The festival which will take place over the three days of the June Bank Holiday weekend has already scored a major coup as Tiger Beer has been confirmed as official sponsor for the inaugaral year.

Speaking at the launch the Mayor congratulated the organising team. “In the lead up to our designation as City of Culture in 2014 festivals like TomCat are exactly what is needed to make the year a success. This new festival is an example of how working together, sharing ideas and having initiative can result in a tangible and exciting new festival for the city”, he said.

The launch was also attended by Karl Wallace, Artistic Director of Limerick City of Culture 2014, representatives from Tiger Beer and by members of the cast of MIDAS’ recent production of ‘Cats’ in Mary Immaculate College who performed an extract from the show.

The aim of the TomCat Festival is to have a broad and inclusive range of events including vibrant representation of performance, music, dance, DJs, installation artwork, photography, craftwork and workshops, film fiestas and conceptual works. The streets form the background and inspiration for a festival that will echo the diverse nature of the existing business on the streets.

Speaking at the launch Deirdre Martin from the organising team said, “The TomCat Street Festival is designed as an opportunity for all to investigate, participate and question their street but most importantly to experience a range of diverse events that redefine this city centre space for a summer’s weekend.

This primary goal for the weekend is to drive footfall on what has traditionally been a slow trading period. With the broad range of venues and activities involved the city will receive widespread exposure both in the advance publicity and during the weekend. The event is also hoped generate positive social media about Limerick and its culture both before and after the event.

A programme of events for the weekend is being finalised and call for submissions has gone out to members of the arts community in Limerick. Further details on the TomCat Street Festival can be found on

The launch is attended by the recently elected Chair Larry Duggan, Vice-Chair Anna Malone, Patricia Conboy (Older & Bolder) and Len Dineen etc… The members are delighted that there is now a Forum in Limerick City that will act as a collective voice of older people across the city. They are also keen to reach out to other older people and relevant organisations as it is essential that the Forum has a strong presence for over 55’s who see it as an effective and influential process for decision-making.

As older people have been affected in 2013 by significant cuts to Home Help, Home Care Packages and Personal Assistance hours and more, organisations such as Limerick Seniors Forum will be imperative to ensure older people have a say. It is also a place to share information and work together with key decision-makers to improve services. This is important at all levels national, regional and local.
The Limerick Seniors Forum has a website www.limerickseniorsforum.ie and can also be found on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Limerick-Seniors-Forum/495781657135423 providing opportunities online to voice concerns and become involved. You can also contact the Development Workers at PAUL Partnership for more information on 061-419388.
The Forum is and led by PAUL Partnership and supported by Get Vocal which is a national project from Age & Opportunity, which aims to strengthen the voices of older people by increasing their ability to make themselves heard.

Both organisations have been jointly awarded ‘Best Publication/Interpretation Award 2012‘ by the Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland at an awards ceremony held in the ESB Head Offices in Dublin.

The exhibition on Ranks Flour Mills was a joint project between Limerick City Archives and the Hunt Museum, while the book; ‘Ranks Mills, The Industrial Heart of Limerick City’ was written and published by Limerick City Archives.

Welcoming the award, Kieran Lehane Director of Service, Limerick City Council said it is ‘very encouraging’ in the run up to Limerick as City of Culture 2014 to win this award.
“Milling and industry formed a major part of Limerick’s identity and it is wonderful to see that our interpretation of this aspect of our recent past clearly connected with the people of Limerick but also won recognition nationally for the standard of interpretation in this exhibition and publication,” he said.

In awarding the prize, Norman Campion of the Industrial Heritage Association said; ‘The IHAI sees this as a project as an excellent exemplar, encompassing as it does both industrial and social history and embracing research, an exhibition, publications and film as well as representing a fruitful partnership of local interests’.

The Ranks exhibition was prompted by the donation of an important archive collection to Limerick City. The collection of Cecil Mercier, a former Mills Manager in Ranks for over forty years was kindly donated to the Limerick City Archives in 2010. Cecil Mercier worked in the Limerick Milling Industry for 43 years and was well known to generations of Ranks workers.

The donation of the Mercier Papers to the Limerick City Archives allowed the Ranks Mills and its employees to be investigated in an unprecedented manner. Furthermore, an Oral History Project was organised with the assistance of Mary Immaculate College, staff and students.

Through a series of interviews Limerick City Council sought to record the experiences of those employed by Ranks. Thanks to the Mercier Records and the Oral History Project it was possible to write a history of everyday life and work in Limerick and to throw a light on our shared past- a past that has shaped our present.
Through interpretative panels, installations, photographs, documents, industrial equipment and memorabilia the story of the working and social life of the Ranks workers was told at the exhibition in the Hunt Museum which attracted thousands of visitors.

The book Ranks Mills, the Industrial Heart of Limerick City by Limerick City Archives partnered the archival exhibition on Ranks and preserved the memories of the former workers in a beautiful hardback book with never before seen archival photographs.

LET ME BE by Maria Tivnan

Laura and Molly are two sisters who according to those in the town ‘have had it hard’. Two very different personalities, their deep bond and ability for imaginative play see them through harsh memories and a dark past. A tender and sincere exploration of childhood and sisterhood, employing Fregoli’s trademark character changing style with
energy, humour, and colour.

Performed by Kate Murray and Maria Tivnan. Directed by Rob McFeely and Tracy Bruen.

“….her dialogue is strikingly nuanced, blending moving poetry with
humorous vernacular….”
Irish Theatre Magazine on Tivnan’s The Sweet
Shop, 2012

Reserve your seat at: http://lunchtheatre.com/ Bookings by phone: 085-855 4341

Thursday February 28th and Friday March 1st at 1:05pm

Doors open at 12:50pm – Show will commence at 1:05pm sharp
Admission: €10 to include soup and sandwich

AND

Extra Tea Time Show on Thursday February 28th at 6:05pm

Doors open at 5:50pm – Show will commence at 6:05pm sharp
Admission: €12 to include one glass house wine (or soft drink) and nibbles.

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lunchtheatre and Twitter: @lunchtheatre

For further details please contact us at: lunchtimetheatre@gmail.com

Please note: Due to the growing popularity of this event it is highly advisable that people book early to avoid disappointment.

A Catholic Girlhood

Will be delivered by journalist and broadcaster Mary Kenny in the Captain’s Room of The Hunt Museum, Limerick on Thursday 14th March 2013 at 6.00 pm, followed by a reception.

Chaired by Joe Nash, CEO, Limerick’s Live 95FM

Limited places available so booking is essential: €20 to include wine & canapés.

To reserve a place email: joni@huntmuseum.com; Tel: 061-490083

www.huntmuseum.com

The 2012 event proved to be a much needed and major event for local, national and international business as well as local and national job seekers. The Fair accommodated small, medium and large business operating locally, nationally and internationally. From the employers perspective it proved to be an effective and efficient method of promoting and profiling the company locally. From a recruitment perspective it proved to be a prudent approach to viewing the labour market.

Our analysis of the 2012 Fair revealed that of the 1,000 who attended the fair, all levels of skills in the labour market was represented and the demographic was nationwide. Our analysis also showed Limericks very large student population – undergraduates, postgraduates and further education was well represented. We are currently following up on the employment outcomes.

Limerick Local Heroes is a local response to local issues and the board is representatives of the business and education community in Limerick. We hope you stand with us to make the 2nd Annual Jobsfair and Careers Advice Day the success it should be. For further information on Limerick Local Heroes go to www.limericklocalheroes.com.

To obtain a stallholders booking for or for further information on the 2nd Annual Jobsfair please contact Nigel Dugdale on 061260404 or email nigel@limericklocalheroes.com

Some feedback from employers who participated at the 2012 Jobsfair:

‘The day was very busy much busier than we expected and we hope to make some hires from it in coming months’.
Vistakon, Johnson and Johnson

‘Thank you for organising the jobs fair and asking us along. I believe it was a fantastic success and was extremely well organised. I was inundated with people enquiring about vacancies that we have. I have interviewed two people that I met on that day and they are due to start with me next week. It was also a great networking event and it can do no harm for brand awareness. I may also have picked up a new customer out of the day’.
Will Ring – Bluebird Care

‘Well done on organising a very successful event, especially since it was the first one. I found it great and met some good candidates for potential internships. I will keep you posted if I employ any. I think it is a great idea to run one early next year’.
Keith McGuigan – Market Direct

‘The fair was quite good from Aldi’s point of view. I did meet some candidates that will be brought forward for interview. It was well organised, and wouldn’t change much from that point of view’.
Ivan Agar on behalf of ALDI

Over the next five years Limerick Smarter Travel will be piloting/implementing a radical strategy for how we move around our city. The team are based in the Granary at present and are working on a number of exciting smart travel initiatives. The project involves the collaboration of teams from the new merged local authority and the University of Limerick. This project gives us a great opportunity to debate how our city works from a transportation point of view and gives citizens an opportunity to have an input into the future of mobility around our city.

About Limerick Smarter Travel:

Limerick City has been designated as one of three centres in Ireland that are to become Ireland’s First Smarter Travel Demonstration Areas.

The Limerick submission was ranked 1st of all submissions received by the Department of Transportation from the local authorities in Ireland and will receive funding of €9million over the next five years to roll out a wide range of measures and interventions targeted at encouraging people to use more sustainable modes of transport and to engage in transport planning as set out in our stage 2 submission.

The Limerick Smarter Travel bid was a joint initiative by Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council in partnership with the University of Limerick.

Through looking at how we can change the way people think about travel we can make a significant improvement to our city and act as an example for the rest of Ireland in changing travel behaviour.

To this end the Smarter Travel team at Limerick City and County Council are looking forward to making Limerick City a successful Smarter Travel Demonstration City.

It is important at this time to acknowledge the valuable support of the business community, the wider education community and residents of Limerick in making our stage 2 Smarter Travel submission a success.

We look forward to engaging with the business, residential, political and educational communities over the next five years to make a success of this very important initiative.

Twitter link is @lksmartertravel

http://www.limerick.ie/smartertravel/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Limerick-Smarter-Travel/100110293465202?ref=ts&fref=ts

8 students.16 Hands.1 Voice.

Setting up base in the Hunt Museum in Limerick City, a team of 8 architectural students are taking back your city.Their brief is to look at how to revitalise Limerick City’s Georgian Core with radical urban strategies.

Now is a time to be less vocal and take real action! The students will be meeting daily with local government bodies, economists, architects, planners, but also want to meet with you, the people of Limerick. This is Your City! Together we can make a difference. They need YOUR voice, YOUR help and the people of Limerick! If you want to have your voice heard, drop in between 15:00 and 17:00 on February 1st and March 1st.

Voice your opinions on their Facebook page here or drop by the Hunt Museum.