Brothers and broadcaster get Freedom of the City

THE Freedom of Limerick was conferred yesterday on two priest brothers for helping the starving millions of the Third World and a third native of the city who has enriched traditional music in this country for more than 50 years.

Wed, 22 Jun, 2005 - 01:00

Jimmy Woulfe, Mid-West Correspondent

Limerick City Council gathered in formal session to honour Holy Ghost priests Fr Aengus and Fr Jack Finucane and RTÉ broadcaster Ciarán MacMathúna.

Fr Aengus and Fr Jack Finucane became household names in Ireland and across the world for their work with Concern which they founded during the early stages of the Biafran War. Today it has a staff of 3,293 and an annual budget of almost €100 million which it uses to help more than 30 countries.

Speaking at the ceremonies in City Hall, the Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Michael Hourigan, said the Finucane brothers had brought credit to their native city through their contribution to the common good throughout the world.

Their experiences during the Biafran famine, he said, had been seminal in the establishment of the Concern organisation.

“The Finucane brothers have spent their lives relieving the suffering of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people during major humanitarian disasters. We can only stand in admiration of the value and importance of their work and I am proud that their native city has taken this opportunity to acknowledge their contribution to the relief of global poverty,” Mayor Hourigan said.

Another Limerick city man, 79-year-old Ciarán MacMathúna is a legendary figure in Irish music and broadcasting. He joined the staff of RTÉ as a producer and presenter of programmes of Irish traditional music in 1954 and is still broadcasting every Sunday morning.

His programme Mo Cheol Thu started in the 1960s and is still attracting a large and devoted audience.

Mayor Hourigan said the voice of MacMathuna was as familiar as that of Micheál Ó Hehir.

The ceremony in City Hall was attended by civic leaders, former mayors, a number of Freemen of Limerick, the City Manger Tom Mackey and members of the city council.