WATCH A Look Back on I Love Limerick 2022

I Love Limerick 2022 – pictured above is a montage of some of the years highlights for our organisation

I Love Limerick 2022 – a look back at some memorable moments from our past year

Wishing you all the greatest success and happiness for the coming year. Here is a look back at some memorable moments from our past year with I Love Limerick 2022.

Help Shannon Banks keep Limerick a Lady by signing up for TLC7

In February, a comedy sketch video campaign was launched to encourage people to sign up for the 7th edition of the largest one-day clean-up in Ireland, Team Limerick Clean-Up, which took place on Good Friday, April 15 across Limerick city and county.  

The campaign starred Richard Lynch as ‘Shannon Banks’, a 57-year-old Limerick Tidy Towns volunteer with a sharp tongue and a great love for Limerick. 

“Litter is the cause that we are all so passionate about because it is one that continues to plague our streets and keeps us volunteers beavering away to keep them spic and span. That’s why we will be out in full force this coming Good Friday to show the world the stuff Limerick is really made of,” said Shannon.

Limerick Pride Rainbow Crossing

I Love Limerick 2022 – In February, a second Limerick Rainbow crossing was unveiled in Limerick by the Council’s Active Travel team. The new crossing on Dooradoyle Road, next to the Ballykeefe Roundabout, stretches across both the outbound and inbound lanes.

The first was unveiled in Georges Quay earlier that month.

Given its prominent position next to the Crescent Shopping Centre, the new crossing will be seen by thousands of people every day. It comes six weeks after the installation of Limerick’s first Pride Rainbow crossing on Bridge Street in the city centre.

While there are plenty of rainbow walks in the country, Limerick is the first place to have two rainbow road crossings. Thanks to the Limerick Active Travel team for working closely with Limerick Pride to help make this happen.  

Lisa Daly, Chairperson of Limerick Pride, who originated the idea for a Rainbow Crossing in Limerick said, “We are really excited to have worked with Limerick City & County Council behind the scenes with some ideas this year, with the first rainbow crossing in Limerick near Merchants Quay where our pride parade gathers and now another added in the county in Dooradoyle.” Well done Lisa! 

Adare St Patrick’s Day makes a vibrant return after 23 years

In March, the sun was shining in Adare for the village’s 2022 St Patrick’s Day Parade, the first in 23 long years and Richard Lynch  honoured to be the MC for the proceedings.

Locals young and old gathered in their hundreds to witness the momentous occasion and see local community groups and organisations put on a show as they make their way up Main Street.

The Adare St Patrick’s Day parade theme was ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’, a fitting choice for a village that takes great pride in its hugely successful Tidy Towns committee.

The celebrations then got into full swing, with fabulous Adare lady Dolly O’Neill taking on the role of Grand Marshall. Dolly is a village treasure and is due to celebrate her 100th birthday this year.

“Dolly is Adare’s favourite person,” said Trish Derwin, Chairperson of the Adare St Patrick’s Day Parade. “She has dedicated her life to Adare and has voluntarily given so much to the community. She has been at the helm of many organisations here.”

“No words can describe the love and respect the people of Adare have for Dolly, and the many friendships she has made throughout her life.”

Well done Adare on an amazing event!

Team Limerick Clean Up 7 sees a record-breaking 21,300 volunteers participate

After a two-year hiatus, Team Limerick Clean-Up 7 returned bigger than ever on Good Friday, April 15. 

A record-breaking 21,300 volunteers from across the city and county donned their familiar hi viz vests, loaded up their litter pickers and set about giving the city and county the biggest spring clean to date. 

Volunteers including community groups, resident’s associations, sports clubs, schools, businesses, families, and charities were all out in force to do their bit for their local neighbourhoods.   

Celebrating what is a milestone year for the much-loved community event, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr. Daniel Butler, sponsor JP McManus and event co-founders, rugby legend Paul O’Connell and Helen O’Donnell were on hand to launch the event at the soon-to-be-opened International Rugby Experience on O’Connell Street.  

TLC ambassador, Paul O’Connell said, “It’s amazing to surpass 21,300 volunteers and I’d like to thank every person who gave up their time today to help make Limerick a cleaner place. Health & safety is more important than ever, and we’d encourage everyone to be particularly careful and stay safe”.  

Large turnout for Limerick Pride Vigil in memory of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee

In April, Limerick Pride organised a vigil at Arthurs Quay Park to honour the lives of Michael Snee and Aidan Moffitt who were horrifically murdered in Sligo. Over 300 people attended the event. I think all of us are a bit rattled by the murders of these two innocent men and we just wanted to gather today to say a prayer and think of these two innocent men who lost their lives.

The vigil encouraged all members of the public to come and show their support for the community during these troubling times.

Those attending were asked to spread the word and wear bright, rainbow colours, flags, or paint. Pride flags were offered to those in attendance so they could hold them up high in support of the community.

There was a moment of silence in memory of Michael and Aidan and those who have been affected by hate-related violence.

“I think the shocking events of the past week, and also the serious assault of a gay man in Dublin and the many people sharing their stories during the week about assaults and attacks, removes any complacency that homophobic hate crime isn’t an issue in Ireland anymore,” said Adam Long Board Director of the National LGBT Federation who spoke at the event.

Lisa Daly, Chairperson of Limerick Pride added, “Allies of the community are being urged to be proactive in standing firmly with LGBT communities and to offer as much support as possible.”

Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival is a countywide success

The 12th Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival took place across the county from May 23 to 29 and was met with great spirit and an even better turnout. 

The annual festival, organised by the Learning Limerick Steering Group, took place in person this year and coincided with the renewal of Limerick’s commitment to promote learning as a member of the Irish Network of Learning Cities.

A busy programme of events took place for the learning festival in communities across Limerick city and county, catering for enthusiastic learners of all ages. 

In keeping with the theme of this year’s festival, ‘Learn Something New in 2022’, Our Lady Of Lourdes Community Centre in Rosbrien held a workshop on ‘planting something new.’

The flagship event of the 2022 Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival was the UNESCO Learning Cities Seminar, hosted by the University of Limerick at its new City Centre Campus.

Other engaging events included the ‘Connections – Message in Mosaic’ exhibition in Newcastle West, celebrating art created at West Limerick community-learning classes, and an Information Fair held at The Urban Co-Op, Ballysimon Road, which promoted ‘corporate social responsibility’.

“Each year, Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival has something for everyone,” festival coordinator Yvonne Lane commented. “There is a high level of engagement from our local communities and members of the wider public each year. This is a mark of the commitment to promoting learning in all its forms, and an interest in lifelong learning across all groups in Limerick society.”

2022 JP McManus Pro-Am brought 40,000 people to Adare 

I Love Limerick 2022 – After an exhilarating two days on the grounds of Adare Manor for the 2022 JP McManus Pro-Am, American golfer Xander Schauffele claimed the title.

The Pro-Am was due to return in 2020 after its incredible 2010 predecessor but due to the pandemic, it was postponed to 2022. The internationally recognised Pro-Am was able to return to the grounds of Adare Manor amassing an incredible 40,000 spectators to witness the star-studded event.

Fans were delighted to get a chance to see a star-studded line-up of celebrities such as Hollywood actors Bill Murray and Jamie Doran and Irish singer and songwriter Niall Horan and alongside the world’s top 12 golfers.

Many fans were given the opportunity to get photographs with their favourite celebs and have items such as caps and bags signed at the memorable event.

The primary purpose of the Pro-Am is to raise money for charitable organisations, mostly located in the Mid-West region of Ireland.

Since its inception in 1990, the Pro-Am has helped raise over €140 million for charitable organisations in the Mid-West region of Ireland and attracts many of the world’s top players and celebrities to play the Tom Fazio-redesigned golf course.

All proceeds are donated in their entirety to the beneficiary organizations and no administration/running costs are deducted.

Limerick shows its Pride in all the colours of the rainbow!

I Love Limerick 2022 – In July, Limerick Pride took place and was a huge success. The theme for the Festival was ‘Pride is Culture’ and we had a very diverse series of events for the week which have really contributed to Limerick’s culture. The Pride parade of course was the highlight of the week and was an explosion of many different colours as part of what was one of the biggest LGBTQI celebrations Limerick has ever seen, with bright, sunny weather no doubt drawing more people out.

It was back with a bang, as people young and old joined in the fun, with the parade led by well-known local historian Sharon Slater.

Sharon said, “To be able to lead out all these people is absolutely wonderful, after years of not being able to hold a pride parade. So many people wanted to come out and support each other. There are so many people from different backgrounds. It’s lovely to see.”

Lisa Daly, Chairperson of Limerick Pride said, “The weeklong festival featured a multitude of events from workshops, support meetings and discussions to evenings of music and club nights, to cater to the Pride needs of everyone. All events reflected the breadth and depth of our LGBTQIA+ community with our entire community in mind.” 

The Parade gathered on Pery Square due to O’Connell Street roadworks and ending at the Hunt Museum for the annual Pridefest event in a lavish marquee in the museum garden. The family friendly event featured live music and plenty of entertainment including an annual Tea Dance with well-known Limerick actor, director, and playwright Myles Breen.

Thousands gather at TUS Gaelic Grounds for Limerick Hurlers Homecoming 2022

The TUS Gaelic Grounds were swarmed in green on Monday, July 18, as thousands of Limerick supporters gathered to celebrate the Limerick hurlers homecoming 2022. 

Under the sweltering heat in Croke Park on Sunday, July 17, Limerick made history by securing three All Ireland Championship titles in a row after an impressive start over their opponents Kilkenny.

There was an incredible atmosphere as the team arrived at Colbert Station in the early afternoon, with hundreds lining the streets to greet the Limerick heroes.

Fans were ecstatic as the hurlers emerged from the station holding the Liam MacCarthy Cup, sparking excitement for the homecoming party set to take place that evening.

The Limerick team boarded an open-topped bus from the station, travelling down Mallow Street, Henry Street, and the Ennis Road surrounded by fans watching from the footpaths, before eventually arriving at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

The huge turnout at the Limerick hurlers homecoming 2022 was greeted with a stellar line-up of entertainment from local stars such as Denise Chaila MuRli and God Knows, Emma Langford and Waterford’s Moncrieff. 

Congratulations to the Limerick team on their historic win, from everyone at I Love Limerick!

Adare celebrates a double win for keeping their village clean!

The village of Adare had a lot to celebrate as it won two major awards.

On Tuesday, October 25, Adare was named the overall winner of the Limerick Going For Gold competition 2022.

Limerick Going For Gold is a community-based competition aimed at making Limerick a cleaner, brighter place to work, live and visit. Adare came out on top and was awarded €10,000 in the Tidy Towns category.

Less than three days later, members of the Adare Tidy Towns committee travelled up to the RDS Arena in Dublin, where they were awarded a gold medal at the National Tidy Towns Awards!

Along with scooping these major wins, the village won the County Award with Ardpatrick Tidy Towns after coming in second place.

Many supporters and volunteers commented to express their congratulations.

Congrats and well done to everyone involved!

JP McManus and eight companies honoured at Limerick Chamber business awards

I Love Limerick 2022 – In November, the efforts of small, medium and large companies and charities were recognised at the annual Limerick Chamber business awards as eight companies from across the region were honoured.

The annual Chamber awards dinner, sponsored by the Technological University of the Shannon was attended by over 470 of the region’s top business leaders and government officials at a black-tie event in the Limerick Strand Hotel. It also saw one of Limerick’s most famous sons, JP McManus given a lifetime achievement award to a standing ovation in the packed room.

Raheen-based company Stryker won the overall award for Business of the Year. 

Richard Lynch was thrilled and honoured that I Love Limerick was awarded a Special Recognition Award for Creative Collaboration and Contribution for having positively impacted Limerick city demonstrating active citizenship and for helping to enhance the value proposition in the Midwest as an attractive region to live, work and visit. 

It was the first time I Love Limerick was ever nominated as an organisation in almost 15 years so it was lovely to be acknowledged by the Limerick business community.

For more info on Limerick go HERE