous things he ever actually did for this town? it's almost a cruel joke that UL's school of commerce will be named after him.)

Inge Binge

Amazotheamazing wrote:

Why not any one of Limerick's proud literary

already in front of the castle/ nicholas street

Amazotheamazing wrote:

or sporting tradition

already in front of AIB in O'Connel St. - hurling i think

Amazotheamazing wrote:

or why not a unique sculpture

an old woman with a pram full of doggies will do it for that.

Abbey Lass

Amazotheamazing wrote:

Giving a statute to a mad one who pushed dogs in a pram would be a national joke, as would one giving any more credit to Jim Kemmy, who is rated in this city far higher than he should be, given his actual political achievements. (anyone care to list the numerous things he ever actually did for this town? it's almost a cruel joke that UL's school of commerce will be named after him.)

Look we are talking about the People's Park here and what better statue to put there then someone from the people of limerick. We don't need anymore contrived drivel past on as art... That huge checkerboard wall at UL... wow that always stops me in my tracks... not... or that bleeding heart outside Jury's Inn.... make's me want to puke, all they need to do now is colour the water there red and they have a right master piece eh!! I'm sure there are other's like those but I can't remember them off hand... and thats my point, these piece's are not remembered!!!

Never be ashamed of people like Dodo or for that matter Willie.

On the Point of Jim Kemmy, I dont think any of us on this board could list Jim's achievements for you, that would be for an older generation. I remember my Grandmother and Mother speaking highly of Jim, saying he worked hard for the Labourer's, widows and pensioners of the city and from my own point I can only remember that Jim was very approachable, very visable and even though he may not have spoken very eliquently he spoke his mind and got the job done.

I feel snobery raising it's ugly head in this thread and all I can say to that is, remember where and what you come from, we all have our skelton's. It could be you some day the city is remembering for a lost mind or worse.

Amazotheamazing

Firstly Inge, there's more than one literary figure from Limerick, and one statue does not encompass Limerick's sporting hertitage.

Cara, disagree about Kemmy, he was great for local politics but on a national level he did nothing for the city (also an apt description of O'Dea). I was thinking of perhaps Donogh O'Malley, the Minister who gave the country free education.

I take it you never knew Dodo in her heyday, long before the AIL? I'll be kind and say she is remembered more fondly now than she was when people actually had to put up with her.

I do think every city has it's skeletons, I'd just don't feel Limerick needs to advertise them.

Inge Binge

Amazotheamazing wrote:

Firstly Inge, there's more than one literary figure from Limerick, and one statue does not encompass Limerick's sporting hertitage.

how many of them do you need to satisfy city's ego?

IB

Amazotheamazing

Who says it's anything to do with ego? It's about honouring them, not flattering the city.

Karmafaerie

I know it's hardly a novel Idea, but I think something should be done of honour the history of Limerick rugby (not just Munster rugby either!)
There is nowhere in the northern hemisphere that has the same attitude towards rugby as Limerick City.
In sporting circles all over the world, Limerick and rugby as synonymous and I think something public and visual should be done to ride the crest of the rugby wave that's washing over the city!

direbadger

Jim Kemmy helped me with me with my special topic (the Limerick Soviet, natch) for the Leaving Cert! Naturally I think he was a great man! Plus I was brought up on stories about he had to drop out of school early to support his siblings and educated himself in the city library. I beleive he did a lot to preserve the historic building of Limerick too.

It's not true to say that people regarded Dodo any differently when she was alive then they do now. There's not some rose tinted glasses going on. I remember being in my nana's kitchen in the basement of her house on Reeve's Path. I was sittin up on the hob eating a banana (I was about 3 I suppose) and Dodo and my nana were chatting. Suddenly this huge, hairy beast of a sheep dog (one of the ones that used to walk alonside, he was too big for the pram) jumped up and robbed my banana! I screamed! Oh wait, this was supposed to be a heartwarming story, not one of childhood terror. Anyway, I have fond memories of her, if not that particular indicent. I think a statue of her would be a cool idea.

My favourite Willie 3 toes story goes something like this: Wilie was walking around Limerick one day, shouting at passers by, talking into his phone receiver and what not, when some young fella started shouting abuse at him. "Willie, you're mental, feck of back to 5b!" he might have said. Anyway, Willie was having noe of it so he walks up and punches the young lad. The young lad, being of the generation he was, sues poor auld Willie and brought him the Court. When they were up before the Judge he said "Willie is a character and a trasure of this city! Get out of my court room!" Or somthing.

Inge Binge

Another noticable person is the woman with the down syndrom. the one with the spiky few hairs. Have ye ever seen her? In the left hand the mobile, with the right hand holding the bicycle and always a cigarette in the mouth. if you're lucky she's on the phone or busy with a fag if you pass her - otherwise she would shout at you as well.

IB

billy the squid

That sounds more like just someone who is known for being down on their luck rather than the extroverted sort of infamous.

I would hope that identification of people who are known simply for being homeless/alcoholic/disabled would be kept out of this thread.

I see my request was ignored.

Locked.