Publicans toast the late Dolores O'Riordan with special tribute in town park

THE late Dolores O’Riordan was in the minds of many Limerick people this week, and in a quiet spot in a park in Bruff, there is the perfect place to reflect on the life of the global superstar.

Back in September 2019, the people of Bruff honoured the memory of the Cranberries lead singer in the form of a three-day festival, Dreams.

On that weekend the picturesque riverside park in the town was renamed after the musician who had died in January 2018. A bench in the park was also named in honour of the singer who hailed from nearby Ballybricken.

And to coincide with what would have been the Limerick woman’s 50th birthday on Monday, a new base for the bench has been unveiled.

Local publicans in Bruff, Jack Clancy, Dave Clarke and Derry O’Meara put their heads together and decided to construct a base on which the bench would sit. “The seat was there and a plaque was attached to it around the time the Dreams Festival started here in Bruff. Now there is a proper base for it too,” explained Jack Clancy.

“The aim was to have it done to coincide with Dolores’ 50th birthday which took place on Monday. Liam Barry had been busy working on the piece,” he added. The three publicans paid for the base out of their own pocket.

The town of Bruff has also been playing host over the weekend to the Young Dreams Festival - a weekend of creativity open to young singer-songwriters.

“The festival is a great way to remember Dolores and to encourage young musicians and to keep the music alive,” Jack added.

Mum visits Dolores’ grave on iconic Limerick singer’s 50th birthday