CELEBRATIONS were in full flow to honour Limerick’s Fairtrade City Status at Istabraq Hall last week.
Fairtrade committee members past and present, former Mayors, Limerick City Tidy Towns and students all gathered to acknowledge two decades of support of Fairtrade Ireland.
As part of the Fairtrade awareness programme, students aged between 5-18 created Christmas cards centred on the Fairtrade message of promoting fair trading practices between Ireland and developing countries, while highlighting what Fairtrade means to them.
Mayor of Limerick, John Moran commented: “Limerick’s 20 years as a Fairtrade City is a testament to what we can achieve when we act together for fairness and dignity. We have developed a proud tradition of looking beyond the label to the lives and communities our choices impact every day.”
Winners of  Fairtrade Limerick Schools Christmas Card Competition 2025 spanned schools across the city and county including Our Lady of Lourdes NS, Rosbrien, Ardscoil Mhuire, Corbally, Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh, Roxborough NS, St John’s NS, Cratloe, St Mary’s NS Abbeyfeale, Knockainey NS, Milford NS Castletroy, Knockea NS, Donoughmore NS, Corpus Christi NS Moyross and An Mhodscoil.
PrÃomh Chomhairleoir, Cllr Catherine Slattery also thanked students for taking part in “a movement for trade that values people over profit”, while Director General of Limerick City and County Council, Dr. Pat Daly reiterated the council’s continued support for the initiative.
Dolores O’Meara, Chairperson Limerick Fairtrade City group remarked that Limerick has come a long way in the past 20 years, commenting that people have “become more aware”.
“It is wonderful to celebrate Limerick’s 20 years as a Fairtrade City. A lot has changed in that time. Limerick citizens have become more aware of the Fairtrade logo and understand that it guarantees a fair price for Fairtrade farmers in the developing world who produce the tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate and bananas that we consume every day.”
The awards were presented on the day by Helen O’Donnell, Chairperson of Limerick City Tidy Towns, who remarked on the “significant benefits” of supporting Fairtrade for small producers.