Artists’ haunt apologises to culture bosses over ‘lynch mob’ meeting

A Limerick pub synonymous with actors, writers, and musicians has issued a message of apology to City of Culture chairman Pat Cox and former chief executive Patricia Ryan over the way they were treated last Friday night at a noisy public meeting on the running of the initiative.

A message posted on the notice board of the White House bar reads: “We apologise on behalf of all those persons associated with culture and arts development in Limerick city and county for the most outrageous disrespect shown to Patricia Ryan, Pat Cox by mob rule in the Clarion Hotel.”

It is signed by Glenn McLoughlin, manager of the White House.

Mr McLoughlin said the White House has been a favourite haunt of artistic people for over 200 years.

He said: “The way it all happened on Friday night we were not overly impressed with it. We thought it was a bit of a lynch mob. The general consensus we are getting is that people are very peed off in that we got the City of Culture and we haven’t got as far as the first fence.

“Things seem to be back on track with the appointment of Mike Fitzpatrick as interim head. We know Mike and are delighted he has got the job, albeit on a temporary basis. Hopefully he will get it back on track again.”

Mr McLoughlin said a lot of built-up anger came out at the meeting on Friday night.

He said: “It would appear that Patricia Ryan was cornered at the meeting and the photographs show she was like somebody who had been pounced on. For somebody to be cornered like that, I think it’s not right; it’s not nice and it’s not the spirit of the thing either.

“To my mind she didn’t do anything wrong. Maybe the process was not adhered to in her selection in the first place, but I don’t think she did anything wrong,” he said.

“To my mind she should be still there, but she isn’t, she’s gone.”