32 year battle to get Marks&Spencer to Limerick

Mc Love

TestTransmission wrote: »

I don't get the big deal about Marks & Spencer.I think ye are all a bit obsessed

Itsdacraic wrote: »

I cringe everytime I see our "leaders" begging for an M&S.
It's a fuppin supermarket for crying out loud.

marienbad wrote: »

What is the obsession with M&S ? The only thing people buy there on a regular basis is underwear for fcuk sake . People go on like it was the scond coming.. we're saved , we're saved M&S is coming, Hallelujah ,Halleelujah.

At least they will have clean underwear when they come before the pearly gates

europa11 wrote: »

Could never understand the fuss about this store. Although the British-printed rag known as "The Leader" can't seem to get enough mileage out of yet another "M&S is coming" banner headline. I can only imagine what the inside pages of that glorified ass-wipe contains.

Mind you considering what passes for a City Council in Limerick and in particular the present mayoral team, M&S must indeed seem like heaven arriving on earth.

More in their line to knock down that eye-sore at the ridiculously titled 'Opera Centre' site and at least create some parking space - as well as brighten up the area a bit - better that than what's there now.

Speaking of which, would it kill them to put up a few more streetlamps in the city centre?

Where the hell have you lot been? I thought I was only one on Limerick Boards to think it was crazy and that people are obsessed with M&S

oh lets go to cork to go to M&S - jesus its hardly Harrod's FFS

scholar007

Aren't the yanks gonna stop using shannon coz it's too close to Limerick and they are fearful for the security of their seal teams?

Insect Overlord

marienbad wrote: »

Yeah , have to agree with you on the naming of the 'Opera Centre' , what is it with this grandiosity ? Talk about confusing the few tourists we do get- ''No there is no music in the Opera Centre, but feel free to hum a tune if you like''.

Didn't the original plans for the new centre involve a multi-thousand seat auditorium? I think that part of the plan was removed before the final planning permission was granted, so it would have been a few years ago. I think that was where the name came from anyway.

scholar007 wrote: »

Aren't the yanks gonna stop using shannon coz it's too close to Limerick and they are fearful for the security of their seal teams?

Wow, aren't you the witty one? :rolleyes:

Amazotheamazing

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Didn't the original plans for the new centre involve a multi-thousand seat auditorium? I think that part of the plan was removed before the final planning permission was granted, so it would have been a few years ago. I think that was where the name came from anyway.

The name comes from the fact that an opera singer called Catherine Hayes was born on Patrick street, originally they were going to do up her house as some sort of museum about her as part of the project.

The fascination with M&S is also lost on me, I'm afraid.

Birdie086

Another plus one on the puzzlement Re, M & S, apparently though if one opens here it will our city's saviour!!!

constantg

re M&S; Just let it go.....

phill106

These aren't just ordinary rumors....

They are m&s rumors...

fryup

nevermind M&S, i'm still waiting for King Canutes to reopen

Resi12

+1 for not caring about M&S.

pigtown

Totally agree that M&S is overhyped but I think it's very important that the council make every effort to bring them to the Opera Centre2.0. If they don't then it's inevitable that they will eventually be attracted elsewhere in the region like Shannon or Ennis, or even to the suburbs like the Parkway Valley or Coonagh Cross. Either way it's obviously going to be a big draw so you may as well draw the shoppers into the city.

marienbad

pigtown wrote: »

Totally agree that M&S is overhyped but I think it's very important that the council make every effort to bring them to the Opera Centre2.0. If they don't then it's inevitable that they will eventually be attracted elsewhere in the region like Shannon or Ennis, or even to the suburbs like the Parkway Valley or Coonagh Cross. Either way it's obviously going to be a big draw so you may as well draw the shoppers into the city.

Do we want M&S shoppers in the city ? Can we hunt them ? Put trophy heads on the pub walls ?

Poxyshamrock

Is the Savills 'for sale' sign over the old town hall new?

Mc Love

any chance we can get a Macys or maybe a Best Buy?

constantg

Mc Love wrote: »

any chance we can get a Macys

Forgive me, but a Macy's from NYC like?

phill106

Next we will have wallmart, and be able to buy our food and high powered handguns in the same shop

constantg

phill106 wrote: »

Next we will have wallmart, and be able to buy our food and high powered handguns in the same shop

lol was in that new airsoft shop on william street the other day and 2 scobes were trying broken english in thick limerick accents to explain to the eastern european gentleman that they wanted to purchase a number of high power airsoft automatic weapons........and that was it ok to buy them if they were under 18..........and could they just walk away with them that day.....

can you imagine wallmart? lol

Miike

constantg wrote: »

lol was in that new airsoft shop on william street the other day and 2 scobes were trying broken english in thick limerick accents to explain to the eastern european gentleman that they wanted to purchase a number of high power airsoft automatic weapons........and that was it ok to buy them if they were under 18..........and could they just walk away with them that day.....

can you imagine wallmart? lol

This seems like something the "Rubber Bandits" had involvement in.

constantg

Miike wrote: »

This seems like something the "Rubber Bandits" had involvement in.

It wasn't far off to tell the truth....

brianhickey

Mc Love wrote: »

any chance we can get a Macys or maybe a Best Buy?

Best Buy are closing down all their UK stores, so no chance of them opening here anytime soon.

Itsdacraic

It gets worse:

BUILD it and they will come is the old maxim, but if Marks & Spencer are to move to Limerick they want free rent to boot.

The three-decade long delay to persuade Marks & Spencer to open in Limerick city is due to the stringent terms and conditions set out by the UK retailer - potentially up to five years free rent and having to pay only a nominal amount thereafter, the Limerick Leader has learned.

As City Hall and Belfast developer Suneil Sharma attempt to woo the British store to open in their respective developments in Limerick, local businessmen have complained that their demands are too costly to be met by developers struggling to open shopping centres in the current climate.

Mayor of Limerick Jim Long said he understands the sought-after chain has “a policy of going into sites for no rent or as little rent as possible.”

“They do not believe in paying rent; everything is built to accommodate Marks & Sparks, but everything comes at a price.

“It would be remiss of us not to consider M&S and I wouldn’t hesitate to negotiate with them. They should be welcomed with open arms,” the Mayor said, specifically referring to their newly acquired Opera Centre site in the city.

He said the conditions set out by the retail empire wouldn’t be a deterrent to him, but that would not be part of his “contractual remit” as mayor.

“The information we have is that they are keen to come to the city centre, despite what Mr Sharma [of the Parkway Valley development] is saying, and we shouldn’t waste that opportunity” added the mayor.

Is this guy for real??
It's a SUPERMARKET.

Itsdacraic

I might tell my company to try that approach with the Mayor.

Hi Mr Mayor,

I'm sorry but we don't believe in paying rates. But we employ 30 people so I'm sure you'll be willing to negotiate.

um7y1h83ge06nx

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

M&S comes and all of Limerick's problems vanish, full employment and it never rains again! :rolleyes:

Kess73

Itsdacraic wrote: »

It gets worse:



Is this guy for real??
It's a SUPERMARKET.

Long really has been rent a quote in his term as Mayor. Probaly more so than even Kiely or Gilligan were.


Funny how in one sentence he is saying he would not hesitate to negotiate with M&S and a few lines later he seems to be saying that discussing rent etc is not part of his contractual remit.:D


I wonder what hius stance would be if M&S or any other large chain announced they wanted to go to the Parkway Valley centre? Would he suddenly be on his high horse about it being a terrible thing

europa11

Does Jim-Il-Long have anything else to rant on about bar this tireless and boring subject.

How grand of him to take on the onus of "negotiating" with some UK supermarket on whether of not they are/aren't coming to Limerick.

Perhaps The Great Leader reader might someday get around to doing his job - whatever it is - rather than play fantasy property developer.

Gombeen is far too kind a word.

Undercover FBI Agent

His carry on with M&S and the parkway valley have really made him look stupid.

Last week coming out to the press saying that Suneil Sharma isnt welcome in Limerick. Then two days later saying he thinks Mr Sharma is a bully in the way he is conducting the route to gaining planning permission :eek:

Seems that when these guys get that mayoral chain around them that every stupid sentence they have ever taught of come blurting out.

Kess73

Undercover FBI Agent wrote: »

His carry on with M&S and the parkway valley have really made him look stupid.

Last week coming out to the press saying that Suneil Sharma isnt welcome in Limerick. Then two days later saying he thinks Mr Sharma is a bully in the way he is conducting the route to gaining planning permission :eek:

Seems that when these guys get that mayoral chain around them that every stupid sentence they have ever taught of come blurting out.

He also came out with a new whinge. Normally he comes out and says any new business like the proposed Parkway Valley scheme would be damaging to the city, and that it is the fault of out of town shopping areas that the city is the way it is.

One of his recent interviews to the Leader consisting of him saying that the Parkway Valley should be blocked as it would be bad for the out of town centres.

Laughable that suddenly he is hopping on some kind of bandwagon to defend the out of town shopping centres when for most of the year he was blaming them for the city centre.

I find it galling when the likes of him come out and paint the Parkway Valley and what not as something that is going to close down shops in the city centre when all throughout his term as mayor there has been a stream of shops leaving the city anyway and without any new out of town shopping centre. Maybe he shouild look a bit closer to home and look at what elements are affecting the city businesses here and now rather than blowing smoke about what might happen if something else opens.

jmch81

Kess, do you want to run for Mayor when its directly elected in two year? I might not agree with everything you have ever posted but at least you know how to use a computer!

You'll have my vote

Kess73

jmch81 wrote: »

Kess, do you want to run for Mayor when its directly elected in two year? I might not agree with everything you have ever posted but at least you know how to use a computer!

You'll have my vote

I would be a great mayor. Sort of a cross between Stalin, Yosser Hughes, and Lily Savage. :pac:

marienbad

Kess73 wrote: »

I would be a great mayor. Sort of a cross between Stalin, Yosser Hughes, and Lily Savage. :pac:

I want to be mayor, I promise freepaintball sessons 5 hours a day in city hall, horse n cart lanes instead of bus lanes, a set of stocks in the market to pelt rotten fruit at the other lying politicians every Saturday.

And I will continue the 32 year battle to keep out M&S, I will fight them in the county, I will fight them in the Parkway, and in the streets and lanes of the city. This is not the end , it is only the end of the beginning ...

constantg

marienbad wrote: »

a set of stocks in the market to pelt rotten fruit at the other lying politicians every Saturday.

You know there's a set of them in the castle already....I should know I built them.

But seriously, what is the fricking obsession with M&S, let go people of limerick, move on!! I mean I was in Cork over the weekend and there were people in M&S buying stuff which is fair enough; it was busy. BUt those people weren't really buying much else outside of the shop from what I saw.....I don't think an M&S wil lhave such a great knock on effect as the masses think it will.....it'll be another British retailer sending its profits home....