City centre discussed on Newstalk this morning

Poxyshamrock

Limerick really does put all its eggs in one basket when it comes to rugby!

constantg

BESman wrote: »

Totally agree and I made similar comments in a thread a few months back when the Pig n Porter was on. All this hype about a really obscure little festival in the suburbs based around tag rugby. All I heard from neighbours and friends was how this is the biggest summer event in Limerick. I think the city has big problems when these kinds of tiny, unoriginal, unimaginative, dull, meaningless festivals are the best it has to offer. Some of the ideas mentioned above are at least different and play on some of Limerick's unique character besides the bloody rugby.

Why not a boat race? Plenty of bridges and navigable waterways in the city! Turn it into a weekend thing sometime in July when the weather is in theory nice?

Mc Love

BESman wrote: »

Totally agree and I made similar comments in a thread a few months back when the Pig n Porter was on. All this hype about a really obscure little festival in the suburbs based around tag rugby. All I heard from neighbours and friends was how this is the biggest summer event in Limerick. I think the city has big problems when these kinds of tiny, unoriginal, unimaginative, dull, meaningless festivals are the best it has to offer. Some of the ideas mentioned above are at least different and play on some of Limerick's unique character besides the bloody rugby.

Come up with the plans and money to organise your own event. And then we will see how big, original, imaginative, yoyful, meaningful it is.

Why do you have to knock something positive about the city, and fills up rooms in city hotels? It attracted teams as far as France, however meaningless you think it was.

Either you have no interest in Rugby or probably follow one of the other sports or rugby clubs in the city and are annoyed that rugby/old crescent getting all the money??

seachto7

Mc Love, I think BESman and Grizzly 45 have a point about the pig and porter festival. While it probably was a great event for all involved, you'd sometimes swear that Limerick city revolved around the oval ball. If you took Munster out of Limerick tomorrow, the city would be absolutely f**cked as this seems to be only thing that is being milked here. The P&P seems to be the only festival of note, and I think the assumption is "we" are all excited about it, and can't wait for it every year!!!

Again, not everyone is into rugby/sport. Most of the rest of Europe or America know nothing about rugby anyways, which is where we want to get the tourists from, but that's not the point......

Maybe we should just accept that Limerick is what it is, and it's not going to change anytime soon.

Mc Love

yeah i understand that without rugby Limerick would be in the gutter. But instead of moaning about it, get behind it or try and come up with new ideas to get people to Limerick.

Limerick is well known for what its rugby clubs have achieved in the past and having Thomond Park on our doorstep is something a lot of counties envy.

As two famous Limerick scrotes once said, if you dont like it, f**k off to cork!

geotrig

i'd be happy if we could jsut get the people of limerick into limerick!I feffing hate the cresent !

constantg

Mc Love wrote: »

As two famous Limerick scrotes once said, if you dont like it, f**k off to cork!

Indeed F*ck off to Cork......Because in Cork headlines like THIS are really terrible really.....shockingly awful.....

http://www.joe.ie/travel/irish-travel/cork-named-as-one-of-europes-best-cities-0014900-1

Mc Love

constantg wrote: »

Indeed F*ck off to Cork......Because in Cork headlines like THIS are really terrible really.....shockingly awful.....

http://www.joe.ie/travel/irish-travel/cork-named-as-one-of-europes-best-cities-0014900-1

That survey is a load of tosh if it excludes cities like London & Paris

Grizzly 45

Did you read my before last post be chance??Or are you just going to react to me goring Limericks golden Ox?
But just for you....
Literary festival,based on Limerick authors.
Film week based on Richard Harris,and some films actually made around the Limerick/Munster area
Taking control of the river from the rowing boat clubs and actually using it for a gateway by the plan to use seaplanes/flying boats.
Use the "stab city" brand to Limericks advantage.
Proper done reenactments of Limericks history
Re vitalise the old tradition of the Abbey boat races,and even building the Abbey fishing cots.

Grizzly 45

And your ideas would be ........????
Oh sorry I did find them....:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
So your solutions[which sound remarkably like the city hall line of things BTW] are to actually make it worse???Or tinker with the asthehitcs?

the drifter

Mod note

Easy now folks...remember attack the post not the poster

Grizzly 45

Yes admittadly a rant Kilburn,but it is done for a reason and a point.It just shows that we are too obsessed with a monoculture and false god here in Limerick called rugby that literally permeates our lives in some shape and form.
It is also IMHO part of the reason we have so little alternative activities here that is not rugby based.Isnt it a bit much to be calling our seslves "sporting capital of Ireland." Unless I've missed it,we dont have an Olympic length pool, or even a indoor air rifle range.Sport consists abit more than just rugger,GAA,golf and maybe some horse riding events.So to call ourselves a sporting capital is a joke!

I'm amazed that no one suggested after the "need for speed" rally,the fact is the race stretch for the "round the house" last held in Limerick in 1936 is still the original course,unchanged like the Monaco stretch.While an obvious impossibility to turn Limerick city centre into a Grand Prix course.:eek:.Is there a big problem in using it for a vintage race or smaller formula cc vechicles?
When you consider what cities like Barcelona,and Monacco[admittadly formula 1] pulls in,were Limerick to possibly consider this,we actually might get furter revenue in here.

source

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

And your ideas would be ........????
Oh sorry I did find them....:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
So your solutions[which sound remarkably like the city hall line of things BTW] are to actually make it worse???Or tinker with the asthehitcs?

Firstly I have made many suggestions on this and other threads, which are doable, no pie in the sky lunacy (with the exception of my light rail idea). Yes that does mean tinkering with the aesthetics of the city and also involves using what is already there for its original or a new purpose. Small changes can make a huge difference and re-purposing existing buildings in my mind is the way forward. for example, Make the Fransiscans into a theatre the place is huge and has great acoustics. The idea I outlined for Dunnes above is a simple idea which would work great.

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Yes admittadly a rant Kilburn,but it is done for a reason and a point.It just shows that we are too obsessed with a monoculture and false god here in Limerick called rugby that literally permeates our lives in some shape and form.
It is also IMHO part of the reason we have so little alternative activities here that is not rugby based.Isnt it a bit much to be calling our seslves "sporting capital of Ireland." Unless I've missed it,we dont have an Olympic length pool, or even a indoor air rifle range.Sport consists abit more than just rugger,GAA,golf and maybe some horse riding events.So to call ourselves a sporting capital is a joke!

I'm amazed that no one suggested after the "need for speed" rally,the fact is the race stretch for the "round the house" last held in Limerick in 1936 is still the original course,unchanged like the Monaco stretch.While an obvious impossibility to turn Limerick city centre into a Grand Prix course.:eek:.Is there a big problem in using it for a vintage race or smaller formula cc vechicles?
When you consider what cities like Barcelona,and Monacco[admittadly formula 1] pulls in,were Limerick to possibly consider this,we actually might get furter revenue in here.

UL was the first 50m (Olympic length) pool in the country, so you're wrong there.

The problem with the grand prix course is that modern vehicles would be dangerous on the circuit, and the vintage cars are too valuable and rare to race. I would love for a vintage grand prix to be held here once a year and have suggested it in the past, close off the streets on the original course and let rip. The problem was outlined to me, as being too dangerous with modern race cars and vintage are too valuable to risk damage to them through racing.

Yes we have a reliance on rugby in Limerick, but it's not a new thing. Rugby has been a Limerick sport since the 1800s. We have world class sports facilities in UL, Thomond Park, and the Gaelic Grounds. Not to mention the multitude of successful local clubs in the area. We also have one of the top European rugby clubs calling Limerick home.

Pig and Porter is a great festival, it brings a lot of people into the city. So what if you don't like it, get off your arse and come up with your own idea for a festival and get it going. Our very own Zuroph has done just this and is going to be launching his zombie fest here this year. If you don't like what's here now, stand up and change it, or at the very least throw out some constructive ideas. All this negativity doesn't help anyone.

QueensGael

Limerick hosted the European Duathlon Championships (run-bike-run) back in April, it was a huge coup for the city and the Limerick Triathlon Club, but all that was in the press was b!tching and moaning about road closures.

http://europeanduathlonchampionships.com/

source

QueensGael wrote: »

Limerick hosted the European Duathlon Championships (run-bike-run) back in April, it was a huge coup for the city and the Limerick Triathlon Club, but all that was in the press was b!tching and moaning about road closures.

http://europeanduathlonchampionships.com/

Also there's a bid for the Rugby League world cup next year, and this month, 27 August, the Single speed world championships are being held out in Ballyhoura (while not technically the city, it will have an economic effect on the city). The European Powerlifting Championships happened in Limerick in June. There's ERC and CL rugby matches which have large attendances, Soccer, Football, and hurling matches. A large badminton competition is held in UL every year around November. There's a massive amount of sport going on in the city. It just has to be looked for.

Mc Love

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Yeah great solution..There is more happening in Cork than Limerick anyday.:rolleyes: Thats why they go to Cork in the first place.

As I said before, if you are not happy, then you know where to go

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Lets not dick around.Limerick consists of one sport Rugby!!

There is Limerick FC (doing well in the league at the moment). The Footballers and the Hurlers doing well also although I dont follow them much. Golf also brings in people with the ProAM and the tournaments in Adare.

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

You are coerced into it in secondary school .Name me one 2ndry school in Limerick that doesnt have a rugger team ???I went to Cresent comp in the 1980s ,and all it was was rugby,rugby,rugby,and if you didnt like rugby,you could always be involved in the many rugby affilated activities..

I wasnt coerced into it all in fact the school I went to had a strong GAA connection even though I wouldnt be into it at all. Hurling and Football where the key sports in a city centre school. Rugby and Soccer were just about equal, basketball nearly on the same level if not more important.

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

I funkin Rugby!!!What it stands for,the idolising it gets in this town,the superiority complexes [aka head up asses]

Sounds an awful lot like jealousy there and there are many jealous people like you in the city, i have met one or two, that have been shunned for a better word from the sport.

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

especially those who havent played it ever in their lives yet follow it because it is the "in" thing to be seen doing.

The same argument could be made for a lot of sports. Rugby has always been popular in Limerick and for as long as I remember it growing up, there is a great sense of camaraderie and banter that comes from Limerick Rugby

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

The actual discrimination in employment and social life,which has happened to me three times in job interviews over the years,as the last question always was"d'you play rugby?"Even Limerick girls are at a loss to find somthing to talk about with you if you say you dont play rugby...WTF???Because I dont enjoy throwing myself onto a freezing wet mucky field and sticking my head up another mans crotch.I'm less qualified for a job,or somhow less of an intellect??Or because of my physical size,its actually assumed straight away I played this stupid game??[Yes I did..in 2ndry school because I had to,and I hated every second of it too!:mad:]

You really think that because you havent played rugby lost you the job, you are very sad sad man, maybe it was your attitude or you werent qualified enough. Maybe they had already chosen who they were going to employ and held interviews to see if any other candidate could impress them

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

I find it annoying that this whole town comes to a screeching halt,life wise and traffic wise when the fans must flock out to that hideous mess of a stadium at Hassetts cross whenever there is a match on.Another Brilliant town plan there too!! No one thought about PARKING SPACES did they???Or is it beyond the ken of Inroad Eireinn to run a shuttle train from Colbert station to the Longpavement, build a platform there,and open it when there is a match on,to transport the rugger fans to there,it is then only ten mins walk to their temple,and prevent the Longpavement and surrounds becoming a giant car park??
But sure thats alright the residents of Ballynanty beg,Killely,Mayorstone,and Quinpool wont mind rugger fans parking their big jeeps on our lawns, driveways, and roads.Shure they all play the game .Roish?

Find it annoying that Munster have become so successful that fans flock from all around Ireland, UK, Europe to watch their teams in action against Munster? There are park and ride sites available which a large number of people now use, the local housing estates are also if I am not mistaken closed off with barriers and manned by Gardai, are they not?
Do you actually know how much it would cost to plan a station at Longpavement or are you going to front that too? And Thomond Park is in the city which is only a short walk from the city centre, proposing a rail system is ludicrous

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

If you actually cast an eye on what passes for leadership,socialites and social life,and commercialism in this town ,you will find not one person who doesnt go to play,support or is involved in either Rugby or GAA.So how the FK can we expect anything else to have a chance???:mad::mad:
If it isnt painted red,has a Munster logo on it,or can be kicked,or will drink copious amounts of Heineken,or has a rugby theme or team .It is either beyond them or no intrest.Even Richard Harris[a rugger player too,but had the sense to GTFO of Limerick] did a film on it called "this sporting life". When was that last shown in Limerick or utilised to promote the town??
Hello!! Its about rugby!!

Plenty of people have other interests outside of rugby and sports and many attend music concerts. Look at Thomond Park again and what that has offered and the concerts that have been held there and in UL

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Forget changing it.Limerick will always stay rainy rugby obsessed town,with a high crime problem* and unimaginitave people in charge who will just try and ape somthing from somwhere else and claim it is original Limerick.

Thats what Limerick is, you are hardly going to strip it of one of its strongest pulling points - that is madness. High crime problem with rates that are dropping.

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Limerick has a unfortunate brand as being known as "stab city" Why is no one actually using this as a brand name for somthing??

How are you going to market Stab City? Are you actually reading what you wrote??

All in all so what Vanolder and Grizly are saying is that Limerick would be a better place if we didnt have rugby and the problems associated with the city are down to Rugby

the drifter

source wrote: »

Also there's a bid for the Rugby League world cup next year, and this month, 27 August, the Single speed world championships are being held out in Ballyhoura (while not technically the city, it will have an economic effect on the city). The European Powerlifting Championships happened in Limerick in June. There's ERC and CL rugby matches which have large attendances, Soccer, Football, and hurling matches. A large badminton competition is held in UL every year around November. There's a massive amount of sport going on in the city. It just has to be looked for.

The kick off event for the Single Speed Champs is in the locke i think!!

UL open weight lifting comp is on every year with great attendance from all round ireland.

GPC powerlifting nationals happend here in July.

Several Martial event comps happen in UL every year.

Not to mention the Basketball in UL.

This city is a sporting haven if as source said....you look for it

constantg

Mc Love wrote: »

That survey is a load of tosh if it excludes cities like London & Paris

Well Paris is Paris like, its next to Rome like. Cork isn't a capital so its probably a list of lesser, but culturally significant cities.

And London, well do I really have to say anything about London?

the drifter

Mc Love wrote: »

But some people dont even like sports - what is there for them?!

that i dont know i was only backing up source's post...

Im very active and always at some form of sport... so I've never really had to look to see what else there is.

Cookiemunster

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Name me one 2ndry school in Limerick that doesnt have a rugger team ???

CBS.

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

I find it annoying that this whole town comes to a screeching halt,life wise and traffic wise when the sheep must flock out to that hideous mess of a stadium at Hassetts cross whenever there is a match on.

Same happens in any city that has a professional sporting team when there's a game on. And a mess of a stadium??? Have you ever actually been in there???

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Another Brilliant town plan there too!! No one thought about PARKING SPACES did they???Or is it beyond the ken of Inroad Eireinn to run a shuttle train from Colbert station to the Longpavement, build a platform there,and open it when there is a match on,to transport the rugger fans to there,it is then only ten mins walk to their temple,and prevent the Longpavement and surrounds becoming a giant car park??
But sure thats alright the residents of Ballynanty beg,Killely,Mayorstone,and Quinpool wont mind rugger fans parking their big jeeps on our lawns, driveways, and roads.Shure they all play the game .Roish?

Planning permission included a traffic plan, park and ride facilities and a restriction on parking in the area.

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

If you actually cast an eye on what passes for leadership,socialites and social life,and commercialism in this town ,you will find not one person who doesnt go to play,support or is involved in either Rugby or GAA.So how the FK can we expect anything else to have a chance???:mad::mad:

Seeing as the majority of the population of Limerick actually like rugby or GAA or even local soccer then the odds are stacked in favour of civic leaders having played/ been involved in sport at some stage.

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

If it isnt painted red,has a Munster logo on it,or can be kicked,or will drink copious amounts of Heineken,or has a rugby theme or team .

Actually I've seen the green flags of Limerick GAA, the blue flags of Limerick FC and even the rainbow coloured gay pride flags hanging around the city in recent times.

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

It is either beyond them or no intrest.Even Richard Harris[a rugger player too,but had the sense to GTFO of Limerick] did a film on it called "this sporting life". When was that last shown in Limerick or utilised to promote the town??
Hello!! Its about rugby!!

It's about rugby league in Northern England. Not really anything to do with Limerick.

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Forget changing it.Limerick will always stay rainy rugby obsessed town,with a high crime problem* and unimaginitave people in charge who will just try and ape somthing from somwhere else and claim it is original Limerick.
Rant over.I'm going off to get blocked,thats about the only other thing you can do in this God awful town.:( I say this as somone born and bred here too!:(:(

*In a case of being given lemons ,make lemonade.Amsterdam cashes on in the fact its notoriety of a red light zone,dog sht on the pavements,and legal sale of dope .
Limerick has a unfortunate brand as being known as "stab city" Why is no one actually using this as a brand name for somthing??

Amsterdam actually really cashes in on its architecture, canals, hundreds of museums, bars and restuarants. It's doesn't actively advertise the red light or the dope. In fact it has been trying to reduce the red light district for years and plans to ban foreigners from getting dope.

But lets not get facts get in the way of a good rant.

phill106

QueensGael wrote: »

Limerick hosted the European Duathlon Championships (run-bike-run) back in April, it was a huge coup for the city and the Limerick Triathlon Club, but all that was in the press was b!tching and moaning about road closures.

http://europeanduathlonchampionships.com/

Wasn't that the little publicised one? Kind of day before road closure signs going up?

Amazotheamazing

Vanolder wrote: »

It's a shame Limerick fc and gaa don't receive the same support..... Do you think the powers that be would open the pubs on a good Friday for anything outside rugby? the gaelic grounds has applied to improve the stadium on various occasions but has been shot down. Thomond park revamp? sure, work away lads.

Not so sure that's true. Limerick GAA did a big refurb, new stand and lights etc over the last few years but the GAA don't want pubs in their stadia, that'll always hold them back. The Gaelic Grounds is a poorly designed stadium and that's after massive investment in it.

I bet the Market's Field redevelopment will be fully supported by the council when it eventually gets going.

Amazotheamazing

source wrote: »

There's a massive amount of sport going on in the city. It just has to be looked for.

I agree with both parts of that statement and it really raises the issue of how bad Limerick based events are at publicising themselves both to the city and to the country. There's been numerous events held this year that people only hear about when they go into town and find the roads closed. Personally, I blame the leader, which is a negative rag and the "newness" of a lot of the events, it takes time for any sporting event, or indeed, cultural event to work it's way into the the fabric of a city's consciousness.

lisasimpson

well in the summer they should try and get a few more gigs into thomand park with would bring more people around.

Something which was missed on a national scale which limerick could have benefited hugly from was promoting Ireland as a warm up base for the olympics next yr. I know its more sport, but there are great facilities both in UL and gaa and rubgy grounds which could have both loads to the city and surrounding areas.

Poxyshamrock

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Name me one 2ndry school in Limerick that doesnt have a rugger team ???

CBS.

I'm afraid it does :P

Poxyshamrock

Would love this in Limerick! Think it would attract a big crowd

http://www.ciww.com/content.asp

Cookiemunster

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I'm afraid it does :P

Since when? My brother only left there 4 years ago and it was GAA and soccer. No rugby. I know they tried it years ago when Ginger McLoughlin was working there but that didn't last long.

mikemac

Just to chip in about two years there was a company in Galway going to restart the flying boats and come to Foynes which of course was their original home.

There was one post I saw earlier on the thread on this.
Has there been any progress on this?

A flying boat to land on the Shannon in Limerick could be a success thogh I'm no expert on tides and the best locations.
And if locals don't use it then tourists might, I'd certainly love to and it could spin me up to Galway and we'll detour along the Cliffs of Moher.

Extra routes are possible too, Limerick up to Athlone for example.

It might fail, it might be a success, there is a risk with every startup. But I think it could be an asset for Limerick.

flutered

limericks biggest problem down the years has been the city fathers.

source

mikemac wrote: »

Just to chip in about two years there was a company in Galway going to restart the flying boats and come to Foynes which of course was their original home.

There was one post I saw earlier on the thread on this.
Has there been any progress on this?

A flying boat to land on the Shannon in Limerick could be a success thogh I'm no expert on tides and the best locations.
And if locals don't use it then tourists might, I'd certainly love to and it could spin me up to Galway and we'll detour along the Cliffs of Moher.

Extra routes are possible too, Limerick up to Athlone for example.

It might fail, it might be a success, there is a risk with every startup. But I think it could be an asset for Limerick.

St. Michaels Rowing club are fighting against it on "health and safety grounds", despite the refusing to meet with the company and all other rowing clubs saying that the plans won't affect rowing on the river. It was meant to come in at the Clarion.