Push to get Limerick legends song viewed a billion times

FANS of top Limerick brand the Cranberries are being urged to ensure one of their signature tunes gets over one billion views on the video sharing web site YouTube.

Currently, the  1994 hit Zombie – written in the wake of an IRA bombing in Warrington, England  – has been viewed a massive 960 million times.

But there are hopes now that the song will reach the billion milestone in its 25th anniversary year.

Zombie is famous for the lilt of Dolores O’Riordan, who sadly passed away in January last year, sparking a massive outpouring of grief.

In a message on the Cranberries TV channel, which has more than two million subscribers, fans are being asked to “be on the of the billion”. If they do this, the Cranberries will become the first Irish band to reach the mark.

Cranberries fan Mark O’Connor, who has organised a number of events in tribute to the late Ballybricken singer, has welcomed the initiative.

He said: “When you say the Cranberries are nearly at one million hits, it's a door opener. No-one realises how big that band are. One billion views is insane, it's out of control and huge.”

He believes the increase might be coming from Cranberries fans in China.

“I would say the Chinese are a big part of why this has happened. The Cranberries were about to tour China before Dolores passing. So they were getting well-known there. It just shows their appeal goes beyond boundaries and borders,” Mark added. In the last six months alone, Zombie has received 60 million views.

Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon, who chairs the cultural committee said: “I’d encourage Limerick people and people across the world to hit on this track. It’d be great to see it hit one billion in memory of the late Dolores O’Riordan.”