The Limerick Blogger - latest Limerick news and Limerick events

Several trees were snapped in half and burnt at the walkway along the Canal Bank over the weekend, reports the Limerick Chronicle.

A dozen trees, which were planted last week as part of the renewal project in the area, were completely destroyed.

On Saturday night, a mini-bus was gutted by fire by vandals in the Shannon Fields area of Canal Bank.

A 25 year old man has been arrested after numerous wheelie bins throughout the city were set alight in the city centre.

Thirty people were evacuated from the River Dock apartments at 2.30am as Fire Fighters fought a blaze in two wheelie bins outside the complex. According to the Limerick Chronicle, the residents had to endure sub-zero tempritures while Limerick City Fire Service made the area safe.

Other fires were started on Henry Street, Newenham Street, Lower Mallow Street, Glentworth Street and Davis Street were torched throughout the night.

The man was arrested by Gardai at approximately 0430 hrs. this morning, and the last fire at Davis street was quenched by the Fire Brigade at approximately 0530 hrs.

A former US Marine, Jim Massey, has claimed that US cargo flights through Shannon Airport are carrying depleted uranium, Live 95FM reports.

In an interview to be broadcast on the “Limerick Today” programme, Mr. massey states that weapons which contain depleated uranium were used in both Iraq and Afghanistan. he described both countries as “glowing green” because of the presence of the radioactive material.

According to Massey, depleted Uranium has a half-life of two million years.

The program can be heard by clicking here after 1000 hrs today. The programme is repeated again at Midnight.

Note: Windows Media Player is required to listen to the webstream

A life-size statue of the legendary Bard of Thomond has been unveiled according to the Limerick Leader. (click image to enlarge)

Billy Hogan, Michael Toomey, Maureen Sparling, and Councillor John Gilligan, collectively known as “The Friends of the Bard” issued their thanks to all those who made the unveiling ceremony such a success.

A special thanks went out to Peter J. Hogan, whose financial support made the whole project possible.

An evening of poetry, music, and fond memories were had by all who attended the event. A recital, from memory, of the 400 line “Drunken Thady and the Bishop’s Lady”by Pat Power was the highlight of the evening. Mr. Power is the only known person able to recite the poem from memory according to the newspaper.

The paper also reports that a parade to King John’s Castle was lead by St. Mary’s Prize Band, and the bells of St. Mary’s marked the unveiling.

It is estimated that up to 600 people attended the two events marking the unveiling.

Correction: as per the comments, the statue was erected several weeks ago, so I have been a little slow on the uptake on this one. However the statement of thanks was published in the Limerick Leader yesterday (Monday). Thanks to the anonymous comentator for the correction.

The man who crashed into a mother pushing a double buggy with two children in it has turned himself in to Gardai.

But not before the full details of the damage he caused entered the public domain. The car he was driving at high speed went onto a grass verge near the village of Kilfinane, and hit the buggy throwing the two infants out of it. One of the children, a ten-month old baby girl, suffered a broken leg, while the other child and the mother suffered shock.

Front page of the Limerick Leader, Detailing the horific crash. The accident happened last night, but the driver only decided to turn himself in to Gardai today. Click the image to enlarge.

On hitting the buggy, the driver initially stopped and then continued driving in the direction of Kilfinane.

It took an appeal from Gardai both on local radio and a front page story on the Limerick Leader detailing what evidence was being gathered by Gardai before the man finally turned himself in.

Describing him as “The People’s Priest,” the Irish Independent carries a report on an interview which Father Joe Young gave to unlicenced radio station Radio Limerick One.

The well known priest who served the community of Southill for 20 years, has claimed that the Catholic Church is “losing thousands of great priests because of its rule on compulsary celibacy.”

In the Interview he said “The current statistic is that 110,000 priests worldwide have left the church in the last number of years simply because they wanted to get married, and I think these people should be priests. I would love if we had a Pope that would understand that we are losing great men because of the tragedy of celibacy, which was a man-made law, not a law made by Christ,”

In the interview, he also asked for people to welcome home former Galway bishop, Eamon Casey.