Business
PHOTOS: 2022 Limerick Vintners Ball celebrates the future of hospitality
Limerick Vintners Ball 2022 organising committee, pictured above at the Limerick Strand Hotel. Picture: Richard Lynch/ilovelimerick.
“We’ve been through some tough times, but the future is very bright”
By I Love Limerick correspondent Rachel Petticrew
The 2022 Limerick Vintners Ball was held on Monday, May 30 at the Limerick Strand Hotel, for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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The annual event celebrates the hard work of publicans across Limerick City, giving them a well-deserved chance to let their hair down for the night. The ball was attended by over 300 people and the glitz and glamour of the evening was evident on the red carpet.
The Vintners Federation of Ireland is a national trade organisation for pubs outside of Dublin, working on behalf of members to protect their interests and give advice on industry issues.
The ball was held in aid of the Ukrainian Hub at St Munchin’s Community Centre, and Treaty publicans gave generously to the worthy chosen cause.
Earlier this year, St Munchin’s converted its Age-Friendly Education Campus classrooms into makeshift dormitories for Ukrainian refugees. The centre is currently raising funds to purchase two ‘modular units’ to house additional Ukrainian arrivals, offered at a reduced cost of €32,000.
St Munchins Community Centre manager Linda Ledger thanked the Limerick City Vintners Association for their support, saying, “We need to raise funds to help pay for these units. Many people fleeing Ukraine have lost all possessions and family. They are tired, scared and worried about what will happen to them. The generosity of Limerick publicans and attendees of the Limerick Vintners Ball 2022 will not go unnoticed.”
The perseverance of the hospitality industry during difficult Covid-19 lockdowns was praised and acknowledged on many occasions throughout the night.
Outgoing VFI President, Paul Moynihan said, “Coming out of Covid, we went through a very difficult time. It proved how resilient as an industry we were. It is because of that resilience that we got to reopen with our families and our staff and get going again.
“That journey culminates in seeing so many people here tonight so positive about the business. It says only good things about our trade – we are rising, and there are good times ahead.”
Guest of honour on the night was Padraig Cribben, VFI Chief Executive, who spoke of the nationwide efforts made to save pubs and restaurants in recent years.
“Our industry has come through a very difficult period, and it would be wrong of us not to recognise the contribution made during the pandemic by our major suppliers, and indeed the government, and to thank them for the supports that were put in place during the lockdowns,” said Mr Cribben.
Paul Flannery of Flannery’s Bar on Shannon Street added, “We’ve been through some tough times, but the future is very bright. The 2022 Limerick Vintners Ball is really, really special, and the energy in this room is fantastic.”
For more information on the Vintners Association of Ireland, go HERE
For more news stories, go HERE
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