Who deserves a statue in Limerick City

billy the squid

After reading this article in the post which mentioned that Pope John Paul II and Richard Harris are being nominated to have statues of them erected in the city. I was wondering, which people deserve statues in the city and where would you put them.

and no you cannot nominate yourself

1huge1

willie o dee he he only joking
either someone historical or someone sport hero imo

limerick_man

Ya, I think Richard Harris deffinatly! And because he did come to limerick and (proabaly) changed peoples lifes... the pope too!
I dont think the should have put one up for the dockers... the city council is poor, cant be giving everyone a statue!

Hagar

Terry Wogan, now there's a fine upstanding Limerickman

billy the squid

Hagar wrote:

Terry Wogan, now there's a fine upstanding Limerickman

wasn't he born in Dublin? only to move to limerick when his father's employer assigned him here.

Hagar

No, no, that can't be true. No. :eek:

Wiki says Limerick

billy the squid

its a bit like Def Lepard and Chris De Bourgh, both from outside of ireland but they became irish so to speak.

Terry wogan isnt originally from limerick, but he became a limerickman somehow.

if i wanted wiki to say pluto i could make it so.

Amazotheamazing

There is a plan for a memeorial to the dockers. I think it's going in that small park by Steamboat quay. Pretty apt considering on the far side of the bridge the other small park has a memorial to sailors lost at sea.

Hagar

From The Limerick Leader


Terry Wogan was born in Limerick

No mention of Pluto anywhere.

gaf1983

I always thought Terry Wogan was born in Limerick - even if he wasn't born here at least he grew up here, on Elm Park just off the Ennis Road opposite the Holy Rosary Church, he's just been living and working abroad for most of his life, that's all.

Did you see the computer generated picture in The Post of Patrick Sarsfield on the new bridge roundabout? I think that would look pretty cool, especially for visitors coming into the city.

Amazotheamazing

Limerick should also build a dedicated rugby or sports muesum in the city centre, as far as I Johnny Brennan has offered to donate his large collection to anyone who will give it a proper exhibition space. We have plenty of sporting heroes to choose from for statues, how about one for the rowers near the Shannon? After all, Sam Lynch was twice world champion.

limerick_man

We are building a sports museum.. it will be along the canal!
Should be open in 2015 or something (its part of the riverside project)

1huge1

limerick_man wrote:

We are building a sports museum.. it will be along the canal!
Should be open in 2015 or something (its part of the riverside project)

really? first i heard of it
should be cool

The Lopper

Ireland has been alarmingly slow to commemerate the heroes who won independence for this country. Only recently did Michael Collins get his statue in Clonakilty. While a statue to Michael Collins in Limerick would be nice, he isn't a Limerick man so i'd have to say no. But we have our own War of Independence figures. Eamonn de Valera is most associated with Co. Limerick, and it would be good to finally commererate this towering figure of Irish History (and this coming from a Fine Gael man )

ricey

why not the dockers? Im love the poe n all but what has he ever done 4 Limerick.

Amazotheamazing

As I said earlier Ricey, there is a plan to have a memorial to the dockers. Not entire sure where in the docks it'll be though.

ricey

I dont think the should have put one up for the dockers... the city council is poor, cant be giving everyone a statue!

Limerick man seems to think there should not be one in the city.

And as for the city council been poor me thinks not.

1huge1

The Lopper wrote:

Ireland has been alarmingly slow to commemerate the heroes who won independence for this country. Only recently did Michael Collins get his statue in Clonakilty. While a statue to Michael Collins in Limerick would be nice, he isn't a Limerick man so i'd have to say no. But we have our own War of Independence figures. Eamonn de Valera is most associated with Co. Limerick, and it would be good to finally commererate this towering figure of Irish History (and this coming from a Fine Gael man )

not to get into a argument but there is no way eamonn de valera deserve's a statue

gaf1983

1huge1 wrote:

not to get into a argument but there is no way eamonn de valera deserve's a statue

Not to mention the fact that there is already a 1916 memorial statue on Sarsfield Bridge

The Saint

A caller to the Limerick Post recommends that an ideal location for Sarsfield’s statue would be on the roundabout at Shannon Bridge.

"This marvellous statue of the man who saved Limerick from the Williamite invaders in 1991 would look wonderful, erected on a plinth on top of the roundabout. Motorists coming in and leaving the city would see the proud figure of Patrick Sarsfield on the roundabout just in front of the Riverside development and looking out over the lordly Shannon,” he said.

Was that around the time of the notorious garlic cheese and chip famine of 1991.

limerick_man

And as for the city council been poor me thinks not.

Well they are millions in debt!

not to get into a argument but there is no way eamonn de valera deserve's a statue

Well really he has probably done more for Ireland than anyother Limerickman.
We all live under a constitution he wrote, one that is seen as one of the best in the world, and I'm sure Bunreacht na hÉireann will be around for a very long time!
He made sure that to keep Ireland safe during World War II that Ireland would remain neutral! We never made sure that we didnt give either side a reason to attack us (even though Germany could attack England from the other side, and also stop American supplies reaching Britain).
He made what has got to be the most famous speech ever by an Irishman right after that war, when he challenged Churchill and said that Ireland didnt have to thank him for anything!

Revered and despised in equal measure throughout Ireland, during his lifetime and posthumously, Eamon de Valera is generally regarded as the most influential person in the history of 20th Century Ireland

Hate him or love him, you cant really deny that!

Hell he made the cover of Time magazine
Look he he is on the cove of time magazine

Mr. Presentable

Black Hugh O'Neill

Mr. Presentable

According to Irish-Roots.net

Some Famous Limerick People, born here or with Limerick roots:
The surgeon, Sylvester O'Halloran
President McMahon, a one-time ruler of France
Opera singer, Catherine Hayes
Eamon de Valera, former President of Ireland
Rose Fitzgerald, mother of John F. Kennedy
Author, Kate O'Brien
Actor, Richard Harris
Broadcaster, Terry Wogan
Opera Singer, Suzanne Murphy
Bill Whelan, composer of Riverdance
Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries
Writer, Frank McCourt
Irish soccer player World Cup 2002, Steve Finnan
J P McManus, businessman, entrepreneur & philanthropist
Eamon Dunphy, journalist, broadcaster & soccer analyst *** Here's your answer!!

limerick_man

Ok Eamon Dunphy is from Dublin! Can Rose Fitzgearld really be considered for a statue for moving to America and giving birth to a great induvidual??

Sylvester O'Halloran already has the Sylvester O'Halloran Post Graduate Centre in the regional and The annual Sylvester O'Halloran Surgical / Scientific Meeting named after him! Isnt that enough?

What about Joseph O'Meara was a 19th centary opera singer... he has freedom of the city though!

Hmmm... I didnt actually know who Hugh O' Neill was, but he died fighting for the city! He should actually get some sort of recognition! (if he already hasnt)

Eh, Dolores McNamara won the lotto, so actually people gave her money...

gaf1983

limerick_man wrote:

He made sure that to keep Ireland safe during World War II that Ireland would remain neutral! We never made sure that we didnt give either side a reason to attack us (even though Germany could attack England from the other side, and also stop American supplies reaching Britain)

I don't think Irish neutrality would have stopped Germany from attacking Ireland - afterall, Belgian neutrality or Norwegian neutrality didn't keep those countries safe from the Nazis. If it was Germany's strategic interest to attack Ireland and all went to plan Ireland's neutrality wouldn't have stood in their way. They did have plans to use Ireland as a sort of "back-door into Britain" - German plans to attack Ireland were known as "Operation Green." Some members of the IRA such as Seán Russell had asked for German help in their struggle under the premiss that England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity. You can read about Nazi Germany's plans to attack Ireland in Enno Stephan's Spies in Ireland, or Stephan's and Mark M. Hall's Irish Secrets: German Espionage in Wartime Ireland, 1939-1945.


Regarding Eamon Dunphy, I remember watching The Premiership a few years back and Limerick had a hurling match the following day - he said he'd be shouting for them because either a parent or grandparent was from somewhere in the county.

Hagar

limerick_man wrote:

Well really he has probably done more for Ireland than anyother Limerickman.
We all live under a constitution he wrote, one that is seen as one of the best in the world, and I'm sure Bunreacht na hÉireann will be around for a very long time!
He made sure that to keep Ireland safe during World War II that Ireland would remain neutral!

That's all very nice but De Valera was born in New York City in 1882.

That's why he wasn't executed with the other leaders.

limerick_man

I know he was born in the USA... but he moved when he was 2 yrs old to Limerick! He grew up in Limerick not America. His parents were Irish also... It wasnt like the guy heard about what was going on here and decided to come over, he fought for himself not just 'the irish people'!
I know that neitrailty wouldnt have frightened off Nazi Germany, and that we were an 'infereier race' but at the same time they tried their damndist not to attck Irish boats or people. When they did blow dublin up and paid for it !!!!!
There was deffinatly some respect shown our way because of our relationship with Britain and the countries actions in WWI!
Fact is, they didnt attack us, we had huge signs along the east coast saying 'Eire', they werent there for no reason.
My belief is that if Germany won that war, they may have just moved in and taken over Ireland, but not slaughter our people!
Anywho... back to Limerick, we didnt draw any haterage towards Ireland and it worked out grand! ... thanks to Eamon

Karoma

Kate O'Brien (1897-1974)
*shrug*
The talented and famous "Limerick" people are from everywhere but Limerick:)

Rose Fitzgerald - it'd make the yanks happy.


*walks off grumbling about tax money spent on a Catholic-only rep. *

The Lopper

The monument to the 1916 leaders on Sarsfield's Bridge concerns only 1916, not the next 60 years or so of Eamon de Valera's political career. Now i know that if you have watched the film Michael Collins you will think that Dev was a trecherous person, and not deserving of his good name in Irish history. While most of the film Michael Collins is historically incorrect, it is certainly fairly true that Dev was not all that great a leader during this time, he went off to America at the height of the war, he (probably) sent Michael Collins to London knowing full well that Collins wasn't going to get a republic. In fact it is probably also true that he didn't fire a shot in the 1916 Rising. However, after the Civil War, when Dev turned towards the Dáil, he showed his worth as a politician. Trechary is sometimes a useful trait in politics, and he basically dismantled the Treaty with Britain (as Collins intended), which eventually lead to the Republic we have today. He founded the most powerful political party in the state, was president of Ireland for 14 years and served as Taoiseach for a great number of years. He may have been born in New York (or on a ship in new York, or something), but he was brought up in Bruree. Like him or hate him, he is one of the most important Irish figures of the 20th cent.

So maybe he deserves a statue. Or maybe Terry Wogan does. Gods make their own importance.

Rozie

Personally, I think it shold be a statue of Craig David.

billy the squid

Rozie wrote:

Personally, I think it shold be a statue of Craig David.

why?