Limerick Branded Europe's Murder Capital!

talkingclock

Limerick branded Europe's murder capital

Limerick has been branded the official murder capital of Europe.

The Sunday Independent claims the latest killings in the city have boosted crime figures giving it the highest homicide rate in Western Europe.
According to the latest CSO data, Limerick has a ratio of more than seven homicides per 100,000 population.
Glasgow in Scotland, which previously had the highest homicide rate in Western Europe, recorded just over 5 killings per 100,000 people.
Firearms are a major problem here, with gardaí seizing over 500 guns a year - that is 10 times more than they recovered from republicans during the Troubles.
In the past 10 years, the number of deaths as a result of gunshot wounds has risen fivefold.
Operation Anvil, which was set up in May 2005 has recovered almost 1500 firearms to date - most of these were seized in Dublin and Limerick.
However, despite the rise in gun crime a WHO study rates Ireland as the safest country in Europe.

well done!

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=mhojideyeyql&c=

Ah! No! A Dublin Media is claiming this! So heads back into the sand!

Mr E

Jesus H Christ.

Poxyshamrock

So
F**king
What?

Karoma

Hmmm. 7 per 100,000 with a population of how many 100,000's..? versus 5 per 100,000 with a population of how many..? Statistics don't show a true picture. "Murder capital"? Where'd that tile come from? When is the award ceremony? Can we turn up and stab the judges?

bazz26

Thought someone would have been picked this up already.

Original article from the Sunday Indo:
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=mhojideyeyql&c=

Looks like our city's name being drapped through the mud again.

utick

im not sure why they include the who study that is way out of date now

NewsWire

Its no shock. We'll get over it. No need to winge.

daithicarr

there was the a double murder in Moyvanne not too long ago, the population there is only in the region of 500. thats 1 murder per 250 people, or if the population was 100,000 that would give them a murder rate of 400 per 100,000 people. now there is the murder capital of Europe

Liam Byrne

Daithi beat me to it.....typical Sindo rubbish (they tried to claim last year that "one more murder and Limerick will be...." etc).

Callan in Co. Kilkenny has a population of 1,000 people, and there was 1 murder there this year.....that's a murder rate of 100 per 100,000 people, which is a fair bit higher than Limerick's 7 in 100,000, no ?

So both Moyvanne and Callan beat Limerick hands down....so much for the level and standards of investigation in the Sindo..... :P

I'd use the phrase "****", but to be honest the Sindo has been a rubbish tabloid-in-disguise for years at this stage! I'd barely use it for toilet paper if I was stuck, because the print would probably leave more **** on my ass than was there before I wiped!

Shan75

Totally agree Liam Byrne.The Sindo is the worst excuse for a newspaper I have seen with the possible exception of the (Anti)Irish Daily Mail and shame on all those 1.3 million who buy it.Worse shame though on those buying the Mail.The Sindo doesn't concern itself too much with any good news stories from outside Dublin.

daithicarr

I like the way they say Limerick Branded Murder Capital of Europe. like there is some international body who hands out these awards rather than them sitting around and coming up with it themselves. maybe its the same crowd who dish out the capital of culture award???

i doubt many people outside Ireland who has never been to ireland or have any links to Ireland have ever heard of Limerick being a murder capital, or even of Limerick, to say we beat citys like London, Manchester, Amsterdam , Paris is as laughable as claiming Moyvanne is the Murder Capital of Europe.

talkingclock

daithicarr wrote: »

I like the way they say Limerick Branded Murder Capital of Europe. like there is some international body who hands out these awards rather than them sitting around and coming up with it themselves. maybe its the same crowd who dish out the capital of culture award???

It says branded - not awarded! little difference!

daithicarr wrote: »

i doubt many people outside Ireland who has never been to ireland or have any links to Ireland have ever heard of Limerick being a murder capital, or even of Limerick, to say we beat citys like London, Manchester, Amsterdam , Paris is as laughable as claiming Moyvanne is the Murder Capital of Europe.

I never knew that Glasgow has been the murder capital before Limerick became it. You learn something new every day!

Unfortunately it is not laughable if this tiny little town on a small island somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean is to outnumber megacities like Paris, Berlin, Rome or London in the murder per capita ratio!

Neither is it laughable to live in constant denial!

IrishMike

talkingclock wrote: »

It says branded - not awarded! little difference!



I never knew that Glasgow has been the murder capital before Limerick became it. You learn something new every day!

Unfortunately it is not laughable if this tiny little town on a small island somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean is to outnumber megacities like Paris, Berlin, Rome or London in the murder per capita ratio!

Neither is it laughable to live in constant denial!

Mate maybe you should take the last l out of your name, it would be fitting!
Murder capital of Europe my arse.
Estonia has a national average of 6.35 murders per 100,000
Spain has a national average of nearly 4 per 100,000
Are you telling me that there are no cities in their with higher than 7
per 100,000 that skew the results?
Sensationalist bull from a tabloid posing as a broadsheet.

Mr E

Keep it civilised, Mike....

Insect Overlord

talkingclock wrote: »

It says branded - not awarded! little difference!

Unfortunately it is not laughable if this tiny little town on a small island somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean is to outnumber megacities like Paris, Berlin, Rome or London in the murder per capita ratio!

Neither is it laughable to live in constant denial!

Is it your personal mission in life to make everyone feel as bad about Limerick as you seem to feel? Seriously, kids are taught in secondary school not to believe every single statistic they read in the papers. Did you miss out on this, or did you just choose to ignore common sense? By accepting the statistics of the media and rejecting the similar stats put forward (albeit facetiously, yet using the exact same logic) in this thread, you put yourself in a position of having very little in your defense.

Have a look around Limerick City, it's actually not that bad a place to be!

Liam Byrne

talkingclock wrote:

Neither is it laughable to live in constant denial

Does the same thing apply if we're simply denying untruths and lies, talkingclock ?

Take the following from Sunday's Independent (and incidentally this was written by the same biased idiot who wrote the fictional article that you originally referenced in this thread, which itself was a reworking of a similar "murder capital" hatchet job by him from last year):

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/gardai-avert-gun-carnage-at-funeral-1353353.html?r=RSS

However, from Today's Examiner:

http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=ireland-qqqm=ireland-qqqa=ireland-qqqid=61013-qqqx=1.asp

Do you still think it's "denial" to question what the Sindo prints, talkingclock ?

Let me spell it out. Limerick DOES have a problem. FACT. It pretty much affects only scumbags and drug-dealers. FACT. It's exaggerated and lied about in some sections of the Dublin media. FACT (and proven, yet again, by the obvious contradiction between the two links that I've posted above).

I've got to wonder why talkingclock chooses to believe everything the Sindo and Jim Cusack print.....is the Sindo your new bible, talkingclock ? Given that you say "Limerick became it [the 'murder capital']", rather than "the Sindo says it's it", you're taking the Sindo report as 100% fact - how come ?

But help may be at hand.....I presume that given the above exposure and proof of lies printed by Jim Cusack and the Sindo, that you will now start to look at rubbish that the Sindo prints as less-than-factual ?

I mean, there's a slogan that says "fool me once, fool you; fool me twice, fool me", and given that the above links that I've posted are a 1:1 proof that the same newspaper and the same supposed-but-now-discredited "journalist" are not printing the truth ? ? So can I assume that you won't be posting the next fictional instalment from Jim "make-it-up" Cusack and the Sindo here and commenting on it as if it were fact ? I mean, now that you have proof you're hardly going to be that naieve, are you ?

I also have to wonder how many Dublin papers and online sources will pick up on this story / correction / highlight of yet another fictional piece by Jim Cusack as enthusiastically as they did the other ones...?

Amazotheamazing

Lads, the guy is quoting the Sindo, why do you waste energy showing he's an idiot, he's already proved it by admitting to reading the Sindo.

Relying on the Sindo for information is like asking the KKK for unbiased racial commentary, a waste of time.

talkingclock

An Fhile wrote: »

Have a look around Limerick City, it's actually not that bad a place to be!

For this: it is a dirty sh*t hole, scumbag central, knacker heaven. that's my opinion. and i tell everyone what i think about this place.

unfortunately due to some family reasons i can't leave that rotten place. and i feel sorry for everyone that has to bring up kids in this kip.

BarryCreed

Rio de Janeiro or Limerick city. Which is more dangerous.....

talkingclock

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Lads, the guy is quoting the Sindo, why do you waste energy showing he's an idiot, he's already proved it by admitting to reading the Sindo.

Relying on the Sindo for information is like asking the KKK for unbiased racial commentary, a waste of time.

I'm happy to give the IDIOT back to you. Idiots like yourself play the same role for this city's reputation as the murders and scumbags do.

talkingclock

BarryCreed wrote: »

Rio de Janeiro or Limerick city. Which is more dangerous.....

comparing apples with oranges? ireland vs brazil? europe vs southamerica? moon vs sun?

Liam Byrne

talkingclock wrote: »

For this: it is a dirty sh*t hole, scumbag central, knacker heaven. that's my opinion. and i tell everyone what i think about this place.

unfortunately due to some family reasons i can't leave that rotten place. and i feel sorry for everyone that has to bring up kids in this kip.

That's your opinion, and for whatever your reasons and circumstances, you're entitled to it. And by all means, you're entitled to quote or discuss known facts or issues which you were aware of.

Just don't come on here and say / back up your argument by stating as "fact" that something "is" a particular way when the only opinion/proof to back you up is a hugely discredited tabloid-in-disguise.

State facts, by all means, but you'll get no support if you use a bunch of printed lies as the basis for your argument, or post a thread title that is factually incorrect (just coz someone else printed it doesn't mean it's OK to say it - why not title the thread "Sindo says that....Limerick Branded...." ? That would give people a chance to form a proper opinion and discuss what the Sindo printed, and you wouldn't get tarred with the "more lies about Limerick" brush.

Did you read the two links that I posted, and can you see why - despite any problems that Limerick does have - it is 100% accurate to say that there are sections of the media - in particular Jim Cusack and the Sindo, for some reason - that will exaggerate and lie about it to make it look worse ?

And can you see how quoting discredited sources that have an agenda will make you look foolish ?

Liam Byrne

talkingclock wrote: »

Idiots like yourself play the same role for this city's reputation as the murders and scumbags do.

COMPLETELY unwarranted comment. Just because you have an ADMITTED chip on your shoulder and someone disagrees with you, doesn't mean you're entitled to compare them to a murderer or scumbag.

Anyone who's posted here has basically said "hang on, you're quoting the Sindo - a gutter rag with an agenda. Quote another - reputable source - to back up your arguments and we'll listen.

Or better still, quote your own reasons for hating the place, so that we can judge whether they're valid enough to tar the whole place with a tag like that.....or judge whether anyplace else would be better or worse!

The "idiot" comment directed at you - not by me, mind - was a little personal
and unfair, but TBH if anyone is naieve enough to accept - and, worse still, repeat - what the Sindo / Jim Cusack combo print about Limerick is fair game to be viewed as at least some bit of a naieve idiot......sorry!

gaf1983

Liam Byrne wrote: »

It's exaggerated and lied about in some sections of the Dublin media.

I know I'm being pedantic, but don't you mean national media?

talkingclock

Liam Byrne wrote: »

[snip...]

Do you still think it's "denial" to question what the Sindo prints, talkingclock ?

It';s not about one single paper. I'm sick to the teath about those who come "ah, sure, not all bad, majestic shannon, heritage, rugby blah blah bla implicating that life is easy and funny here.

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Let me spell it out. Limerick DOES have a problem. FACT. It pretty much affects only scumbags and drug-dealers. FACT.

"pretty much" isn't "only, isn't it???

Liam Byrne wrote: »

It's exaggerated and lied about in some sections of the Dublin media. FACT (and proven, yet again, by the obvious contradiction between the two links that I've posted above).

That one again. Made up by the Dublin Media. I can't hear that sort of justification anymore!

Liam Byrne wrote: »

I've got to wonder why talkingclock chooses to believe everything the Sindo and Jim Cusack print.....

Do I? Quote me.

Liam Byrne wrote: »

is the Sindo your new bible, talkingclock ?

Is the quote "It's a lie from the Dublin Media" the new absolution?

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Given that you say "Limerick became it [the 'murder capital']", rather than "the Sindo says it's it", you're taking the Sindo report as 100% fact - how come ?

How come? Counting the murders meself. Having an equity with the SIndo report.

Liam Byrne wrote: »

But help may be at hand.....I presume that given the above exposure and proof of lies printed by Jim Cusack and the Sindo, that you will now start to look at rubbish that the Sindo prints as less-than-factual ?

Thank you for your kind offer, but...

Liam Byrne

talkingclock wrote: »

comparing apples with oranges? ireland vs brazil? europe vs southamerica? moon vs sun?

Sorry Barry - for once (and probably for the only time) I'm with talkingclock on this one, on at least a superficial level.

The lies that the Sindo printed - and that talkingclock recreated here - attempted to compare Limerick to other cities in Europe, so any comparison with South America is indeed invalid in this context.

Of course, given the level of reporting and investigation in the Sindo, I wouldn't be surprised if some day they listed RdJ as being in Europe.....:p

talkingclock

Liam Byrne wrote: »

COMPLETELY unwarranted comment. Just because you have an ADMITTED chip on your shoulder and someone disagrees with you, doesn't mean you're entitled to compare them to a murderer or scumbag.

Welcome to the club! now we are already three. you, that amazing whatever and me.

Liam Byrne

It';s not about one single paper. I'm sick to the teath about those who come "ah, sure, not all bad, majestic shannon, heritage, rugby blah blah bla implicating that life is easy and funny here.

Then discuss that, and stop quoting the extremes to back up your argument. You opened the thread with quoting a bunch of supposition and lies from the rag in question, so everyone here discussed that. If you opened with something else, we'd have discussed that. You set the topic.

"pretty much" isn't "only, isn't it???

Did anyone say that it was ? Limerick has a similar amount of "regular" crime to other cities and is accepted as being safer than Dublin, Kilkenny or even Tralee.....again that's not what's being discussed in this thread because of the original post that YOU started with.

That one again. Made up by the Dublin Media. I can't hear that sort of justification anymore!

Then tough, because I've just PROVEN to you that the crap the Sindo printed was rubbish. So "made up" is perfectly appropriate. Don't criticise me for pointing out to you that the basis for your argument was completely flawed.

Do I? Quote me.

You started the thread with a quote from Jim Cusack and Sindo and accepted it as fact. If a paper had a headline saying "Limerick is nowhere near as bad as people make out", would you have started a thread to discuss that ? I rest my case.

Is the quote "It's a lie from the Dublin Media" the new absolution?

For everything ? No. For the lies that they do print, Yes.

How come? Counting the murders meself. Having an equity with the SIndo report.

So show us how you come up with the "murder capital" title, then.....number of murders ? (nope, Dublin beats that hands-down) Percentage / per-head (nope, there's already 2 places that beat that).....the place you're most likely to get shot (nope, not unless you're a drug-dealer or other scumbag, in which case that would, admittedly, probably be true)

So come on, show us the way that you're interpreting the ACTUAL facts and figures and ignore the crap the Sindo prints.....we can then discuss that without getting sidetracked by the lies or the source.

Thank you for your kind offer, but...

OK - let me interpret that statement on the basis of the question I asked; it seems that, despite trying to give the impression that you're thinking for yourself, you're admitting that you will continue to view what the Sindo and Jim Cusack print as fact - DESPITE being shown an example of the type of stunt that they pull ?

In that case there is absolutely no point in discussing the topic with you.

Welcome to the club! now we are already three. you, that amazing whatever and me.

Haven't a clue what you mean by that, but then again. why am I not surprised.....

Liam Byrne

gaf1983 wrote: »

I know I'm being pedantic, but don't you mean national media?

Nope. The Irish Examiner is national media and they seem to report it fairly accurately - warts and all, but without the exaggeration and lies, and with the occasional good-news story too - i.e a true reflection of the city, plusses and minuses.

Maybe I should have said "Dublin-based", but my statement stands.

Most of the crap seems to be on the Dublin local stations (Spin & FM104), RTE, Independent Newspapers (Sunday World & Sunday Indo), but - to be fair to the others - with the majority of downright rubbish coming in the Sindo.

utick

Limerick certainly has a crime problem, anyone denying that is just sticking there heads in the sand, and the murder rate is probably one of the highest if not the highest for that year on cities over a certain size, dublins rate was higher than londons so it wouldnt be too surprising.
but the media seems to blow it up a bit alright. they conveniantly realeased the murder capital article at a time when there were no killings (those murder figures were released over a month ago) just to keep the negative in the news i guess.

and then we had a pipe bomb blow up in someones garden in dublin which only gets briefly mentioned, same with 3 men getting knifed in dublin last weekend is only being mentioned now. http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0424/dublin.html

galwayrush

I have never felt threatened, i have never felt unsafe any time i have been to Limerick, sometimes socially, sometimes for work. i have walked the City Centre at night, never had a problem.Yes there is a crime problem there, but it seems the media paints the actions of a few scum as a portrayal of the whole City / Region.

um7y1h83ge06nx

I would still argue that we shouldn't underplay the problem.

If the people of Limerick say that everything is fine in our fair city, well then we may not get ERU or CAB resources, not given extra Gardai resources etc.

As I said in another thread here, I strongly believe that crime is rising in Ireland due to having a weak Dáil (Government and opposition). With a weak Dáil we cannnot have a strong police force and army. The only way we can get the powers that be to solve our problem is to kick up as much fuss as possible.

I for one would welcome branches of the ERU and CAB to be stationed permanenently in different parts of Ireland (Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Galway, etc.).

I think the State has faced and solved far bigger problems than the criminal gangs in Limerick and Dublin. The State survived Civil War, possible military coups after the 1932 election, the threat of the IRA in it's different forms during the Emergency and in the 70's. The state overcame these by having the balls to make difficult decisions and to take drastic, sometimes forceful action.

We need to kick up fuss so the State will solve our modern day problems.

rstans

I've lived in Limerick all my life and wouldn't live anywhere else. The only way to hit these s***bags is where it hurts. If they can't show where they got the money for the big cars, confiscate them.
Wide screen tv? Show us where the money came from.
Big house? Show us where the money came from.
I have a mortgage and a car loan I have to pay and I work hard to pay them. Why should these f****** get away with it. I saw one of them the other day in a car worth over 100,000 euro. How can the CAB not see this.
I know this is probably the wrong thread for this rant but these bastards are bringing down the city I love and I'm sick of it. Every time they have a pop we have to listen to the same bull all over again. Pick them all up, put them in a field with all the guns they want and let them off. When the last one is standing put a bullet in him and concrete over the lot.

Liam Byrne

Noa Nervous Vacancy wrote: »

I would still argue that we shouldn't underplay the problem.

If the people of Limerick say that everything is fine in our fair city, well then we may not get ERU or CAB resources, not given extra Gardai resources etc.

Precisely. I have argued in numerous media about this; the lies and exaggeration not only portray the city unfairly, but they also cause a subconscious "we're not as bad as they say", which carries over into "sure it's not THAT bad".

Tackling the lies about the place is step one and then, once everything being reported is factual and no-one can argue exaggeration or discrimination, EVERYONE will have to acknowledge the facts of the situation.

Burying heads in the sand is not an option, and I have never implied that it is. I just want fair and balanced reporting, and once the precise scale of the problem is widely known maybe then we'll get some fair treatment (although considering that FF + PDs were once elected on a "zero tolerance" policy which they immediately reneged on, it'll probably take a change of Government to get anything done.