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THE CHAIR OF the beleagured Limerick City of Culture project Pat Cox has said he is convinced that the event can still be a success, and that the problems facing the project have happened in other cities already.
In a statement this evening, Cox said he and the Board of the project are determined to ensure that Ireland’s first ever national city of culture passes off without any more problems.
He made the comments amid a heated public meeting taking place in Limerick tonight about what has happened in the past three days amid increasing controversy about the management of the project following the resignation of artistic director Karl Wallace.
The Board of Limerick City of Culture met this afternoon and accepted the official resignation of Karl Wallace. Advertisements will be placed in the coming week for a new artistic director who will be appointed ‘as a matter of urgency’, the Board said.
The Board said it has designated a number of people from Limerick’s artistic and cultural community as board members, and stressed that all of the 109 projects which are taking place throughout the year will be fulfilled.
Pat Cox sought to head off complaints about the handling of the high profile resignation of Karl Wallace.
“What, unhappily, has happened in Limerick over recent days is not without precedent in other city of culture projects but it has only served to reinforce the resolve and determination of the board to ensure that this first national designation will succeed for Limerick and for Ireland,” he said.
It was announced in 2012 that Limerick would be Ireland’s first ever National City of Culture from 1 January 2014 with a year-long programme of events across the county, but the project has been dogged with controversy.
Karl Wallace, who was appointed to the position in March, cited a breakdown in communication between his team and the chief executive of the project, Patricia Ryan, who worked as an assistant to Pat Cox while he was an MEP. Two other programmers are also stepping down.
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I won’t be voting for any of those parties.
You’ll be glad to know that FG are topping the opinion polls.
@9QRixo8H: The real poll will take place tomorrow.
@Gavan Hogan:
Unfortunately Gavan, he might be right.
Although I personally think SF will shade it nationally
@Gavan Hogan: cool, I will.
Not one mention of crime. Antisocial behaviour is absolutely rampant in inner city Dublin. Drug dealing is quite literally on every street corner in Dublin 1. Kids on scramblers rallying up and down through traffic on bikes they’ve either robbed or bought with the proceeds of crime. Ffs the only party I see mention antisocial behaviour is those absolute loons in the national party. Why do I have to look to the far right ethnonationalists before I find a party that takes crime seriously? Can anybody recommend local councillors in the inner city that focus on crime reduction? Advocates for more prisons or reopening old ones? The soft touch approach has clearly failed for all to see.
Oh wait, more fool me, just saw the paragraph where labour wants “wardens” handing out fines for antisocial beheviour. I’m sure that’ll stop it! LOL. How many fines were paid to councils for things like dog poop in the past 4 years? A quick Google search shows 1 (yes, one in 4 years). Why do they think fining people for this will help?
@Sean Stevenson: but, how many were faced to clean up.before been fined?
@Sean Stevenson: very well said and so true.
We all know how much a promise from a politician is worth. Why not check the promises they made previously and how they’ve lived up to them. Or not.
More false promises that mean nothing to the people of Ireland
Blowing up a school now Israel…what happened…miss the orphanage? Ah well not to worry, plenty time for that!
@Ulysses 31: Ah bless…have I got to the racist thicko…good.
@damien leen: Maybe if Hamas stops building tunnels and hiding flammable ammo under schools and kids bedrooms. It’s either Israel blowing it up or Hamas firing those rockets at Israel ( good thing there’s the Iron dome) – I know what I would do.
Politics seem to attract poor specimens of society, ie, accomplished sleight-of-hand artists and polished liars. It’s best to vote them out regularly and not leave them too long in government!
FF was the largest party since 2019 local election, will they continue to be the largest after tomorrow or will people vote change? #VoteTomorrow.
Apathy and cynicism will be the ruin of us all.
None of them mention ensuring economic growth or how much extra they will tax and misspend??
@Eric: economic growth is not something county councils are exceptionally renowned for. They should have more powers to attract investment though.
As for taxing… County councils only collect commercial rates I think? Happy to be corrected if I’m wrong
It’s great that they can get rid or lower taxes and yet increase services
Could probably have bundled most of the looney parties here into one doc to save time. That document could then more easily be put through a shredder and recycled into toilet paper or perhaps bedding for someone who maybe keeps rodents as a pet.
Lol! so a whole pile of nothing? not a road, bridge, train, etc. ‘empower local council’… to be against any national plans? It’s 2 steps back, if we’ve learned anything it’s that we cant solve the problems facing us, putting more people infront of these problems will make it even harder.
have your say