Limerick resignations - Inauspicious beginning

The resignation of Limerick City of Culture artistic director, Karl Wallace, and two of his colleagues is a very inauspicious start to the year-long celebration.

That chairman of the organising board, Pat Cox, suggested the three resignations may be a “blessing in disguise” suggests a deeply divided organisation. It also creates a whiff of an outbreak of that great national affliction — round pegs in square holes all lubricated by exchequer funding; €6m in this instance.

The seed of this unedifying shambles was planted when Mr Cox’s former EU parliamentary assistant, Patricia Ryan, was named as the organisation’s chief executive.

That such a pivotal appointment was made at such a late date — just last November — may just excuse the fact that the job was not advertised, but Ms Ryan’s admission that she had no experience of cultural management or working in the arts industry moves the sorry affair into Ballymagash territory. Hopefully all is not lost and than the year will be a success.

Limerick — and the taxpayers who fund the event — deserves more than this kind of shabby amateurism.