St Patrick's Day: Limerick to send 18 council delegates to US despite last year's bar tab furore

Limerick City and County Council came in for criticism after 2024 visit costing $60,000, including a $440 bar bill

One Limerick delegation will visit New York City for the St Patrick’s Day festivities, another will be in Rockaway Beach, New York, and a third will visit Savannah, Georgia. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Limerick councillors will fly to New York and Georgia to wet the shamrock on St Patrick’s Day, a year after their last US visit sparked controversy over the cost of the trip.

Last year, one of the three delegations which travelled ran up a tab of $440 (€419) in a New York bar.

The total bill for the visit came in at $60,000 (€57,000).

This year, the council is again fielding three teams of delegates made up of 14 councillors and four members of the council’s executive.

A council spokesman described the excursions as ‘trips’, adding that final costings will not be available until after it concludes.

The biggest trip will be to New York, where the council team will include some seven councillors as well as two members of the council executive.

They will be based in the Big Apple from March 14 to 19.

Another group of three councillors and one official will set out for Rockaway Beach, New York, while four councillors and one member of the council executive will spend St Patrick’s Day in sunny Savannah in the state of Georgia.

Last year, as well the tab run up in a New York bar, the council forked out $430 on airport transfers for one of the three groups.

Figures published by the Sunday Independent showed that, last year, the three groups which travelled to the US cost the council totals of €27,2624, €22,003, and €9,295 respectively, when the travel accounts were finalised.

Most of the money was spent on flight and hotel costs.

The group which visited New York last year for St Patrick’s Day ran up costs of €13,884 in hotel bills alone.

A group which went to Savannah ran up a total hotel bill of €11,440. That group stayed in the plush Desoto Hotel, which boasts a pool terrace and a cabana bar.

Mayor is not travelling

The directly-elected Mayor of Limerick City and County, John Moran, is not travelling to the US celebrations and is expected to experience the St Patrick’s Day parade in his own city.

Shortly after being elected mayor last year, Mr Moran said he would consider how best to promote Limerick on St Patrick’s Day.

He said he had previously participated in St Patrick’s Day festivities in various international locations.

He said that he recognised the opportunity St Patrick’s Day presents to promote Limerick and its rich cultural heritage and warm hospitality.