Book on Limerick's music scene republished to raise funds for charities

'A River Runs Through It' by Keith Kelly aims to spotlight Limerick talents while also delving into its history, through the eyes of its own artists.

A book about the Limerick music scene is being reprinted this Christmas in order to raise much-needed funds for local charities.

A River Runs Through It by Keith Kelly aims to spotlight Limerick talents while also delving into the city's history, through the eyes of its own artists.

An encapsulation of the Treaty City’s burgeoning music scene, the book features 40 photographs of artists holding their favourite Limerick album, with each album picked leading to the next artist.

First published last Christmas, the collection includes artists such as The Cranberries’ Noel Hogan, Hermitage Green’s Barry Murphy, Emma Langford, and the late Johnny Duhan of Granny’s Intentions.

Keith Kelly's book features 40 photographs of artists holding their favourite Limerick album, with each album picked leading to the next artist.

For the second year, all proceeds will go to The Learning Hub Limerick and The Limerick Civic Trust.

Mr Kelly told the

Irish Examiner

: “I actually started with Noel Hogan of The Cranberries just to see what he would pick. 

"He picked Woodstar, and then I asked the lead singer of Woodstar Fin Chambers, he picked Bleeding Heart Pigeons. 

It was trailing along, and I was just so excited about who was going to pick next.

Last year, the proceeds of the book raised €6,500 for The Learning Hub which offers after school programmes to children, and for the Limerick City Trust, which aims to improve the “look of the city”.

Barry Murphy, who is featured in the book, said Limerick is home to “unbelievable talent”.

Barry Murphy of Hermitage Green.

“I'm incredibly proud of the music scene in Limerick. I think we're very much our own thing, it's hard to describe. There’s unbelievable talent, whether it's hip hop, folk, electronic tread, metal. 

"The studios, especially around the market area, have some of the best producers in town," said the Hermitage Green musician.

“Before covid, you might have had 10 gigs in Limerick over the summer that were relatively big. 

"Now we have Thomond Park, the Docklands, probably 15 King John's Castle gigs, and a ton of gigs in Dolans and The Commercial,” he told the Irish Examiner.

The limited reprint will be stocked in O'Mahony’s Booksellers, Steamboat Music, Re-Story Limerick, and the People's Museum.