Limerick's local authority spent almost €90,000 on St Patrick's Day trips

LIMERICK's local authority spent almost €90,000 sending councillors and staff abroad for St Patrick's Day events this year.

Three trips were made, all for events in the USA, Limerick City and County Council confirmed in a statement.

Former mayor, Cllr Francis Foley led two delegations to separate parades Stateside.

He attended an early parade to mark the national holiday in Rockaway Beach at Queen's in New York, which took place on Saturday, March 4.

Two weeks later, the Abbeyfeale councillor was back in the USA where he witnessed the largest St Patrick's Day parade in the world, in New York city, on Friday, March 17.

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On the same day, the then deputy mayor of Limerick, Cllr Kieran O'Hanlon was in Savannah, Georgia as part of a delegation for that city's parade.

Council did not disclose how many councillors went on each trip.

But at the January meeting of the council, members signed off on these visits.

Here, they approved spending of €2,800 per councillor for the New York parade, €2,200 per councillor for the event in Rockaway Beach and €3,000 per councillor for the spectacle in Savannah, Georgia.

The local authority confirmed to the Limerick Leader that in total the three trips cost €87,000.

This covers the cost of flights, hotels, meals, travel both in America plus to and from airports in Ireland, alongside subsistence.

“These trips provide Limerick City and County Council the opportunity to promote Limerick as a tourism destination, a centre for investment, education and a desirable place to live, all the while strengthening the existing ties that Limerick and the region has with US companies and its citizens.

"The opportunities that these trips provide are essential to the local authority as it continues to foster relationships with business, tourism and education leaders in what is an increasingly competitive market place,” a spokesperson for council said.