Hundreds mourn tireless campaigner

HUNDREDS yesterday attended the funeral in Limerick of Ger South, who campaigned tirelessly over decades for better services for people with intellectual disabilities.

Mr South, 78, was chairman of Limerick Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped for 25 years. He died after a long illness.

Over the years he constantly lobbied health minister in various governments and backed all major campaigns at local and national level to improve the lives of the disabled.

At a presentation to Ger two years ago, Frank O’Leary, vice chairman of the Limerick Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, said he had made an indelible impact on the lives of intellectually disabled people in Limerick over the last quarter of a century.

Mr O’Leary said: “He has a big and caring heart and was rightly angered at the lack of support and resources available to the intellectually disabled and their family. He displayed relentless energy and commitment and simply would not accept token gestures or take ‘no’ for an answer.”

At yesterday’s funeral Mass in St Mary’s church, Canon Donough O’Malley, PP said Ger South was a tireless campaigner and selfless in the work he did.