Limerick hurling stars have a tidy goal in sight for TLC5

MEMBERS of the all-conquering Limerick senior hurling panel are among thousands of proud Limerick people who will be rolling up their sleeves on Good Friday for the annual Team Limerick Clean-up.

“An example to other cities throughout the world,” is how Limerick and Na Piarsaigh hurler Kevin Downes described the concept which is now in its fifth year.

The countdown to the mammoth endeavour which takes place on April 19 officially got underway this Monday with well-known faces putting their weight behind the clean-up.

“It’s brilliant. It stretches across every village and parish throughout the county so we’re delighted to be here today to support it,” said Kevin Downes.

Kevin’s Limerick teammate Paul Browne from Bruff will be putting his weight behind the event, either in his home parish or at the Gaelic Grounds. “The hurlers have been really involved over the last couple of years and we’ll be doing the same again this year.”

Chief superintendent of the Limerick garda division, Gerry Roche described TLC as “one of the best initiatives we have all year to bring people out and get them all working together to make their communities a cleaner and safer place.”

Registration is now open for the major clean-up.

“It’s great to raise awareness about keeping our environment clean but also a sense of community - it brings people out volunteering on the day, something we used to be better at and it’s given us a reminder of what can be achieved when we all come together,” said Mayor James Collins

Paul Foley of the JP McManus Foundation added: “We are not aiming to try to change the world or anything hugely over ambitious like that, the whole ethos is trying to do something small for your local community and every community, every neighbourhood, every housing estate, everybody can get out and do something small.”

The sustainability message is key for 2019, with prevention the best cure when it comes to littering and looking after the community.

Team Limerick Clean-Up is currently running the Design A TLC Bottle competition for primary schools across the county. Prizes include vouchers for school equipment and the winning designs will be printed on reusable bottles for every class member.

All entries will be on display at the Hunt Museum.

Team Limerick Clean-Up is an initiative sponsored by the JP McManus Benevolent Fund and supported by Limerick City and County Council. Endorsed by Paul O’Connell, the official partners include Mr Binman, the Limerick Leader and Limerick's Live 95FM.

Volunteers are urged to sign up early at www.teamlimerickcleanup.ie and help make this the biggest and best TLC to date.