Demonstration in Limerick Sunday 10 May

[cactusflower]

More details on solidarity march to be held today
Written by Newswire Editor on May 10th, 2009 at 00:09

Further details regarding today’s solidarity march against Gangland violence have been released.

It’s reported the protest, which begins at Perry Square at 3pm, will be attended by Limerick Minister for Defence Willie O Dea, Mayor John Gilligan, Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell and Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan TD along with other public representatives.

The march will make its way to City Hall on Merchant’s Quay where speeches will be held. Those expected to talk include Mayor John Gilligan, Bishop Donal Murray and march organiser Steve Collins.

During the rally there will be a minutes silence for Mr Collins’ son Roy Collins who was gunned down in early April. A lone piper is also expected to play.

The people of Limerick are implored to attend and are reminded “stand up and be counted” and wear red to mark the occasion.

The people of the Limerick estates were abandoned by these politicians for decades. Good luck to anyone taking part who wants people in the estates to be given the same rights to a peaceful life as is expected as a norm by the middle classes.

[islands]

The people of the Limerick estates were abandoned by these politicians for decades. Good luck to anyone taking part who wants people in the estates to be given the same rights to a peaceful life as is expected as a norm by the middle classes.

That's exactly it. And that's why I'm a bit concerned that there won't be many people out today, because so many people thing "it doesn't really have anything to do with us".

I realise it's not going to have any impact on the criminals who killed Roy Collins, but I hope there is a decent show of people out today to put some pressure on for a solution. It's a rotten problem, and lots of politicians have felt able to ignore it because it's been mainly happening, as you say, in some defined areas of the city.

[cactusflower]

RTE says that there were 5,000 there. It looked like a big march. Was anyone from here at it?

[oracularspectacular]

AN estimated 5,000 people brought the city centre to a standstill this Sunday afternoon as a special protest march against the gangland killings in this city took place.
The event, organised by Stephen Collins, the father of businessman Roy Collins, included a rally outside city hall where Mayor John Gilligan called for an end to the violence.

"The people of Limerick city are heartily sick of these criminals. They have never represented us or don't represent what we are about, and they want nothing to do with us. Quite franky, we want nothing to do with them, and we have to have a parting of the ways on issues like this," said the Mayor.

[URL="http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/More-than-5000-attend-protest.5252219.jpg"[/URL]

[islands]

I got to the end of it. I'm useless at estimating numbers though, but it was a big crowd. There was some silence and a lone piper played for a while. Then John Gilligan who is the mayor spoke about reclaiming the streets. He said he didn't want to see more powers being introduced, but if they were needed then they would have to be brought in. He praised the Collins family etc. His biggest cheers came when he talked about taking back the city, and named some of the innocent people who have died.

Then Steve Collins talked and again got a very good reception. Smaller cheer when he called for internment, I thought.

Otherwise it was great to see a big crowd, and it was quite moving, but I'm not sure what if anything will happen as a result.

[Schuhart]

Otherwise it was great to see a big crowd, and it was quite moving, but I'm not sure what if anything will happen as a result.

I'd share both your hope and your fear.

How did it come to pass that our society's decision making structures have become so dysfunctional? And I don't mean this to blame politicians particularly, as they keep a close eye on whats demanded by their voters. But real problems like this can be noticed, can be seen building, and yet nothing happens apart from people doing their best to be somewhere else when it actually blows.

[Albert Aherne]

Probably a waste of time.Opportunity was there in 2001 when these thugs started to shoot each other and Limerick was promised all the resources necessary to put a stop to it.Absolutely nothing was done by our government i.e. no extra gardai and the gangsters were allowed to fester and infect entire corporation estates.Mind you,the situation wasn't helped by large sections of the Dublin media who were far more interested in sneering and mocking the people of Limerick(all of them and not just the thugs) and using Limerick as a form of entertainment for the rest of the country instead of putting severe pressure on the government to sort out the problem in the 3rd city of the republic.
While gardai numbers have increased in the last year, it's far too little and too late.I listened to Vincent Browne radio programme on RTE back in 2005 and a representative of the gardai said that there were approx 50 to 60(approx12%) fewer gardai in Limerick in 2005 than in 1985 when that type of violence was unknown. Anybody who thinks that Limerick is flooded by gardai is completely mistaken.They are as rare as hens teeth most of the time and gardai foot patrols in the city centre etc an unusual sight.
There is some excuse for the authorities being unable to get a grip on Dublin gangester violence with its massive population but in Limerick with its relatively tiny population it's absolutely inexcusable and can be put down to simply criminal disinterest by the government.
The cause of Limerick,also,was not helped by being denied a cabinet minister for most of the years since approx 1992. Limerick has only been represented at cabinet approx.6 years out of 17. and that has ensured no voice at the top where it matters.The only fault resting on the ordinary people of Limerick for the present situation is that so many voted for W.O'Dea who is worse than useless.

[lostexpectation]

steve collins is an idiot

[Schuhart]

Mind you,the situation wasn't helped by large sections of the Dublin media who were far more interested in sneering and mocking the people of Limerick(all of them and not just the thugs) and using Limerick as a form of entertainment for the rest of the country instead of putting severe pressure on the government to sort out the problem in the 3rd city of the republic.

Can I suggest this says something about your mindset. The 'sneering and mocking' is in your head. What you are effectively saying is that crime in Limerick was covered by national media, and you'd rather they just pretended it wasn't there.

Can I suggest the fact that this was getting media coverage was enough, in and of itself, to be an embarrassment to the Government.

The only fault resting on the ordinary people of Limerick for the present situation is that so many voted for W.O'Dea who is worse than useless.

Finally we get down to something that matters. Can we refresh our memories of the election in 2007. Willie didn't just squeeze into the last seat. He was elected on the first count with 2.3 quotas. Put another way, the people of Limerick's first preference was to give Willie two of the five seats on offer. However their democratic will was frustrated, due the biased Dublin electoral laws preventing a single individual from holding two seats. Hence, 5,000 people found the vote they'd given to Willie being transferred to elect Peter Power into the second seat.

No, I'm not saying that a vote for Willie is a vote for uncontrolled crime. But I am pointing out that, whatever was on the mind of voters when they cast their ballot, it doesn't seem to have been the Government's poor performance. FF vote increased on 2002 in Limerick East. Yet, this is a period which you describe as marked by a removal of Garda resources in the face of increasing violence (which you recollect getting national radio coverage in 2005). Two years later even more people vote FF.

I don't pretend I can explain FF's performance, either in Limerick or nationally, in 2007. Do you think it might be about something other than the media sneering?

[Dob]

Albert
couldnt agree with you more and i feel the courts and the Gardai and especially the Goverment have let Limerick down however my sympathy for Limerick is diluted due to the fact that they keep electing Willie ODea and he in fact increased his vote in the last election.