Snubbed Limerick calls for boycott

THE Mayor of Limerick last night called for a boycott of RTE’s Rose of Tralee coverage over the organiser’s repeated “disgraceful snub” to the third city of the Republic.

Cllr Jim Long’s anger stems from the absence again of a Limerick Rose for the fourth year.

He encouraged Limerick publicans to blacklist the Rose programme.

“This is the fourth year we have no Limerick Rose,” he said. “Dublin and Cork automatically get Roses, but Limerick has to pre-qualify. Limerick has sent some great representatives over the years. Muirne Hurley and Diane Hannegan both came home wearing the Rose of Tralee tiara. Limerick people have spent huge amounts of money supporting their Roses at the Tralee festival over the years. But the crowd down there don’t seem to appreciate this. If that’s their attitude then let’s return the compliment. I am appealing to the people of Limerick to switch over to some other channel. I am also calling on publicans not to put on the RTÉ coverage of the Rose of Tralee tonight. And I would also call on Limerick people not to go to Tralee during the festival. I used to always go down for a night when there was a Limerick Rose. I can’t understand why the Rose of Tralee organisers have penalised Limerick.”

Cormac Hurley, father of Muirne Hurley who was the 1994 Rose of Tralee said he could not understand the attitude of the Tralee festival organisers to Limerick.

He said: “They give automatic entry to the Cork and Dublin roses, but not to Limerick which has always had the most hard working local Rose of Tralee committee in the country. When the Rose of Tralee festival was in it’s infancy, Denis Moran, father of Ogie Moran organised a special train, such was the huge Limerick support. I didn’t miss it for 40 years, but like many Limerick people I’m giving it a miss. They are turning away the county and city which has always given the festival the strongest support. I just cant understand it.”