A bhaill tofa, iarshaigdiurí de chuid an Chéad agus Dara Cogaidh Domhanda, a dhaoine uaisle.
‘Sé pribhléid mór domsa a bheith in éineacht libh ar maidin.
Elected representatives, veterans of the first and second world wars, their families, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great privilege for me to be with you at the memorial here in Pery Square as Mayor of the City and County Limerick.
The commemoration today remembers those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the two world wars.
Today we especially remember those who fought and were lost in the First World War.
Today marks the centenary, to the day, of the signing of the Armistice at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918 which was to bring an end to the First World War.
It was conflict which cost the lives of millions, including 36 000 Irish people. Of these, it is known that at least 1,300 were from Limerick.
Patrick Davis from Coonagh was one of those men. He perished the day before the Armisticeas signed when the ship on which he was serving, was sunk by a German submarine.
It is people like Patrick that we remember today.
It was against this background that the veterans of the First World War themselves founded The British Legion in 1921.
Then, as now, their mission was to provide help and support to veterans and their families, exemplifying their motto ‘service not self’.
The Legion ensured that people remember those who have paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy today.
But even though the generation of theFirst World War has now passed, the British Legion continues to maintain its relevance in Limerick and nationwide.
Not just in keeping faith with the Fallen in Remembrance, but also as an important resource in the continuing welfare and support of the numerous men and women in Ireland who served in the Allied Forces during World War 2 and later.
It is thanks to the British Legion Limerick, which has organised the event today.
Indeed the Limerick branch is one of the oldest in the entire organisation.
It is through the hard work of many men down through the ages that keep the organisation alive for the survivors and the families.
Thank you all
We will continue to remember and to commemorate.
Go n-éirí an t-adh libh
_________________________
CLLR JAMES COLLINS
MAYOR OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF LIMERICK
It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of my former party and council colleague Leonard Enright.
Leonard served the community of Patrickswell and surrounding areas with his quiet yet steely determination during his period on Limerick County Council.
He was first elected for Fianna Fail in June 1999 and was returned in all subsequent elections until his retirement from politics in 2014.
Leonard was a man of few words but his actions spoke for themselves. He was passionate about his area and wanted the best for it.
Leonard’s death comes just hours after he was inducted into the GAA Hall of Fame. The former Patrickswell player was inspirational in the early 1980s and received three All Stars in 1980, 81 and 83.
My sympathies and the sympathies of the people of Limerick are with Leonard’s wife Birdie, sons Alan, Thomas and David, daughter Mary, other family members and friends
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
The funeral details for Leonard Enright RIP are:
Reposing on Sunday, 4th November at the Church of the Blessed Virgin Patrickswell from 4-7pm.
Funeral mass on Monday, 5th November at 11:30 am with burial afterwards in St Mary’s New Cemetery, Patrickswell.
Family flowers only please, donations in lieu to Milford Care Centre. House private please.
McNamara’s Band – A Tale of three Cities –Limerick, Belfast and London
My name is McNamara, I’m the Leader of the Band,
And tho‘ we’re small in number we’re the best in all the land.
The song McNamara’s Band has become a staple of the Irish American song repertoire. It has passed into history as among the most recorded and requested Irish song in contemporary music history. Apart from Danny Boy and The Irish Washerwoman no other Irish American song has equalled such popularity.
The story behind McNamara’s Band is an interesting one with elements of local truth and folklore and also involves part of the Tin Pan Alley song writing tradition which flourished in Emigrant America. It has its roots in Limerick, and Belfast and travelled as far as London and New York with intriguing and surprising consequences and results. Since 1980 over 800 versions of McNamara’s Band have been recorded and the most famous one still remains that which Bing Crosby cut for Decca Records in 1945. Other artists to record the song include Gracie Fields, Connie Francis, Ed Sullivan and his Orchestra, Dennis Day, The Irish Rovers and many more.
When the Irish went to America as migrants they found limited work stations awaiting them with many places of employment refusing to employ tem, or hire them. They went on the railroads, building sites and also to fight the American War of Independence on the Confederate side and also fight in the Mexican Civil war as soldiers of fortune called St Patricks Battalion or as they became better known as The San Patricios.
The Saint Patrick’s Battalion (Spanish: Batallón de San Patricio), formed and led by John Riley, was a unit of 175 to several hundred immigrants (accounts vary) and expatriates of European descent who fought as part of the Mexican Army against the United States in the Mexican–American War of 1846–48. Most of the battalion’s members had deserted or defected from the United States Army. The Battalion served as an artillery unit for much of the war. Despite later being formally designated as two infantry companies, it still retained artillery pieces throughout the conflict. In many ways, the battalion acted as the sole Mexican counterbalance to the recent U.S. innovation of horse artillery. The “San Patricios” were responsible for the toughest battles encountered by the United States in its invasion of Mexico, with Ulysses S. Grant remarking that “Churubusco proved to be about the severest battle fought in the valley of Mexico“. While the San Patricios to give them their folkloric name was composed primarily of Catholic Irish immigrants, the members of the battalion also included people of German, Canadian , French, English, Polish, Scottish, Spanish, Swiss and Mexican origin- many of whom were members of the Catholic Church.[2] Disenfranchised Americans were in the ranks, including escaped slaves from the Southern United States.[3] Only a few members of the Saint Patrick’s Battalion were actual U.S. citizens.
For the migrant Irish in the new world their social outlet was on the bar and vaudeville stage circuit where they rubbed shoulders with fellow-migrant races such as the Jews Polacks and Checks’ and other visiting races from Eastern EuropeThis vaudeville stage offered a chance to express their adventures in the new world through songs and stories while also reflecting the influences of their native musical traditions. It was not surprising for a new style of hybrid song repertoire to emerge where Irish idioms met other ethnic styles and create their own niche thus the Irish slant on Tin Pan Alley was born.
Chief contributors to this idiom included Edward Harrigan, Johnny Patterson from Kilaloe Co.Clare who worked as a Circus Clown among other things and the song writing duo of Stamford and O’Connor. Other contributors included EdwardSchwartz a Polish Jewish Emigrant from The Bronx NY whose main claim to fame was writing My Irish Molly O recorded first by The Flanagan brothers and later by De Danann.
While many of the stories behind much of Irish American popular song of this time gleefully mixed both social fact and fiction, an element of truth emerged from all of the canon which reflected the daily ongoing of the migrant experience. McNamara’s Band is one such example and its story mixes both truth and folklore in equal measure. The story behind the song is one where fact and fiction meet and two elements emerge that of truth from a local source and a story from an Irish American viewpoint. It has also travelled to London where it has found favour with the followers of Tottenham Hotspur FC who have adopted it as their theme song with adapted lyrics. The song was played at the beginning of every Tottenham home game for over 30 years, and is still used as the players emerge from the tunnel at the start of the second half. You can hear the tune being played in part one of this excellent BBC Sportsnight review of Spurs 100th anniversary in 1982 which includes interviews with Arthur Rowe and Bill Nicholson.
“McNamara’s Band” is a nickname for fans of Syracuse University basketball star Gerry McNamara.”McNamara’sBand” is also the name of a blog written by Texas Republican National Committeeman Denise McNamara. In addition, the song was part of a sing-a-long in the Famous Studios animated short, The Emerald Isle (1949). The melody is used in Harold Baum’s “The Pentose Phosphate Shunt” in The Biochemists’ Songbook. mp3. As a result it features regularly in America on St Patrick’s Day shows. It’s a song which is often parodied. A couple of years ago Niall, the ballad singer in Lloyd’s, Amiens Street, struck up,
“You can’t get them in the library; you have to buy them second hand.”
He claimed to have heard the great man sing it. I doubt if it will ever be number one in the charts, but I don’t think it will ever be forgotten
The Local Story behind McNamara’s Band– Limerick Folklore
Many Irish Americans are familiar with the song “MacNamara’s Band” written by Shamus O’Connor and John J. Stamford and popularized by the likes of Bing Crosby. The jovial song was inspired by four Limerick brothers who founded a prize winning band before immigrating to the US and recording for a number of labels.
Patrick and Michael McNamara helped create the St. Mary’s Band Fife and Drum Band in 1885. They shared a row with their brothers, Jack and Thomas. Patrick was the band’s leader when St. Mary’s Prize Band brought home the Ireland championship in 1895. The band continues to this day, having won the All-Ireland championship for flute and drum bands 17 times in its history and playing for dignitaries such as John F. Kennedy during his visit in 1963.According to CannonJohn Connellan (RIP) one time Parish Priest in St Mary’s and local historian Patrick McNamara was the last of ten people of the same name to live in St Mary’s Parish in the latter years of the 18th century he married Jane Carter and had ten children including Patrick McNamara of the band This story was reported in The Parish News publication of late 1997.
After Patrick and Thomas immigrated to the US in the early 1900s, they brought their musical traditions with them. Their group, along with fellow St. Mary’s founder Patsy Salmon, became known as “McNamara’s Band.” The popularity of the band eventually inspired a Tin Pan Alley composer who created the well-known song in 1917. The American version of the lyrics is credited to The Three Jesters (Red Latham, Wamp Carlson, and Guy Bonham) and is modified to sound more “Irish.”
In later years, the brothers along with Eileen, Patrick’s daughter, on piano recorded as the McNamara Trio for the Victor, Vocalion, Columbia, and Beltona labels. This recording from a digitized 78 rpm disc is an example of the trio recorded in April 1925 for the Columbia label. The first tune appears to be what is called “Mouse in the Cupboard” today, followed by “Kerrigan’s,” a version of “The Kesh.”
The McNamara brothers lead remarkable lives during pivotal moments in Irish and world history. Michael served in the Boer War and moved to Devon, England where he passed away in 1962. In 1915, John was killed in action at the Battle of Aubers Ridge in France during World War I. Thomas returned to Ireland at the outbreak of the Great War and served in the British Army before returning the United States. He was among the group who smuggled Eamon de Valera from Liverpool to the United States in 1920. Thomas also served in the Merchant Marines for 23 years and later worked on the New York City Fire Department boats. John McNamara served with the Royal Munster Fusiliers during the Second Boer War and First World War. He was killed in action on 9 May 1915, and his body was never recovered after the war; his name is today commemorated on the Le TouretMemorial, France.
The popular story behind McNamara’s Band TheBelfast/Irish American Vaudeville links
McNamara’s Band was certainly a credit to old Ireland and the Irish in America. Edward Harrigan one half of the duo Harrigan and Hart who composed many of the Irish/American Tin pan Alley Classic songs is sometimes associated with the song although his input is more peripheral and that of a mentor to Stamford and O’Connor-his contribution to the Irish American song canon is monumental. Edward Harrigan (October 26, 1844 – June 6, 1911), sometimes called Ned Harrigan, was an Irish-American actor, singer, dancer, playwright, lyricist and theater producer who, together with Tony Hart (as Harrigan & Hart), formed one of the most celebrated theatrical partnerships of the 19th century. His career began in minstrelsy and variety but progressed to the production of multi-act plays full of singing, dancing and physical comedy, making Harrigan one of the founding fathers of modern American musical theatre. Harrigan was born at Corlear’s Hook in Lower Manhattan, New York City. He was one of 13 children, only four of whom lived past infancy. Their father was a Protestant from Newfoundland, and their mother was described as “a Protestant Yankee”.[1]
After Harrigan’s parents divorced when he was 18, he worked at caulking ships, and his work eventually took him to San Francisco. As a pastime, he wrote new lyrics to existing melodies, and the result found popularity with his fellow workers.[1]
Harrigan made his first stage appearance in 1867 at the Olympic,[1] a San Francisco “melodeon”, as that city’s variety theaters were then known. A brief partnership with comic Sam Rickey was followed by a fourteen-year stage career with Tony Hart, whom he met in Chicago in 1870. Although Harrigan wrote the lyrics and stage patter, the diminutive Hart’s charm and singing talent played a large role in the duo’s success.
Harrigan and Hart went in 1871 to Boston, where they had their first big success at John Stetson’s Howard Athenaeum.[1] They then moved on to New York, where they first worked with Tony Pastor before beginning a long run at Josh Hart’s Theatre Comique. By the mid-1870s they began moving from the variety show toward musical theatre. Harrigan’s sketches on the Comique’s crowded bill featured comic Irish, German and black characters drawn from everyday life on the streets of New York.[2] Their breakthrough hit was the 1873 song and sketch “The Mulligan Guard”, a lampoon of an Irish neighborhood “militia” with music by David Braham, who would become Harrigan’smusical director and father in law. It became their signature piece, and they featured it in many of their slapstick skits and plays.[3] In 1876, Harrigan took over the Comique himself, along with Hart and manager Martin Hanley.
By 1878, with The Mulligan Guard Picnic, Harrigan & Hart settled down on Broadway and performed in seventeen of their shows over the next seven years.[4] Though still broad and farcical, these shows featured music that was integrated with a more literary story line, together with the dialogue and dance, and the shows began to resemble modern musical comedy. Harrigan wrote the stories and lyrics, and Braham wrote the music.
Although the plays gradually became longer as more songs, dances, and stage business was added, the tickets remained the same price. Harrigan and Hart’s comedy was about everyday people, and so it was fitting that working folk were able to afford to fill up the seats. These shows were very popular, especially with New York’s immigrant-based lower and middle classes, who were delighted to see themselves comically (but sympathetically) depicted on stage. The action of the plays took place in downtown Manhattan and concerned real-life problems, such as interracial tensions, political corruption, and gang violence, all mixed with broad, street-smart comedy, puns and ethnic dialects. Harriganplayed the politically ambitious Irish saloon owner “Dan Mulligan”, and Hart played the African-American washerwoman “Rebecca Allup“.
One of Harrigan’s most popular plays with the Mulligan Guard Series, the Mulligan Guard’s Ball (1880), shows off the smooth juxtaposition of the comedy, musicality, and a healthy dose of humanity that made Harrigan’s plays so distinctive.Full of laughable chaos and “Harrigan hilarity”, the Irish militia and Black militia within the act butt heads in a satirical whirlwind of dance, stage violence, and buffoonery.[5][page needed] The New York Herald compared the Mulligan series to the Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, and one devotee wrote: “America has produced nothing more national, more distinctly its own, than these plays of the Irish in New York”.[5][page needed] People spoke of Ned Harrigan as the American Molière.[6][page needed]
Although the Theatre Comique was eventually shut down for financial reasons, Harrigan announced in 1881 that they would build a fresh and elegant “New Theatre Comique” several blocks further north on Broadway. The building they renovated was originally the home of the Church of the Messiah but had hosted many other theatres throughout the years.[7][page needed] However, this theatre was not to last; it burned to the ground in 1884.[8]
After the theatre collapsed, so did the partnership. Harriganhad married Annie Braham, David’s daughter, on November 18, 1876. Their family continued in his footsteps, as son William Harrigan, daughter Nedda Harrigan, and granddaughter Ann Connolly all became Broadway performers. However, Harrigan’s habit of hiring relatives soured his partnership with Hart. In May 1885, five months after the fire, Harrigan and Hart appeared on Broadway together for the last time. Hart’s health deteriorated, and he died at age 36 in 1891,[3]while Harrigan opened up his Harrigan’s Theatre in 1890 on Herald’s Square. Twenty-three of his plays achieved runs of more than 100 performances each on Broadway. Harrigan continued writing plays and performing until his last public appearance on March 16, 1910.
Harrigan died in 1911.[5][page needed]
In 1985, a musical celebrating the partnership, Harrigan ‘N Hart, opened on Broadway. The show has a book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Peter Walker, and music by Max Showalteris based on the book The Merry Partners by Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr. and material found by Nedda HarriganLogan. Harry Groener portrayed Harrigan, Mark Hamill (of Star Wars fame) played Hart, and Joe Layton directed. Frank Rich of The New York Times found the show dull and “aimless”,[9] and so did audiences, as it closed after 25 previews and four regular performances.[10]
The influence of Ed Harrigan on this story from a local sense may be unexpected but when talking of McNamara’s Band in an Irish American context his input rendered considerably more faborably. In fact McNamara’s Band was a song that was waiting to be written and the Limerick McNamaras gave the inspiration to Stamford and O’Connor to write it ; there remains a possibility that O’Connor and Stamford composed a song not dissimilar to it before or that the idea was knocking around and needed someone to run with it. In this case, where Ed Harrigan is concerned with McNamara’s Band is that he recommended the idea as a song for another Irish American performer Joseph Ashcroft.
This story of the song’s genesis sets itself in Belfast at the turn of the last century. It has more in common with the Tin Pan Alley tradition of song –writing as which flourished in Irish America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. “McNamara’s Band” (originally “MacNamara’s Band”) is a popular song composed in 1889 by Shamus O’Connor (music) and John J. Stamford (lyrics). John J. Stamford was then the manager of the Alhambra Theatre in Belfast and the song was written expressly for the theatre’s owner, the Irish-American music hall veteran William J. “Billy” Ashcroft. Ashcroft, was often referred to as “The Solid Man” for his association with the Edward Harrigan song “Muldoon, the Solid Man,” had earlier in his career in the U.S. performed a blackface routine called “The Lively [or ‘Musical’] Moke,” which interspersed comic song and dance with brief performances on multiple instruments. “McNamara’s Band” gave him scope for a similar Irish “character song.”[1][2]
Irish music hall historians Watters and Murtagh described Ashcroft’s performance of the routine: “Here ‘McNamara’ breaks into a dancing quick-step March up and down the Stage, his nimble fingers snatching up one instrument after another, blowing the bassoon, tootling the flute, beating the drum with the knob of his baton – A One-Man Band.” [3]
Modern listeners associate the song with the version recorded on December 6, 1945[4] by Bing Crosby, with a set of lyrics credited to “The Three Jesters.” Released on Decca Records in early 1946, the song became a Top Ten hit for Crosby. It remains one of his most popular songs and is often sung on St. Patrick’s Day. A slightly earlier recording of this song appeared in the 1945 film The Way to the Stars. Stanley Holloway leads the crowd in a pub close to a Royal Air Force base during in World War II.
It has been claimed that the song was inspired by an actual band, the St Mary’s Fife and Drum Band, formed in Limerick in 1885. In the late 19th century the band featured four brothers, Patrick, John, Michael and Thomas McNamara, and became famous for playing shows all across Ireland. In the early 20th century Patrick and Thomas immigrated to the United States and formed the “McNamara’s Band” with Patrick “Patsy” Salmon, another Limerick émigré. After Patsy Salmon left the group, Patrick and Thomas formed “McNamara’s Trio” with Thomas on piccolo, Patrick on violin and Patrick’s daughter, Eileen, on the piano. The trio recorded and released several songs for Vocalion Records.[5]
Lyrics[edit]
The most widely used set of lyrics is the adaptation by Crosby’s “Three Jesters” (Red Latham, Wamp Carlson and Guy Bonham).[6]
The original lyrics:
My name is McNamara, I’m the Leader of the Band,
And tho‘ we’re small in number we’re the best in all the land.
Oh! I am the Conductor, and we often have to play
With all the best musicianers you hear about to-day.
(Chorus)
When the drums go bang, the cymbals clang, the horns will blaze away,
MacCarthy puffs the ould bassoon while Doyle the pipes will play;
Oh! Hennessy Tennessy tootles the flute, my word ’tis something grand,
Oh! a credit to Ould Ireland, boys, is McNamara’s Band!
Whenever an election’s on, we play on either side-
The way we play our fine ould airs fills Irish hearts with pride.
Oh! if poor Tom Moore was living now, he’d make yez understand
That none could do him justice like ouldMcNamara’s Band.
(Chorus)
We play at wakes and weddings, and at every county ball,
And at any great man’s funeral we play the “Dead March in Saul,”
When the Prince of Wales to Ireland came, he shook me by the hand,
And said he’d never heard the like of “McNamara’s Band.”
The Three Jesters’ version is different: The politics of “Ould Ireland” are removed; the words are made more “Irish,” e.g. “Me name is…” rather than “My name is…;” and stereotypes are added in the final lines to make the selection essentially a comedy song.
Oh!, me name is McNamara, I’m the Leader of the Band,
And tho‘ we’re few in numbers we’re the finest in the land.
We play at wakes and weddings, and at every fancy ball,
And when we play at funerals we play the march from Saul.
(Chorus)
Oh! the drums go bang, and the cymbals clang, and the horns they blaze away,
McCarthy pumps the old bazoon while I the pipes do play;
And, Hennessey Tennessey tootles the flute, and the music ’tis somethin‘ grand,
A credit to old Ireland is McNamara’s Band!
Right now we are rehearsin‘ for a very swell affair,
The annual celebration, all the gentry will be there.
When General Grant to Ireland came, he took me by the hand,
Says he, “I never saw the likes of McNamara’s Band.”
(Chorus)
Oh me name is Uncle Yuliusand from Sweden I have come,
To play with McNamara’s Band and beat the big bass drum,
And when I march along the street the ladies think I’m grand,
They shout “There’s Uncle Yulius playing with an Irish band.”
(no chorus here)
Oh! I wear a bunch of shamrocks and a uniform of green,
And I am the funniest looking Swede that you have ever seen.
There’s O’Briens and Ryansand Sheehans and Meehans, they come from Ireland,
But by Yimminy I’m the only Swede in McNamara’s Band.
The English Premier League football team Tottenham Hotspur F.C. adopted the song as their club anthem, with one verse changed:
Oh the whistle blows the cockerel crows, and now we’re in the game,
It’s up to you, you Lilywhites, to play the Tottenham way.
Oh there’s many a team from many a town and some are great and small,
But the famous Tottenham Hotspur are the greatest of them all.
The London and Tottenham Hotspur Connection
“MacNamara’s Band” (note correct spelling) is also the club song for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. a Premier League Football Club in North London. The connection to the club may be that the song was written in Barnet, also North London and not far from the Spurs Ground. Spurs is the well known nickname for Tottenham Hotspur. The song was adopted by Spurs long before popular legend cites its adoption after Northern Irish international Danny Blanchflower joined the club in 1954. Whilst the song was used at this time and underwent something of a revival during the Glory Glory years of the early 1960s, its use at White Hart Lane predates either. The song is still played to this very day as the players return to the pitch after half time at White Hart Lane.The song was played at the beginning of every Tottenham home game for over 30 years, and is still used as the players emerge from the tunnel at the start of the second half.
McNamara’s Band is the song played at White Hart Lane London N17 home of Tottenham Hotspur when the teams emerge onto the pitch for the second half of each home game. This tradition goes back many years and whilst the lyrics are not known by the majority of fans the tune is instantly recognisable.
The cockerel crows and now we’re in the game
Its up to you, you Lillywhites to play the Tottenham way
There’s many teams, of many towns
But the famous Tottenham Hotspur are the greatest of them all!
You can hear the tune being played in part one of this excellent BBC Sportsnight review of Spurs 100th anniversary in 1982 which includes interviews with Arthur Rowe and Bill Nicholson.
The song has also found favour with followers of Tottenham Hotspur Footbal Club in London England. “MacNamara’sBand” (note correct spelling) is also the club song for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. a Premier League Football Club in North London. The connection to the club may be that the song was written in Barnet, also North London and not far from the Spurs Ground. Spurs is the well-known nickname for Tottenham Hotspur. The song was adopted by Spurs long before popular legend cites its adoption after Northern Irish international Danny Blanchflower joined the club in 1954. Whilst the song was used at this time and underwent something of a revival during the Glory Glory years of the early 1960s, its use at White Hart Lane predates either. The song is still played to this very day as the players return to the pitch after half time at White Hart Lane.
It has been suggested by older Spurs supporters, and in some books, that it was because Spurs had a Manager, Peter McWilliam (1912–27 & 1938–42) and that this is the reason McNamara’s Band (Macs band) was adopted. Whatever the origin many fans will remember the tingle of excitement when the music started to play as the captain appeared coming up the steps of the old West Stand that led to the pitch, always exactly as the music started. The last player out of the dressing room pressed a button on the wall of the passage which rang a bell which in turn prompted the tape to be played. It has been suggested by older Spurs supporters, and in some books, that it was because Spurs had a Manager, Peter McWilliam (1912–27 & 1938–42) and that this is the reason McNamara Band (Macs band) was adopted. Whatever the origin many fans will remember the tingle of excitement when the music started to play as the captain appeared coming up the steps of the old West Stand that led to the pitch, always exactly as the music started. The last player out of the dressing room pressed a button on the wall of the passage which rang a bell which in turn prompted the tape to be played.
A further theory on McNamara’s Band – where local Northern folk lore and the American and Limerick story meet
A further theory on the genesis of McNamara’s Band which centres on local folklore is that of Liam Murphy which is set in Benburb Co. Armagh. To my mind it was a local song. Jimmy McNamara was a second cousin of my mother and he called every Friday to our house as an insurance agent. Jimmy was a bachelor and my mother always had a meal ready for him. I used to sit in the corner pretending to be reading but listening intently to the craic. They got on well on every topic under the sun – except for politics. Jimmy Mac, as we called him, was an ardent Hibernian. He was pipe major in a reasonably good pipe band, Blackwater and Benburb AOH Division 203, which had the privilege of leading the St Patrick’s Day parade in New York in the 1960s. My mother had absolutely no time for Hibernians and often gave her opinions to Jimmy.
“Rose, you were watching us parade last Sunday, you were at the door as we passed down the street,” Jimmy told her. “Not only was I looking, I was laughing, for your face gets redder and redder as you pass here,” she chided him, and indeed I thought this to be true. Jimmy had a ruddy appearance but I firmly believed that the intensity of his complexion went up a few notches as he paraded past our house. As there was also an independent pipe band in the village we dubbed the AOH outfit McNamara’s Band. Not only was Jimmy a piper but he was also a fine fiddle player and the leader of a ceilí band. Again there were two ceilí bands in the village – the renowned McCusker Brothers and the real McNamara’s Band. Ironically, the McCusker Brothers with nine instruments did a livelier version of the song.
We were expressly forbidden “to darken the door of the Hibernian Hall” but myself and my brother Fergus were known to sneak into the monthly dance on occasion. Jimmy’s outfit played not only ceilí music, but a mixture. They struck up their programme with a lively military two-step and the drummer, Jimmy Murphy, kicked up a powerful racket when they played their signature tune. Since they had been in existence from the early 1930s, I was convinced for a time that Jimmy had written McNamara’s Band.
In fact, the song was written in Belfast. The manager of the Alhambra, John J Stamford, watched Willie John Ashcroft’s routine when he first took over the music hall in 1879. He noted his versatility – he sang, he cracked jokes he played flute, violin and other instruments, all the time banging a drum with the knob of his walking stick and he was an accomplished dancer adept in jigs and reels and heavy clog dancing. He had great success with The Solid Man which was sung to an old Irish air. As well as appearing regularly in the Alhambra, Ashcroft appeared no less than 15 times at the top of the bill in Dan Lowrey’s Star of Erin Music Hall in Dublin.
Stamford knew that Ashcroft needed a new song and while he had success with Norah Kearney, McGinty the Swell of the Sea, Just Pay Your respects to McGuinness, and others, it was here that he premiered the number designed to display both his vocal gifts, his versatility on many instruments and his dance routine –the original one-man band.
McNamara’s Band was an immediate hit in Dublin, which was just what Ashcroft needed as Stamford, who as manager had made the fortunes of the Alhambra where others had failed, resigned his post to take over the Shakespeare Inn.
As often happens to famous Irish airs, it was recorded by an international singing star. In 1946 Bing Crosby and his backing group, The Jesters, recorded a version of the song and had a top ten hit. As a result it features regularly in America on St Patrick’s Day shows.
That theory and the local folklore story as popularised in Limerick are the most widely known concerning the genesis of McNamara’s Band. In the case of the Limerick McNamara brothers the Parish Records have borne truth of the existence of Thomas McNamara and Patrick McNamara and their exploits in Limerick with St Mary’s Prize Band and their own outfit McNamara’s Band both at home and in their adopted New York prove the story to be true. Mr Ashcroft who was an associate of Edward Harrigan and from whose stage act the song supposedly emerged by Sheamus Stanford gives rise to another theory that an original draft of McNamara’s Band existed before he and Shaumas O’Connor met the McNamarasas they took part in the St Patrick’s Day Parade of 1916 and the finalised song was completed in 1917 and published in 1919. The song having been recorded by Bing Crosby in 1945 has given rise to the number of cover versions of the song as recorded since then.
The song’s popularity has been verified and declared valid and the number of recordings of the song and its continuing popularity within the Irish American repertoire. The fact that it has its roots in a Limerick family whose presence in the St Marys Parish area has proved its truth and verifies its existence.
References[edit]
Harrigan ‘n Hart[edit]
In 1985, a musical celebrating the partnership, Harrigan ‘N Hart, opened on Broadway. The show has a book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Peter Walker, and music by Max Showalteris based on the book The Merry Partners by Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr. and material found by Nedda Harrigan Logan. Harry Groener portrayed Harrigan, Mark Hamill (of Star Wars fame) played Hart, and Joe Layton directed. Frank Rich of The New York Times found the show dull and “aimless”,[9] and so did audiences, as it closed after 25 previews and four regular performances.[10]
Works[edit]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
Further reading[edit]
External links[edit]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). “Harrigan, Edward“. EncyclopædiaBritannica. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 17.
When McNamara truly was
the leader of the band in
Saint Mary’s Parish, Limerick
The ‘birthplace’ of McNamara’s Band in Mary Street, Limerick (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)
Patrick Comerford
The Chas Flats are part of a boarded-up complex of apartments, with broken windows and doors and a sad air of abandonment, on the corner of Mary Street and Creagh Lane, awaiting redevelopment in heart of the old city on King’s Island.
A fading green plaque placed on one of the gable ends on Mary Street by Limerick Civic Trust is now almost illegible to make out but once read:
McNamara’s Band
1905-1927
This world-wide
celebrated musical ensemble got
its name from the Limerick brothers –
Paddy, Michael, Jack and Tom
McNamara,
all of whom were born in
St Mary’s Parish
“My name is McNamara,
I’m the leader of the Band”.
The fading plaque placed on the Chas Flats by Limerick Civic Trust (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)
This is one of the oldest parts of Limerick, the street names are reminders of the city’s mediaeval legacy, and these houses stand beside Fanning’s Castle, a tower house dating from the 16th and 17th centuries and built by the Whitamore and Fanning families, two of the leading merchant and political families in late Tudor, Stuart and Cromwellian Limerick.
A few doors away down Mary Street, the band room of Saint Mary’s Band Room bears the date 1885. But the building was erected in 1922, and the date refers to the foundation of the band in 1885.
Three years later, in 1889, Shamus O’Connor and John J Stamford wrote the first version of ‘McNamara’s Band.’ The song was originally about a one-man band, but people in Limerick insist it was inspired by Saint Mary’s Band, which at the time included many members of the McNamara family from Saint Mary’s Parish.
Stamford, who wrote the lyrics, was then the manager of the Alhambra Theatre in Belfast and the song was written expressly for the theatre’s owner, the Irish-American music hall veteran William J ‘Billy’ Ashcroft.
Saint Mary’s Fife and Drum Band was founded in 1885. From its humble beginnings in the Yellow Driller on the King’s Island, it moved to Nicholas Street, then to Barrington’s Mall, Fish Lane and finally in 1922 the new band room was built in Mary Street.
The band was the brainchild of Patrick ‘Todsy’ McNamara, an Abbey fisherman, and many of his fisher friends formed the original band.
The founding figures in the band included Paddy Salmon, Steve Collins, the brothers Patrick and Michael McNamara, Paddy (Halley) Kennedy, Jack Gogarty, Jim Ring, Paddy (Sparrow) O’Donoghue and his two brothers, Ned Walsh, John Lynch, Tom Forward, Jack McNamara, John Hayes, Jim Doyle, and Gerry, Michael and Jimmy Frawley.
At its first attempt in September 1885, the band won the All-Ireland Championship under the baton of Steve Collins. By the late 19th century, Saint Mary’s Fife and Drum Band included the four McNamara brothers named on the fading plaque – Patrick, John, Michael and Thomas – and played throughout Ireland.
In the early 20th century, Patrick and Thomas McNamara emigrated to New York, where they formed ‘McNamara’s Band’ with Patrick ‘Patsy’ Salmon, another Limerick emigre. When Patsy Salmon left, Patrick and Thomas McNamara formed ‘McNamara’s Trio,’ with Thomas on piccolo, Patrick on violin and Patrick’s daughter Eileen on the piano. The trio recorded and released several songs.
During World War I, three members of the band were killed in action within six months of each other in 1915. John McNamara, who remained behind in Limerick, enlisted in the Royal Munster Fusiliers and fought in the Second Boer War and World War I. He was killed in action on 9 May 1915, and his body was never recovered. He is remembered on Le Touret Memorial in France.
Saint Mary’s Prize Band was founded in 1885, and the present band room on Mary Street was built in 1922 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)
A recording of ‘McNamara’s Band’ features in the film The Way to the Stars (1945), in which Stanley Holloway leads the crowd in a pub close to a Royal Air Force base during World War II.
Later that year, on 6 December 1945, Bing Crosby recorded the best-known version of the song. It was released early in 1946, when the lyrics were credited to ‘The Three Jesters’ (Red Latham, Wamp Carlson and Guy Bonham). It was an immediate Top 10 hit for Bing Crosby and remains one of his most popular songs.
The English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur also adopted the song as its club anthem. Supporters claim the song was written in Barnet, not far from White Hart Lane, the Spurs home in North London until last year (2017).
Other sources say it became the Spurs song because Peter McWilliam was a long-time Spurs manager (1912-1927, 1938-1942) and ‘Mac’s Band’ became his song appropriately.
With its Irish resonances, the song was revived at White Hart Lane when the Northern Ireland international Danny Blanchflower joined Spurs in 1954. The song experienced another revival in the ‘Glory years’ of the early 1960s, and continued to be played until last year as the players emerged from the tunnel after half-time and returned to the pitch for the second half.
The original lyrics of the song are:
My name is McNamara, I’m the Leader of the Band,
And tho’ we’re small in number we’re the best in all the land.
Oh! I am the Conductor, and we often have to play
With all the best musicianers you hear about to-day.
(Chorus)
When the drums go bang, the cymbals clang, the horns will blaze away,
MacCarthy puffs the ould bassoon while Doyle the pipes will play;
Oh! Hennessy Tennessy tootles the flute, my word ’tis something grand,
Oh! a credit to Ould Ireland, boys, is McNamara’s Band!
Whenever an election’s on, we play on either side –
The way we play our fine ould airs fills Irish hearts with pride.
Oh! if poor Tom Moore was living now, he’d make yezunderstand
That none could do him justice like ould McNamara’s Band.
(Chorus)
We play at wakes and weddings, and at every county ball,
And at any great man’s funeral we play the ‘Dead March in Saul,’
When the Prince of Wales to Ireland came, he shook me by the hand,
And said he’d never heard the like of ‘McNamara’s Band.’
In the Bing Crosby 1946 version, the politics of ‘OuldIreland’ are removed and the words are made more ‘Oirish.’ ‘My name is …’ becomes ‘Me name is …,’ the Prince of Wales becomes General (Ulysses) Grant, and stereotypes are added in the final lines to make it a comedy song.
Oh!, me name is McNamara, I’m the Leader of the Band,
And tho’ we’re few in numbers we’re the finest in the land.
We play at wakes and weddings, and at every fancy ball,
And when we play at funerals we play the march from Saul.
(Chorus)
Oh! the drums go bang, and the cymbals clang,
and the horns they blaze away,
McCarthy pumps the old bazoon
while I the pipes do play;
And, Hennessey Tennessey tootles the flute,
and the music ’tis somethin’ grand,
A credit to old Ireland is McNamara’s Band!
Right now we are rehearsin’ for a very swell affair,
The annual celebration, all the gentry will be there.
When General Grant to Ireland came,
he took me by the hand,
Says he, ‘I never saw the likes of McNamara’s Band.’
(Chorus)
Oh me name is Uncle Yulius
and from Sweden I have come,
To play with McNamara’s Band
and beat the big bass drum,
And when I march along the street
the ladies think I’m grand,
They shout ‘There’s Uncle Yulius
playing with an Irish band.’
(no chorus)
Oh! I wear a bunch of shamrocks
and a uniform of green,
And I am the funniest looking Swede
that you have ever seen.
There’s O’Briens and Ryans and Sheehans and Meehans,
they come from Ireland,
But by Yimminy I’m the only Swede
in McNamara’s Band.
This version also misses the cultural significance of the reference to ‘The Dead March’ in Act 3 of Handel’s oratorio Saul. ‘The Dead March’ introduces the obsequies for the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, and includes an organ part and trombones alternating with flutes, oboes and quiet timpani. It has been played at most British state funerals, and was performed too at the funerals of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
The White Hart Lane version has changed one verse:
Oh the whistle blows the cockerel crows,
and now we’re in the game,
It’s up to you, you Lilywhites,
to play the Tottenham way.
Oh there’s many a team from many a town
and some are great and small,
But the famous Tottenham Hotspur
are the greatest of them all.
In August 1965, Arthur Quinlan interviewed Thomas McNamara, the last surviving member of McNamara’s Band, for RTÉ News outside the venue where it all began in 1885. Thomas, who played flute and piccolo with the quartet, died in May 1978.
Saint Mary’s Band has continued to honour the custom of parading through Saint Mary’s Parish on New Year’s Eve and then to Saint Mary’s Cathedral to ring out the old year and to ring in the New.
Saint Mary’s Band continues as part of the life of Saint Mary’s Parish (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)
Limerick City and County Council honoured Vicky Phelan with a Civic Reception yesterday evening.
As Mayor, I wanted to reflect Limerick’s appreciation of Vicky Phelan.
“Every recipient of a Civic Reception in Limerick is a worthy recipient. A Civic Reception is us, as a council, and as a people, recognising those in our Limerick community who have done great civic service – an act, a service or a sacrifice – that enriches our community.
This is us, as a council, honouring you, Vicky Phelan, because you have honoured Limerick.
I should, of course, say Dr. Vicky Phelan, following your recent and much deserved honorary doctorate at UL. I welcome you and your husband, Jim, your children Amelia and Darragh, parents John and Gabby Kelly, and all your friends. Occasions where families and friends can get together to honour the achievements of one of their own are rare enough in Irish life. So I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you and your family what an inspiration Vicky Phelan has been to all of us in Limerick this year.
You have acted, served, and sacrificed, in the service of your community.
You acted when you refused to become an anonymous statistic of the courts, when you refused to sign a confidentiality agreement, when you insisted the people of Ireland hear what happened to you, and what happened to the others, the 221 women diagnosed with cervical cancer, and who are represented by your victim support group the ‘221+ CervicalCheck Patient Support Group.’
You served your community, and all of us, every man, woman and child, by the way you fought for disclosure, and for the rights of every victim to be heard. Your strength of character exposed glaring weaknesses in a failing system, with fatal consequences for far too many women.
It is chilling to think that it took you – a mother who was given just months to live – to show us that there were women actually dying. You forced us to stop and listen to your story. Then, you demanded an investigation, and refused to go quietly.
You sacrificed. You improved healthcare for the women of Ireland, led a campaign for change and better standards, advocating for the victims and their families, juggling national radio and tv appearances with the reality of your own mortality. We forget that only last January you were given a terminal diagnosis of months, rather than years.
You fought the health system. You fought the government and you have undoubtedly saved the lives of many of our mothers, wives, daughters and sisters across this island.
And through all of this you have fought your diagnosis. You had to fight with every inch of strength you had to get access to alternative treatments. This has extended your life. We hope that you continue to recover Vicky as you are a role model for all of us. I know that one of your goals is to make it easier for those with a terminal diagnosis to learn about and access alternative treatments.
Your story is one of survival, resistance, courage and change. You changed the world around you – by exposing failings in the HSE and the CervicalCheck screening process. The big question now is the one you and other brave women, such as the late Emma Mhic Mhathúna, asked on day one.
Who is going to be accountable?
We’ve had major health crises in the past, we’ve had tribunals of inquiry, and we’ve had independent reviews, but scandals such as this one, continue to occur in the Irish health service. The only way we can stop this happening again is for there to be accountability. Your bravery has exposed the system, it is our responsibility as a society to ensure that nobody covers it up again. And they cover it up by avoiding responsibility. By hiding behind the system. I support your recent call for the introduction of new laws making managers in the public service accountable for the errors they make.
Over the years our health service has ensured through its deep failings that the names of certain women are etched into our collective memory. The line between the controversy that gave us Brigid McCole, and the scandal that gave us Vicky Phelan, is littered with a disturbing cast of girls and women whose health has been deemed secondary, negotiable and subject at times to the arbitrary nature of men in power.
In a big year for Limerick – where our sporting heroes have thought us the values of courage, perseverance, and resilience – you Vicky are our greatest hero. You faced death and lived with bravery, belief, and a selfless determination to espouse the rights and improve the lives of others. In so doing, you have honoured every citizen of Limerick. I am honoured and humbled as Mayor to be able to afford you this civic reception. “
___________________
CLLR JAMES COLLINS
MAYOR OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF LIMERICK
600 new jobs by Edwards Lifesciences is huge endorsement of Limerick as major FDI destination
Edwards Lifesciences to set up new facility in National Technology Park
Media Release Thursday 04 October 2018
LIMERICK, Ireland: The decision by US med-tech company Edwards Lifesciences that it is to invest €80 million in a 600-job facility at the National Technological Park is further validation of Limerick’s attractiveness to leading global companies, the Mayor of the City and County of Limerick James Collins has stated.
The announcement by company today is the latest in a long list of FDI and indigenous job commitments for Limerick, with over 12,000 posts created over the past five years.
Welcoming the decision, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr James Collins said: “Today’s announcement by Edwards Lifesciences is a huge endorsement of the Limerick city region and its ability to attract global leaders in the Life Sciences sector to set up in Limerick.
“The Med-tech sector is growing in Limerick and today’s decision further cements Limerick’s reputation as a go-to location for companies wishing to innovate and expand. The work to be carried out in the firm’s permanent facility in the National Technology Park in Castletroy will help change the lives of millions of people worldwide.
“The eco-system in Limerick centred around co-operation between the local authority, state agencies and education providers has once again proven to be a winner for companies looking at investing in Ireland.
“Like Edwards Lifesciences, we all need to continue to innovate, in order to remain an attractive location for foreign investment. We are operating in a global marketplace and need to remain competitive. I can assure the company of the continuing support of Limerick City and County Council.”
Said Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council Conn Murray: “This announcement is the latest validation of the enormous and collective effort of a range of key stakeholders who together have transformed this city and region from the state of economic crisis it was in a decade ago into perhaps the biggest success story of the economic recovery.
“We have unique advantages here, not least our competitiveness as one of the most affordable regions for cost-of-living in the country. Our accessibility is unrivalled for a region of this size thanks to a brilliant road infrastructure that has us already connected to two of the countries four largest cities, Dublin and Galway, and is going to be further improved with the M20 to Cork, as well as having an international airport on our doorstep at Shannon. We also have a strong graduate supply through our third level institutions here.
“All these and more played a vital role in the recovery so far but, equally, we remain committed to ensuring this momentum is maintained and great strides continue to be taken. Today, however, is a day for celebrating as we welcome Edwards Lifesciences to Limerick and look forward to working with them to make sure that this is but the start of a long and fruitful relationship.”
ENDS
Best of luck Thomond FC, Ilen Project Limerick, Mid-West Simon Community, Limerick, Children’s Grief Centre, Limerick in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards.
The National Lottery Good Causes Awards aims to celebrate the inspiring and innovative work being carried out by the thousands of individuals, organisations, groups and sports clubs all over Ireland who benefit from National Lottery Good Causes funding. Projects can win up to €35,000 for their own work in their community.
These are the Regional Winners in the category West, that includes Limerick, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry
Sport – Thomond Rugby FC, Limerick
Health & Wellbeing – Western Alzheimer’s, Mayo
Arts & Culture – National Circus Festival of Ireland, Kerry
Heritage – Ilen Project, Limerick
Community – Mid-West Simon Community, Limerick
Youth – Children’s Grief Centre, Limerick
As regional winners they go to the next stage of the competition, the National final. This will culminate at a Gala Awards ceremony in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road in Dublin on Saturday 3rd November where six of these projects will win a €10,000 cash prize for each category.
Mayor James Collins’ strategy on concerts to use this as a funding model for other major events.
The €150,000 refundable loan given by Limerick City and County Council to the Gaelic Grounds, on behalf of Limerick GAA, to facilitate the staging of the National Geographic concert was money well spent, according to the Mayor of Limerick City and County, Cllr James Collins.
“In May this year, I called for the establishment of a concert task force in Limerick after the city was ignored by Ed Sheeran in a nationwide tour that took in Cork, Galway, Dublin and Belfast. I said then that we were missing out on €20m a year in revenue.
“I have since met with key stakeholders interested in bringing concerts to Limerick – hoteliers, restaurateurs, chamber representatives, concert promoters, vintners, the management teams of venues, big and small, and one of the proposals that came out of the taskforce was this idea of a refundable contribution – whereby the Council could give a sum of money to help a promoter secure a major act. The Council would share in any upside, through a small premium percentage, and also be protected in the event of the concert not being profitable, as the money is invested as a refundable loan.
“The idea was the sum made available by the Council to the National Geographic Concert would be recycled into this fund to promote other major concerts and events for the city,” Mayor Collins, a general election candidate for Fianna Fail, said.
“The National Geographic Symphony For Our World event in the Gaelic Grounds was a huge success – a triumph which proves the city can host major concerts and events. Anyone who was in the Gaelic Grounds for last weekend’s event came away energised by the magic of a live event of such magnitude being hosted so successfully in our city.
“Not only was it worth several million in revenues to the local region, it was also an important statement about where this city stands on culture, on the environment, and on business. We have the world’s best hotel in Limerick. We have a beautiful, historic, riverside city with venues capable of catering for concerts of all sizes, from King John’s Castle to Thomond Park and the Gaelic Grounds. We should never again be ignored by stars of Ed Sheeran’s magnitude. Limerick’s message to Ed and the entertainment industry is Limerick is ready for you. Look at the National Geographic concert or the All-Ireland homecoming and see just how well we organise large events in Limerick.
“As part of my work on concerts, I have met the head of Festivals and Events for Failte Ireland. We are working on getting more funding for major festivals in Limerick. Progress has been made and I am confident that we will soon deliver further major events which entertain and will also help hotels, bars and businesses throughout the city. Whether it’s business or pleasure, we want the message to go out that Limerick is a city that works for you. Let’s get busy planning our next gig.
ENDS
Directly elected Mayor a unique opportunity – Cllr James Collins, Mayor of Limerick
“I welcome the decision to ask the Limerick people to vote on a proposal for a directly elected Mayor next May, as long as the Mayor is given executive powers. There is no point in a having a directly elected Mayor in place for a five-year term if that Mayor doesn’t have real influence on how Limerick is run.
The Mayor of Limerick, Cllr. James Collins has said that the proposal to institute a directly elected Mayor of the City and County is a unique opportunity that must be grasped by the people.
Cllr. Collins was commenting as it emerged that Limerick would be one of three local authorities where plebiscites would be held to establish a directly elected mayor with executive functions.
“This is a real game changer for Limerick. I believe that for far too long our community has been held back by a central government that was not in tune with the wishes of local Limerick people.
“A directly elected Mayor can change that relationship as he or she will speak for the people of the entire city and county and can drive forward the changes and improvements we all want to see. However, it is crucial that any directly elected Mayor has the executive powers needed to drive change.
“Limerick is actually uniquely-placed to evaluate how this might work because of our experience in delegating powers to a third party – in this case the public-private partnership model used in Limerick 2030. Limerick 2030 has proven to be very successful as it was given powers to buy and develop sites of strategic importance in Limerick, to help generate employment and position the city for recovery. In that case, instead of Limerick 2030 having to come back to the Council chamber for a vote on every decision it took, the councillors took a brave and innovative step and trusted Limerick 2030 to do what was best for Limerick,” Mayor Collins, a Fianna Fail general election candidate, said.
“If we have a directly elected Mayor in Limerick with a five-year term, as proposed, then that Mayor should have executive powers. I believe our experience in Limerick with Limerick 2030, where I sit on the board, is that local authorities might be best placed to tackle local economic, housing and social issues should they be given devolved powers from central government. The Gardens International building which will provide city centre office accommodation is a prime example of what Limerick 2030 has achieved to date. Developments like this will help position Limerick as an attractive destination for foreign direct investment and the 3,000 new jobs created in Limerick last year are testament to that. “
This morning I launched our integration strategy “Belonging to Limerick: Connecting People and Communities’ with Uachtarán Ó hUigínn.
A copy is my address is below
| 28/09/2018 | Mayor James Collins
Uachtarán Ó hUigínn, a bhaill tofa, a dhaoine uaisle, tá áthas orm fáilte a chur romhaibh anseo inniu. Tá an ócáid seo chomh tábhachtach do thodhchaí ár gcathair agus gcontae iontach agus éagsúil.
President Higgins, elected representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, allow me first to extend a very special welcome back to his native Limerick to President of Ireland Michael D Higgins for today’s special occasion, the launch of ‘Belonging to Limerick: Connecting People and Communities’.
This is a plan for the delivery of services and the implementation of activities that promote the integration of migrants in Limerick City and County.
We all know how busy your schedule is and it is probably about to get even busier and we wish you the very best in the forthcoming election.
I want to say President Higgins your track record in supporting those from migrant and minority backgrounds living in Ireland speaks for itself.
You have been a tireless advocate for social justice your entire political life and we are honoured to have you here today.
Today’s launch is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work, dedication and commitment by the Limerick Integration Working Group.
The Integration Working Group, with this their third integration plan for Limerick, is an outstanding example of how communities can be enriched and secured when good people work together.
They have been at the forefront in dealing with issues relating to the integration of migrant communities into Limerick.
Through their efforts, families from across the world now call Limerick their home.
As a city, it’s always been something of a strangers paradise. Perhaps it’s because of the River Shannon and the activity, commercial and otherwise, that it has brought into Limerick.
But there’s certainly a special welcome here that brings to mind the famous WB Yeats quote:
“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.”
Let us all think for a minute about the title of this new plan ‘Belonging to Limerick’.
What does that actually mean?
It’s more than just living in a particular location. It’s more than an address.
It’s feeling part of the community, even when you are thousands of miles from your birthplace.
It is a place that quickly eases the lonely hearts of those who have departed home shores for here and makes them feel ‘at home’ in Limerick.
It is friendship. It is kinship and it’s feeling welcome, accepted and part of a great collective that is Limerick.
It is also having your voice heard.
The Integration Working Group recognised a decade ago the importance of learning from the experience of migrants who have made Limerick their home.
And what is clear from this plan is they have listened and learned from what the migrant communities have told them.
The plans associated with integration are evolving to address the current and future needs of the migrant communities.
This tells us the strategies put in place in the initial plan are working.
Even in my own experience, I know the narrative that may once have existed around immigrants has changed. Of all countries, given our history of emigration, that should be a given here.
The focus often leaned towards the costs and not the benefits.
Whereas now, we look at the benefits.
Benefits that are ultimately leading us on the road to creating a vibrant, inclusive and truly intercultural society in Limerick in which all residents belong and are valued equally, regardless of their colour, creed or culture.
This is the Limerick we all want to live in.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh
__________________
CLLR JAMES COLLINS
MAYOR OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF LIMERICK
Troy Studios has made a major commitment to Limerick which could be worth more than €50m to the local economy as well as creating hundreds of new jobs.
Troy Studio’s decision to build a fourth sound stage at Troy Studios in Limerick firmly positions Limerick at the heart of Ireland’s €1.1bn audio-visual industry.
This will increase the footprint of the sound stages in Limerick to 100,000 square feet. This means that Troy Studios could have two productions of the size of the Netflix series Nightflyers on the go simultaneously. It is a major endorsement of Limerick as a film studio base and will make Limerick unquestionably the largest international film and tv studio in Ireland.
When Dell closed, Limerick was in a dark place and we as councilors asked the chief executive of Limerick Council to think differently and think big about how we could all help facilitate new industries and generate new employment in Limerick. When Troy Studios approached Limerick Council about taking over this former Dell building, we immediately reacted positively. Limerick Council has invested €6m in Troy Studios to date. This has been matched by €6.5m in private investment. The result is Limerick is now home to a movie studio, and our city is now at the centre of a international business that not only creates employment for hundreds of people, but also contributes multiples of our original investment to the local economy.
Increasing the sound stage space by one-third to 100,000 square feet is a major commitment to Limerick. When you think that the overall footprint of Tory Studios is 350,000 square feet, there is still room for further expansion in the future. This really is a major development and a major statement of confidence in Limerick as a hub for creative businesses and international creative content production.
It is also significant that Troy executives have agreed with the University of Limerick to expand its MBA programme to include a special focus on the business of content creation. This will be the first MBA of its kind in the world. It underlines Troy’s commitment to Limerick, but also positions Limerick at the heart of Ireland’s audio-visual industry, which is worth €1.1bn a year.
There will be 150 new jobs created when building on the new sound stage gets underway next year, but the long-term significance of this investment to Limerick and the city’s international business reputation goes far beyond those construction jobs. The first Nightflyers production employed 320 people for nine months and contributed more than €50m to the local economy. Extending the sound stages to 100,000 square foot means two productions can run simultaneously, with obvious potential for more jobs, and millions more being contributed to Limerick’s economy.
Cllr. James Collins' Blog 