My Limerick - Sarah Jane Hennelly: 'We should be very proud our ongoing legacy in sport'

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

For me, the perfect day is about spending time with the people I love. I am lucky to have some wonderful friends in Limerick. I would spend the day catching up with people, heading to the market in the morning, seeing old faces and hearing the news. I love a good fry in O'Connors then heading up to Little Catherine street, having a coffee in Melt, sitting outside and chatting. On a fine day, a walk along the river and through the People's Park is as nice as you'll find. For the evening, ideally there'd be a gig on - either in Dolan's or the Commercial and after -everyone to Costellos. Some of the best times I've had in Limerick have been in Costellos, so it would be remiss of me to leave it out.

What’s your first Limerick memory?

My first memory is coming to Limerick from Mayo in the early 2000's. My brother, Rob, was playing in the Kennedy Cup in UL and my older sister, Julianne, was studying Fashion in LSAD. I was in awe of UL, I just wanted to be there. I absolutely loved the city, having had some great nights with my sister and her friends in it. When it came to the time, I put UL down as my first choice and I've been here ever since.

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

I love Castleconnell. It's a beautiful little village, the ideal balance between rural and urban - a lovely pace of life.

What about a favourite local walk or view?

The view from the top of the Strand Hotel is incredible. I could look at it all day. Being able to see the change from old town to new, from the Island Field to O'Connell Avenue, it's an incredible sight.

What do you think gives Limerick its unique identity?

There are an enormous amount of successful, talented and unique people from Limerick who have made a massive impact across arts, politics, culture - people like Richard Harris, Jim Kemmy, Dolores O'Riordan, Paul O'Connell and the Rubberbandits. The common theme across most people whose career expanded beyond the city is how much they talk about home, how much it shaped them and how important it is to them. That is rare, in my opinion, and it a testament to the kind of place Limerick is.

Do you have a favourite local restaurant?

The Absolute Hotel restaurant has the most tastiest food. I keep it as a special treat for myself but really, we are spoilt for choice for good food in the city at the moment.

How would you describe the people of Limerick?

I just find Limerick people very funny, good-natured, open-minded, blunt, gritty and irreverent. As a Mayo woman who now calls Limerick home, I still love these traits. They're uniquely Limerick.

How important do you think sport is to Limerick?

It's clearly a cultural stronghold in our city. Rightly so. It's central to our reputation, but it's also crucial in our communities at a grassroots level. It runs far deeper than the physical spectacle that is Thomond Park Stadium. Boxing and martial arts are huge in the city. We've some incredible athletes - men and women - competing nationally and internationally. We should be very proud our ongoing legacy in sport.

If you could add one amenity to Limerick what would it be?

We need a youth hostel and low-cost accommodation for visitors and tourists. We are the only major city without that.

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

I feel like Limerick has always gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to reputation and prominence. Much of that comes down to national media's representation of the city. I think it is too easy for a Dublin-based media to portray Limerick as a dangerous or troubled city. The serious criminal element which overtook the city in the early 2000's was tackled with what was an unprecedented community and policing effort. As a result, in my opinion, the city is streets ahead of the others because of the lessons learned from that time. I don't believe Limerick gets enough credit for that or for much of the positives thing happening here today. However, I believe the only way to overcome this is for us to continue focusing on ourselves and our communities and the rest will come with time.