A NUMBER of years ago if you told somebody you were from Limerick their eyebrows would raise and they would utter two words (the second one is City). Invariably, a conversation would start where you explained that this unwarranted moniker doesn’t define this proud city and county. That feeling of geographical injustice is replicated in Rathkeale today as the population swells by three or four times due to members of the Travelling community returning from abroad for Christmas. This Thursday, December 19, Foroige is hosting a fun-packed festival showcasing the musical talent of the town’s young people. The following day - Friday, December 20 - a mini-Christmas festival will take place with the Garda Mounted Unit, emergency services, music and entertainment. All are welcome to attend. The events are being run with the support and collaboration of gardai, Limerick City and County Council, Foroige, Rathkeale Community Council, Rathkeale Together, West Limerick Resources and local businesses. A meeting was held on Wednesday of last week by organisers to finalise preparations. The Leader called in at the end and, let’s call a spade a shovel here, there was annoyance and disappointment by some on how the town is portrayed in the media, including in this website and paper. “It’s negative, negative, negative,” said one. There is a feeling that if there are similar incidents in two towns - the one in Rathkeale will be splashed over the newspapers and the other barely mentioned. Social media is another problem. A video of a home invasion purportedly in Rathkeale was widely shared in recent weeks. But it happened in Cork. “Of course you get down - we're human - but we've learned to ignore it,” said Derek Downes, Eurospar, who highlights the social and economic successes of the town. He said there are 55 businesses in Rathkeale and lists out numerous success stories employing thousands of people locally. “I'm not trying to plug the businesses - just to show the bigger picture. They never get any
PICTURES: Proud Rathkeale is 'open for business' this Christmas
