Freedom of Limerick for President

The newly-elected Limerick City and County Council has moved to resolve a bitter, legacy row from the old Limerick City Council into which President Michael D Higgins was drawn.

A move to make President Higgins a Freeman of Limerick, his native city, was scuppered after a falling-out between Fine Gael and Labour.

The new council yesterday decided to bestow the city’s highest honour on the President.

Fine Gael and Labour had agreed in the old council, which was dissolved last summer, to back a Labour party proposal to make the President a freeman.

However, the deal fell apart following an acrimonious mayoral election in June 2012, the last year of the council.

Independent councillor Kathleen Leddin, with the backing of Labour, defeated Fine Gael councillor Denis McCarthy.

Fine Gael councillor Jim Long said ‘the gloves were off’ as far as his party’s relationship with Labour on the council was concerned and said they were pulling out of a deal agreed with Labour to support the nomination of President Higgins.

Labour councillor Tom Shortt accused Mr Long of treachery in going public about the proposal to make President Higgins a Freeman, as all such matters were deemed highly confidential.

The council yesterday agreed to offer the Freedom of Limerick to President Higgins and the ceremony has been scheduled for September 29.

Mr Long, who lost his seat at the May election, said yesterday: “I am glad as it would have been terrible if the curse of St Munchin was to afflict President Michael D Higgins in his native city of Limerick.”

St Munchin, according to folklore, condemned locals for refusing to help build his church in Limerick.

Strangers passing at the time helped him complete the job and, ever since, according to the Curse of St Munchin, the stranger will get greater recognition than the native and prosper in Limerick.

Mr Long said: “Although received at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Palace, and the residences of world leaders, President Higgins ran into a diplomatic row when it was proposed by the previous City Council that he be made a Freeman of the City of Limerick. The row was not of our making.”

The Freedom of the City was only accorded by the old council to candidates who had the backing of a majority on the council.

However, following the row over the mayoral election between Labour and Fine Gael, President Higgins’ nomination was ‘blackballed.’ The faux pas was leaked to the media, causing major embarrassment to the council.

Other Freemen of Limerick include, Pope John Paul II, US president John F Kennedy, businessman JP McManus, rugby player Paul O’Connell, and broadcaster Terry Wogan.