The Boundry Extension

cooperguy

Ooo I was so close to devirginitising the forum Anyway. Im looking for your opinions on the proposed boundry extension of Limerick city into Clare. Do you approve/disapprove and why!

I for one think that the city needs a boundry extension however this should go into county limerick and not into a different county altogether.

GospelGroupie

There are people in Meelick, Cratloe, etc. who see themselves as more "Limerick" than "Clare". This is partly due to over-spill of Limerick natives across the county border, but partly due to ClareCoCo not to serve this area too greatly. County Council sub-offices are non-existant east of Shannon (although weren't they to open an office at Shannon Banks?) Why would someone in Meelick go towards Ennis for services, etc., when Limerick is just down the road?

I'm not in favour of Limerick stealing any more Clare soil. Not to long ago they were voicing asperations of having Shannon Airport renamed to "Limerick-Shannon Airport". What cheek, what audacity?!?

From what I know, the eastern boundary of Clare once ran down to the western shore of the Shannon opposite Limerick City. We've lost enough to them as it is.

Just because there may be enclaves of Limerick people in Clare does not give them right to declare that land as Limerick. If an estate in Limerick was occupied soley by Polish people, for example, that would not give Poland any claim to that land either.

Limerick people are free to move to, and are welcome to live in, Clare. But they have to remember that they are in Clare, and leave any asperations of annex behind.

Amazotheamazing

The Shannon was not the original boundary, Limerick's boundary was reduced after the famine so if anything Clare stole land off Limerick but howandever, Limerick City Council have no real interest in taking over parts of Clare, their main interest is taking over parts of Limerick county that are effectively in Limerick city.

It would probably be better for the Meelick, Parteen etc to be part of the city, seeing hows badly they are maintained from Ennis, but that's their own business, it's not like Limerick needs the extra expense for a few hundred people or so.

Limerick91

There is a Clare Co Co office in the Westbury Centre, I don't know how long it is open though

MarkR

I'm pretty sure there's more then a few hundred people in Meelick and Parteen. I would guess it would in fact be several thousand.

I think that services should be supplied by whoever is best placed to provide the services, so in the cases of meelick and parteen then limerick city would be a more reasonable choice. It's not like it's another country!

The biggest shouts for no extension to the boundary, do you think it will come from reasoned debate, or from sporting pride?

Amazotheamazing

I've actually checked the figures before, it definately wasn't as high as several thousand. I was surprised by how low the figure was.

About 3 years ago Limerick City Council offered to take over the running of services for certain parts of Clare under a new Limerick Urban Area scheme, the land would have stayed in Clare but the population would have been doubled counted, ie, as part of Limerick's Urban Area, and as part of Clare's population. Clare rejected the offer, I would have thought it was a win-win one.

It would be amazing if grown adults actually let something like sporting pride interfere with their access to better roads etc, but you're probably right. Not that either county has much to shout about the minute.

MarkR

What were the figures as a matter of interest? I lived in Meelick quite some time ago. Wasn't much where I lived bar the three estates and a shop! Still, I would have thought there was a thousand minimum.

That scenario you talked about does sound win win all right. Wonder what the logic (if any!) was behind the refusal?

cooperguy

There is definatly a few thousand in that area now what with all the new housing developments going on

Amazotheamazing

If you count Clonlara, Meelick, Parteen and Westbury you might get a few thousand, not much more. I'd say less than 2000 for all four areas and less than a thousand for just Parteen and Meelick.

I'll see if I can't find the figures again.

Poxyshamrock

GospelGroupie wrote:

I'm not in favour of Limerick stealing any more Clare soil. Not to long ago they were voicing asperations of having Shannon Airport renamed to "Limerick-Shannon Airport". What cheek, what audacity?!?

If it wasn't for Limerick there would be no Shannon Airport. The Majority of people who use it are either from or going to Limerick.

5h4mr0(k

I see the need from the cities POV for the boundary extension, but I don't see why peoples addresses would have to change from Clare to Limerick. No more so than the people that currently live in Limerick county - their address won't change to be "Limerick City"

All that needs to change is which authority looks after which area. If they can figure out which part is Limerick city, and which is Limerick county for delivering the services, then surely they can do the same for extending the city boundary into Clare.

That way Clare people can keep their identity, but get the services. The city gets their extension and EC funding accordingly. Everybody is happy.

Am I missing something? Am I being too simplistic?

1huge1

^^ NO your right, everyone seems to be under the allusion that they wont be citizens of clare anymore, they still will be but also people of limerick city

and everyone living in that part of limerick city already would say to people they live in limerick city and not clare

nothing would change, clare wouldnt be losing any soil as one many put it

and also limerick does deserve some recognition with shannon airport as poxyshamrock said as shannon was built to serve the people of limerick more so than the people of clare, if it wasnt for limerick there would be no shannon airport

GospelGroupie

1huge1 wrote:

and also limerick does deserve some recognition with shannon airport as poxyshamrock said as shannon was built to serve the people of limerick more so than the people of clare, if it wasnt for limerick there would be no shannon airport

Nonsense! Shannon Airport was built because it was just within range of the flying-boats of the time (1930's-1940's) and yet the land was flat enough for a large land-based runway to be built for passengers to fly to other European destinations. The choice that was made was made without much consideration of what Irish city it might serve (most Irish couldn't afford to fly at the time), it was destined to be used purely as a stop-over. Indeed, the population of Limerick City and County in 1936 was only 141,153, not that able to justify a transatlantic airport on it's own. The notion that Shannon owes Limerick is just plain silly.

In the early days of the airport, the principle services (such as accomodation for passengers & crew [prior to the construction of the huts around the current control tower], catering, etc.) were provided by Ennis.

Nowadays, the Cliffs of Moher (in County Clare, by the way, so eyes off!) are one of the most visited tourist attraction in the State. Shannon is a convenient gateway to Limerick, Clare and Galway.

Anyway, Limerick as an airport, it's called Coonagh. Don't be greedy.

GospelGroupie

1huge1 wrote:

if it wasnt for limerick there would be no shannon airport

Wrong.
If it wasn't for

• it being the closest sheltered inlet suitable for flying-boats from Gander (Newfoundland), within travelling distance from Foynes;
  
• it being the home of the first Duty-Free shop;
  
• it being the home of the first mail-order duty-free;
  
• it being home of one of the first underground-piped aviation-fuel aprons (they pipe fuel to the aircraft underground rather than delivering by truck - this was a big asset in it's day);
  
• it being close to Limerick;
  
• it being close to Galway;
  
• it being close to scenic areas of the Mid-West such as the Cliffs of Moher, etc.,;
  
• it being a stopover the last stop-over for flights from Moscow to Havana during the Cold-War (they would ship cheap Russian aviation-fuel to Shannon for the privilage, which Shannon would sell to the Americans, etc., for profit);
  
• it being picked pretty much at random by Charles Lindburgh from a selection of other possible locations;
  
• it being a wide, flat and barren landmass at the mouth of the River Fergus;
  
• it being a stop-over for the passed four years for US troops flying too and from Iraq (Kuwait & Saudi Arabia, actually... no direct flights to Iraq, as I recall);
  
• it being established as a hub by Ryanair two years ago;
  

all contributed to the success of Shannon Airport. To suggest that Shannon would not exist without Limerick is lunacy, quite frankly.

Check out the History of Shannon Airport here.

1huge1

Must admit I've been very much so proved wrong.

Amazotheamazing

Limerick and Clare need to get over their petty differences and start promoting the Shannon Region as a tourist destination in it's own right. Stand alone and we'll both continue to pick up the pennies from Galway's tourist trade, work together and we could be the biggest tourist area in the country.

golden

It might sound petty but if Clare losses population to Limerick they will not get as much grants or subsidies.

vkid

Amazotheamazing wrote:

Limerick and Clare need to get over their petty differences and start promoting the Shannon Region as a tourist destination in it's own right. Stand alone and we'll both continue to pick up the pennies from Galway's tourist trade, work together and we could be the biggest tourist area in the country.

QFT!!! People need to see the bigger picture rather than this parochial nonsense! The Mid West needs to be working as a unit. Limerick city getting bigger will only have a positive effect on the Mid West region as a whole and also on Shannon Airport. The region as a whole is loosing out to Galway because of the boundary issue and people need to start relaising that and forgetting parochial loyalties

Amazotheamazing

golden wrote:

It might sound petty but if Clare losses population to Limerick they will not get as much grants or subsidies.

Again, Limerick doesn't want to take any part of Clares land or population.

What it wants to do is include certain parts of Clare in a new "Greater Limerick Urban Area", the land will still officially be in Clare, and the people will still be listed as Clare residents but the city area will get recognition. It's a win-win plan, everybody gets what they want.

But anyhow, the really problem with the boundary extension is County Limerick, not County Clare, the numbers in Clare don't really make that much difference.

Clareboy

I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. At the end of the day, its all just about a line on a map. We are all Irish, whether we live in Clare or Limerick!

Clareman

3 and a half year old thread..............

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