WITH all the talk and focus on controversy among members of Limerick City and County Council over planning for this year’s Christmas in Limerick festival, Limerick Post reporter Alan Jacques got out and about in the city to get the feeling on the street around this year’s Christmas offering in the city.
Anthony Moloney, Edward Street: “The city has gone dead and it has been this way now for too long, for years. Back in the 80s and 90s it was heaving, but there’s little to bring people in now. They need to be doing a lot more to entice people in for Christmas. All the parking spaces are empty – that tells you everything.”
Betty Ryan, Ballybricken: “They’re not doing anything. They just turn on the lights as far as I know, but there isn’t even a public turning on of the lights. I have grandkids myself and I think they should have a festival or something for the kids, something that would draw people in from the county. There’s no parking here, there’s very little.”
Tadhg Ferriter, Ballysimon: “I don’t think we do enough in general in Limerick. When I go for an overnight to Cork or Galway, I come back pure maddened that we’re not doing more. I was in Cork a couple of weeks ago and there were people out in bars and restaurants it was really lively. We need more incentive to come into town here.”
Corey McNamara, Fr Russell Road: “No, they aren’t doing enough. I think we are definitely lacking when it comes to doing more for the city. They built a lovely new O’Connell Street, which they put a lot of effort into, so they could be doing a lot more. Business are suffering as well, so something needs to change, and not just for Christmas.”
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.