My Limerick — Eoin Devereux: 'We are home to some incredibly talented people'

What’s your idea of a perfect day, or a perfect weekend, in Limerick?

Having free time to write and play music. Having coffee with family and friends. Going to hear live bands in Dolan’s Warehouse. The Dolans have single-handedly transformed Limerick’s musical landscape. 

What’s your first Limerick memory?

Standing in the back yard at home at the age of three and crying because I wanted to go to school,  which is kind of funny because later on I hated every single day of secondary school. 

What’s your favourite part of the county and why? 

Barnagh Hill. The views of Limerick, Clare and the Shannon are spectacular. 

What about a favourite local walk or view?

I love the two railway bridges on the Roxboro Road. Even though I walked that road thousands of times going to school, I only discovered recently that the larger bridge has a name – it’s called the Meagher Viaduct and was originally built for the Waterford and Limerick line. 

What do you think gives Limerick its unique identity?

It's  predominantly working-class culture. There is a real danger in re-inventing the city that its working class history and experience are air-brushed away. Other post-industrial cities like Manchester have embraced and celebrated their working class traditions. 

Do you have a favourite local restaurant?

The best takeaway is Donkey Fords. The best restaurant, by far,  is The Mogul Emperor. Dolan’s pre-gig menu is also to be highly recommended - they have the best fish in Limerick. I wish there was a time-machine so that I could be transported back to the Wild Onion on High Street for just one breakfast! 

How would you describe the people of Limerick?

They are ball-hoppers, funny, friendly, cranky and contrary (in a good way). I’m endlessly fascinated by the ways in which we use irony in our everyday speech in Limerick.  When writing for the Limerick Leader, my late uncle Seamus O’Cinneide regularly referred to the unique ways in which Limerick’s citizens (and politicians in particular) mis-used particular turns of phrase e.g. “Tisn’t a solicitor you’ll need for that case but a bannister at law!”   

How important do you think sport is to Limerick? 

Sport is very important in Limerick but I think its importance is sometimes overstated at the expense of other things. As a city we still undersell or undervalue the importance of other cultural activities – particularly in the areas of rock music, hip-hop, creative writing and the creative arts more generally. We are home to some incredibly talented people like The Cranberries, guitarist Dave Keary, novelists Donal Ryan, Kevin Barry and Sarah Moore-Fitzgerald, hip-hop photographer Brian Cross and DJ’s like Olivia Chau. Music Generation is a phenomenal project that has given rise to new bands like Pow Pig. The local indie music scene is healthier now than it has ever been with His Father’s Voice and When Young making waves outside of the city. 

What’s the biggest challenge facing the city/county today?

There are a number of very serious challenges which all relate to social exclusion. Hidden poverty; inadequate health care provision;  the failure of local and national government to respond to the housing crisis in a truly radical way.  We need to strive to be much more inclusive of people from all class and ethnic backgrounds. Stigmatizing people on the basis of their address or accent remains a huge bug-bear of mine.