Market Quarter = Rugby Paradise

Mc Love

IT'S Heineken Cup weekend again in Limerick, as the premier European rugby competition pits Munster against Welsh team, Ospreys.

The rugby weekend will kick off on Saturday night when Limerick’s Market Quarter will be transformed into a rugby paradise to start the Munster fans rugby weekend ahead of Sunday’s match.

Bars around Limerick city will celebrate this weekend’s Munster v Ospreys game with on-street and in-pub festivities, designed to create a carnival atmosphere to heighten rugby fans’ experience of the big rugby weekend.

Fans will pass through Heineken’s specially erected goalposts, positioned at entry points to the Market Quarter, before experiencing the streets being brought to life with festival-style street-bunting, drummer-bands and carnival atmosphere.

For fans unable to make the match, Heineken’s dedicated rugby website allows rugby fans to interact online during the game. The Live Match Tracker allows fans share their experience, predictions and thoughts with their friends on Facebook: live, as the match happens.

Similar match-tracking tools are proving popular with the NFL for American football and Heineken brings it to rugby first. Like never before, using a graphical timeline, rugby fans can learn about every player on the pitch, as the game unfolds. Heineken’s Live Match Tracker also stream’s live commentary and brings the latest stats as they happen.

After that the Match Archive allows fans see game stats again and again. The website also features a Legends Blog with Donal Lenihan, a Where to Go app and the Road to the Final competition that allows site members to predict the games per round in order to be in with a chance of a trip to the Heineken Cup Final in Cardiff in May 2011.

http://limerickrugby.ie/news-1280/City-revs-up--for-Heineken-Cup-week-end


This sounds great for the city and for anyone unable to get tickets!

bigpink

So whats actually on for it?Or is it just all Heineken flags and signs?

Amazotheamazing

bigpink wrote: »

So whats actually on for it?Or is it just all Heineken flags and signs?

Did you manage to read the article? Sounds a bit like the Mardi Gras.

"Bars around Limerick city will celebrate this weekend’s Munster v Ospreys game with on-street and in-pub festivities, designed to create a carnival atmosphere to heighten rugby fans’ experience of the big rugby weekend.

Fans will pass through Heineken’s specially erected goalposts, positioned at entry points to the Market Quarter, before experiencing the streets being brought to life with festival-style street-bunting, drummer-bands and carnival atmosphere."

bigpink

But the Mardi Grad had list of the bands in pubs,a a parade etc

Amazotheamazing

Festival time in downtown Limerick
Written by Colum Coomey
THURSDAY, 09 DECEMBER 2010 11:54
THE MARKET QUARTER is to be transformed yet again as the Ospreys arrive in town this weekend for Heineken Cup Rugby,
“The whole of Denmark Street is going to resemble a green zone,” said Tony Enright, owner of Smyths Bar and The Icon.
He confirmed that his business interests are picking up “because we are being creative.

“We’re doing something, trying new things and making a pitch for our city.
“It’s all negativity at the moment so anything that’s positive encourages others”.
Denmark Street will boast large goalposts framing the entrances and exits.
Green street lighting will be installed in the Heineken Green Zone which will include nine bars, Smyths, Flannerys, The Bailey, O’Connells, The Cuckoo Box, Charlie Chaplins, Nancy Blakes, Flannerys and Molly Malones.
Mr Enright is confident of a successful future for Limerick, demonstrated when he completely refitted his O’Connell Street restaurant, The Texas Steakhouse.
“People are nervous but we’re going to get out of this and when they see investment it warms the heart”.
He claimed that major companies also have faith in Limerick.
“Heineken are investing about €80,000 in this event.
“People have to go out and people want to go out and enjoy themselves,
“When you have the Man United of rugby, you need to celebrate it.
“The Heineken Cup has to be supported... if there was no Heineken Cup, there would be no Thomond Park”.
It will be the fourth collaborative event in the Market Quarter following the Mardi Gras and other events earlier this year.
“It’s good for the whole city, our restaurants, hotels and shops.
“Solidarity between the pubs, cafes and restaurants for the Mardi Gras brought thousands onto the city streets”.
He fears that people are buying into the doom and gloom and need to enjoy the benefits of the boom.
“Limerick cIty has a fabulous infrastructure. We have seven or eight lovely hotels and the standard of everything went up a notch.
“Good things happened and we need to enjoy these improvements”.

Mc Love

its quite funny that Heineken are doing it there and then two blocks over is the Guinness Area 22 with pubs in Thomas St area

Itsdacraic

bigpink wrote: »

So whats actually on for it?Or is it just all Heineken flags and signs?

Are you a bit simple?
Can you not see anything positive in anything?

bigpink

No but if Heineken are spending 80 grans on an event ud expect a bit more noise

Mc Love

bigpink wrote: »

No but if Heineken are spending 80 grans on an event ud expect a bit more noise

Its in the Limerick Post - also on a Limerick Rugby site. If you are anyway clued in, you would hear about it.

Amazotheamazing

Right, impromptu Boards beers tonight anyone? I'll be somewhere in the Market Quarter, looking like Gerry Ryan in his slightly obese early 30's years.

dave 27

I have to say, i was in town yesterday doing shopping and i was very impressed with the market quarter, you really get the impression there is something special going on here, not only that but EVERY pub there has big lights outside it, also i noticed EVERY pub in town that i passed, (especially up around thomas st, catherine st etc) had the same guinness canopy and guinness tables set up outside them with lights..id say tonight will be epic!

bigpink

What did you make of it?Pretty poor but if it was run as an event and used the lighting etc might be a runner to get people in

Conor Bourke

bigpink wrote: »

What did you make of it?Pretty poor but if it was run as an event and used the lighting etc might be a runner to get people in

:rolleyes: