Native city to honour racing tycoon JP McManus for huge contribution to local charities

RACING tycoon JP McManus will be honoured in his native Limerick today with a special lifetime achievement award which will be presented to him by Tánaiste Mary Harney.

The award is in recognition of his huge contribution to local health projects and charities.

It is estimated he has given over €70 million to numerous organisations over the past 10 years.

The JP McManus Invitation Pro-Am last July raised over €30m for the disadvantaged, local hospitals and other mid-west charities.

Tiger Woods was one of the golf pros who flew in from all over the world to play in the tournament.

Beneficiaries of the event included the Mid-Western Hospital Development Trust, the Daughters of Charity, the Brothers of Charity, Limerick Youth Service and the Milford Care Centre in Limerick.

In 1996, he established the JP McManus Scholarship Award, which provides €4,500 each study year to the eight top Leaving Cert students at his former secondary school, who go on to third level. He has donated over €5m to help the Limerick GAA redevelop the Gaelic Grounds. He also has a €1.5m sponsorship of the county’s hurling and football teams.

He has given €5m to the University of Limerick Business School. A recent €1m donation to the local branch of the Alzheimer Society has enabled it buy a new respite centre in Killaloe, Co Clare.

Other beneficiaries from JP’s charity foundation funds include Charleville Association for the Mentally Handicapped, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, MS Ireland, the Samaritans, the St Camillus Acquired Brain Injury Centre, the Trócaire Asia Tsunami Appeal and many more.

He has also pledged €60m to the Campus Stadium Ireland project.

A spokeswoman for the Limerick Leader newspaper, the main sponsor of the award, said: “It is for this quite outstanding contribution to his native city, in particular, and to Ireland, that we recognise JP McManus.”

The award will be presented at a function in the Clarion Hotel.